Great Hot
r . . ..
PLUNGE BATH
HOT SPRINGS S.D
RAVELING west from the M
T
auurl river en route to Hot
Springs, S. D., the black soil
or the prairies had turned to
the ' red-brown of the, Black
Hills, the farm house hai given
way to the ranch and It extensive outrider
of corral and buildings, feeding rucks Slid
yards, and the roll of the prairie grows more
pronounced. One sees unlquo towns with
typical western surroundings; the crested
butts of the fuothlllB rise here and there
and the dark points of the Hills begin ta
bj seen as the train reaches Buffalo Clap.
The history of the pra-clvlllzed days of
Hot Springs is itomethlng more than a
vague, mysterious legend. Since the begin
ning of the seventeenth century the now
fampus Mlnnekahta Springs have been the
natural sanatorium of the Cheyenne In
dians until little more than half a century
ago, when tradition says occurred tho
sanguinary three-days' conflict which gave
Battle Mountain Us name, proved the
"Waterloo" of the Cheyennes and gave the
coveted springs to the Sioux Indians. In
June, 1879, prof. Walter T. Jenny and
Colonel W. J. Thornby left Deadwood on
horseback ou a mine location trip. They
arrived at Buffalo (Jap and Colonel
Thornby found and located what are now
called the Mlnnekahta Hot springs. He
located his stakes from the present site
of tho Evens hotel, a half mile up toward
the present Sqldlers' home. The same year
Messrs. Trimmer, Rumbo and Heno came
down from Hill City and located cattle
ranches in the valley where the city now
tanUs, tho next year bringing their fam
ilies and establishing permanent homes.
Early in the next year Joseph Petty
brought John Wilson, the first white pa
tient for the treatment of rheumatism, to
the springs, prostrate with the dread dis
ease. By six weeks" use of the mineral
baths he was fully restored and never suf
fered a return of the malady.
By the summer of ISM, Trimmer, Lara vie
and Davidson had formed a partnership
and built a log hotel, seventy feet long
near the springs. Meanwhile a man had
come to the Hills who was destined to play
a moat prominent part In the future of
Hot Springs. This waa the late Fred T.
Evans, who had mad large sums of money
In real estate and street car lines at
Sioux City and had first vlRited the Hills
with an exploring outfit In 1876. It waa he
Who hauled the first machinery of the
Homestake mine to the Hills, and many
Is the story told of the feats accomplished
by this determined character, with his
enormous freighting outfits, In the face of
the most trying circumstances. But when
t last the Northwestern railroad had built
from Kapld City on to Whltewood, he
turned his entire attention to the develop
ment of. Hot Springs, where he had In
vested first In 1888, and he became a
dominant force in the upbuilding of this
now famous place. He erected the mag
nificent Evans" hotel, the Hot Springs
hotel, the Mlnnekahta business block and
many residences. He graded and built the
streets of the upper town at his own ex.
pense, and It was mainly through his In
fluence that the Northwestern railroad
built Into Hot Springs. The town suffered
a great loss In his death In 11)02. At pres
ent both the Northwestern and the Bur
lington railways run trains Into Hot
Springs, tha former from Buffalo Gap and
the latter from Edgemont
The town has an altitude of J.260 feet
and Is situated In a talley, or canyons be
tween surrounding hills. When Colonel
Thornby located the Mlnnekahta springs
he was much attracted by the beautiful
Fall river atre&m, which pursues Its course
through the town and parallel with the
main street He say at that time the
stream waa literally filled with wild geeee
and ducks that were In such vast num
bers as to be unintlmldated by his presence.
Today this river Is a glowing nuta, winter
and summer, of watercress, while tame
ducks of varied hue lend a great beauty to
It naturally picturesque appearance.
The climate of Hot Springs Is Invigorat
ing the year around, and while the great
Influx of strangers Is usually in the sum
mer, people are beginning to discover the
fact that Hot Springs is a charming winter
resort.
The flret natatorium was that erected by
Mr. Evans. It la fitted with toboggan
slide, springboards, rufts and every con
venience for those who can , or cunnot
swim. The temperature of the water is
about M degree, and there are springs In
the bath Itself bubbling up through Its
pebbled bottom. The waters are as clear
as crystal. Altogether there are more
than seventy-five springs In and around
Hot Springs, and they vary greatly In their
constituent qualities. They are all abso
lutely free from any vegetable substance
and most of them are from to degrees up
ward. The supply la constant, invariable
and Inexhaustible, flowing nearly l.ooo.OJt)
gallons a day. The most prominent among
tnese springs re the ' Mammoth Hot
mm imjux Lakota croud) which supply
Springs
v
lb ... mr
Mm
-
V.:
A WARD IN
CATTLE J10UNTA1N,
SANl TABJ UMzz
the two natatoriums and the city, at pres
ent, and the National sanitarium.
The Mlnnekahta spring, which, adjoins
the Hot Springs hotel and which was the
original spring used by the Indians, as
evidenced by a moccaslp-shaped stone
bath carved out of solid rock by the Iht
dlans, and still In use at these baths, sup
plies the Lady of Lourdes hospital and the
Evans hotel In Its annex. Then there are
the sulphur baths and the Hiawatha, for
merly called the Cathollcon springs, which
are used In conjunction with the hqtel
and sanitarium of the same name. In
addition to these are other springs,
pTTi"i"i'i'iri i . '-"yi -.'
is- rJ iv . . vr. rcr.- -
HwW -trim
Notes on Recent Experiment and Discovery in Field
National Control of Wireless.
ONQRESSMAN ROBERTS' bill
for a governmental regulation
of wireless telegraphy and tele
phony proposes the appointment
of a board of seven members,
"one expert each from the War.
Navy and Treasury departments, three ex
perts representing the commercial wireless
telegraph and wireless telephone intersts,
and one scientist well versed in the art of
electrio wave telegraphy and telephqny."
The duties of the board, according to the
resolution, shall be "to prepare a compre
hensive system of regulations to govern
the operation of all wireless plants afloat
and ashore which come under the cogni
sance of the United States, with due regard
alike for government and commercial In
terests." It Is provided that within thirty
days of the organization of the board it
shall submit Its repurt and recommenda
tions to congress. To defray the expenses
of nte board 12.000 Is appropriated.
The International wireless telegraph busi
ness of the world Is conducted under a
treaty signed at Brllu on November 3,
1M04, relates tho Boston Transcript. This
treaty was the result of a convention which
was partcipated In by twenty-six of the
principal nations. Of these countries the
following have confirmed the treaty: Bel
glum, Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway,
Braxll, Sweden, Mexico, Itoumanla, Ger
many and all of fls protectorates, Great
Britain (under certain reservations), Spain,
Bulgaria, Persia, Russia, Austria-Hungary,
Portugal, Turkey, As the United States
up to this time has not given Its adherence
to the convention, ships flying the Ameri
can flag find tuumsclves without standing
In international wireless telegraphy, as
none of the contracting countries is com
pelled to receive a telegram from the ship
of a noncontractlng country, and any
coastal station In a foreign country may
refuse transmission pf a message to a sta
tion on shipboard subject to a noncontract
of the Black Hills and Their Manifold Attractions
flA PART OF
K7") x-A7V.?-U -
. Tin ..... . ' tu D ii, n- tVVJV
among them tha Mud Baths, adjoining the
court house and on the rlyr bank.
Commencing with rheumatism und end
ing with the diseases of the liver and kid
neys, (ho list of troubles treated success
fully by the various baths is too long for
present space, but there Is no diseaMe cured
by the baths of Carlsbad, durmany, or
those of Hot Springs, Ark., that has not
been treated successfully In the baths of
Hot Bprings, S. D., while the conditions
of ollmate and scenery are so effective
that rip health resort on earth conduces
so greatly to nature's curative powers.
There are a, number of hotels in Hot
lng country. This condition of affairs was
brought forcibly to the attention of the
War department by the cruise of the
United States army transport Kllpatrlck
enroute from New York to Manila Feb
ruary 17 to April 23. 100, and returning
May 15 ta July 25, 1300. The report from
this ship says it had great difficulty in
communicating In different parts of the
World, and that in several instances, afer
ascertaining its nationality, messages were
refused. '
The only action of the United States gov
ernment lucking to regulation of wireless
telegraphy is the approval of the president
of the United Slates, dated July t, VAH, of
tha report of an Irerdepartmental board
appointed by (he president to consider the
entire question of wireless telegraphy In
the service of the national government.
Owing to the absence of definite . regula
tions, there is considerable confusion in
the transmission of wireless messages on
the coast of the United States, which in
terferes very materially with wireless com
munication between the various seacoast
defences and with our ships at sea. The
army now has twelve wireless telegraph
stations located at military posts In this
country and nine stations at points In
AJaska.
tlectrtekleep.
Investigation going ou here and abroad.
Just made public, shows that electricity
may prove superior to any of the drugs
now used to produce analgesia. This dis
covery, )f confirmed by future Investiga
tions, would mean a revolution of modern
methods of surgery. People suffering from
diseases that call for operations, but who
cannot got relief through danger of death,
if put under ether or chloroform, might be
oured, for electricity, wheu used as an an
aesthetic, has no bad effsot, It !s claimed,
on the heart. ' It produces a state of Insen
sibility, by acting ou the nerve centers of
the brain, that Is called "electrio sleep."
Tbe sleep Is not fatal, but when the elec
THE OMAIIA SUNDAY BEE: JANUARY
THE BATTLE MOUNTAIN SANITARIUM (p
ti .
4 4
Springs. The pleasure of the plunge baths
would be a sufficient endorsement for Hot
Springs, but at 1U very door are a great
many varied amusements. Camping parties
are numerous. The mountain stream
abound tolth trout. Hunting Includes the
deer, wolf, wildcat, rabbit and many kinds
of birds. Horseback and burro riding are
liberally indulged in, anl geological ex
cursions are made interesting by trips to
the Bad Lands. Many beautiful paths
and drives, wonderful raves, cascades,
waterfalls, grand canyons and wild flow
ers in great profusion are found in near
proximity to Hot Springs.
tric current Is opened the lnfluenoe Is Im
mediately lost and the patient becomes
conscious without feeling any of the after
effects common with drug anaesthetics. To
Stephana Ledua of Naples the medical pro
fession Is Indebted for the comprehensive
study of "electrio sleep." He has conducted
numerous experiments on animals, most of
them' being very successful, and other In
vestigators are following In his footsteps.
In this country the chief investigator in
this field has been a woman doctor of New
York City, Dr. Louise O. Roblnovitoh. lr.
Roblnovvltcb has performed soms of the
most delicate operations known to surgery
with electricity as her anaesthetic, and has
been very successful. AH her operations
have been on animals, the work being still
too much In the experimental stage to be
used freely on human beings. Sam of the
operations she successfully performed are
trepanning within exposure of the brain,
exposure of the large arteries of the neck
and operations calling for abdominal sec
tions. Sho has found that electricity can
be used in operations that are either local
or Internal, and with equal success. At
the Philadelphia General hospital the city
will shortly procure the necessary appara
tus to be used to produce the "electrio
sleep" and will conduct a series of ex
haustive Investigations. Lr. Mlhram Krl
kor Kassablan, director of the Roentgen
ray laboratory of the Philadelphia hospi
tal, is now engaged on this work with Dr.
Solomon Soils-Cohen.
Twelve Million Telepboaes.
It Is reported that there are now In this
country 12,000,000 telephones, or one for
every two houses In the country. This
does not mean that one-half of the resi
dences In the country contain an Instru
ment, but the figures are Instructive and
illuminating. Practically everybody who
is anybody in the cities or towns and vil
lages has a telephone, while those in the
country districts are legion. The aston
ishing fact, says tbe Philadelphia Inquirer,
l c3II ' i, t i It inn I 1 1 r
30, 1910.
, Two of the most famous drives within
easy aecesg of the city are the pad Lands,
where the most remarkable fossils In ex
istence are found In 'a perfect state of
preservation and where the most peculiar
formations on earth can be found, and
the Wind cave, with its 2,000 subterranean
caverns and 100 miles of passages already
explored without finding a limit. The
Wind cave was discovered In U77, but was
not turned to account and was unex
plored until JK-0, when It was located as
mineral olaims, and an easy road was
made from chamber to chamber by blast-?
ing. Later pp the proprietors got to quar
is that each of these phones is used on an
average of six times a day. The total
number of calls in a year runs up into the
billions and is not appreciable by the hu
man mind.
This Is the more remarkable when we
consider that forty years ago there was no
such thing as a telephone, and even twenty
years ago tha Instrument wis not common
outside of business houses. Now they have
become one of the necessities of life. We
use the telephone not only in business, but
for social purposes, for shopping and niar
i-eting and for almost every purpose
where we used to use the malls or do
without. If by any catastrophe the tele
phones of the country should oa silenced
forever it would amount to ft calamity of
the first magnitude. We have adjusted
our Uvea to the telephone aid could not
do without it unless wj made ntw and un
desirable arrangemant8.
Registering; Heart-Beats u( Dear.
"Jimmy," the bull terrier, was the hero
of a lecture In Loudon the other day. One
of the lecturer's most Interesting experi
ments showed how heart-beats were meas
ured by electricity. For this purpose
"Jimmy" acted as subject. The dog stood
on a table, with his feet In vessels of
water, and Prof. Duddell having adjusted
his apparatus, the lights were turned down
and the shadow of a thin wire waa pro
jected on a screen. The wire Jerked back
wards and forwards. "Those Jerks," said
Mr. Duddell, "represent the electromotive
force of Jimmy's heart. You will notice
that they are very unequal. That Inequal
ity la not due to excitement through Jimmy
finding himself In the presence of such a
large audience, but Is tbe natural action
pf a dog's heart The beatings of the
hearts of all animals are, in fact, un
steady. It may interest you to know that
Dr. Waller performed this experiment with
Jimmy at a conversaslone of the Royal so
ciety, and afterward a question was asked
0
DINING BOOW. BATTLE
TJOUNTATN" 3AUIT-
reling among themselves, until finally the
United States government took control
and put a stop to the vandalism which
was despoiling it of its beauties In the
carrying away of specimens. The pe
culiar formations of these various caves
are perhaps more delicate than those of
any well known cava as yet discovered,
and United States guides are constantly
on hand to conduct parties through the
tave after their arrival from a short drive
from Hot Springs.
The original entrance to the cave was a
round hole in the rock, ten or twelve in
ches in diameter, worn smooth by the ac-
of Electricity
In Parliament about the great cruelly to
Jimmy by having to paddle In a little
water to shew this experiment."
The main object of the lecture was to
Illustrate the more modern methods toy
which scientists are able to measure elec
trical currents. Mr. Duddell performed
some Interesting experiments to show the
physical effects of the currents, such as
the heating, and even the fusing of wires
of different thickness.
The Llshtnlnar Hod.
Prof. Ellhu Thomson, In Science, Justifies
the lightning rod as of all the value that
was ever claimed for it, under right condi
tions. Prof. Thomson says in his article:
"Let us add with emphasis that the Frank
lin rod when properly Installed undoubtedly
secures practical Immunity from lightning
damage. Its Installation is an engineering
undertaking demanding study of varied
conditions and proper care and Judgment
in meeting these conditions. The one con
sideration originally left out was that if
there were gny better or more direct paths
for lightning existing in the building or
structure or better ground connections than
the rod possessed these must be Included
In the protective system. But It is also a
fact that the construction of most modern
buildings, particularly In oltles, involves so
much' metal In roofing, ventilating and
other pipes, wires and the like that It is
generally unnecessary to resort to any
separate means for protection. In cities
there are many lofty structures framed In
steel, piping that projects above the roof,
and metal stacks, generally In good con
nection with the underground pipe sys
tems, all of which together tend to min
imise danger from strokes of lightning.
The best vindication of Franklin will, how
ever, be found in the fact that the firmest
reliance Is placed by the trained electrical
engineer upon the provision of an easy
path for the electricity of lightning to
reach the ground.
VIEW NEAR.
HOT SPRINGS)
tion of the wind nd water for unknown
centuries. Tho hole has been masted out
Slid the opening enlarged, making a com
fortable passageway over which has been
erected a small log cabin, in the further
corner of which Is a trap door, which tho
guide raises and we follow him down one
Stairway after another in utter darkness
for a distance of 156 feet, when candles are
lighted and we find ourselves In the Brliisl
Chamber, the first room In this glttant'o
fairy paluce, so named from a wedding
having been performed there. From here
three routes have been opened for com
fortable traveling, In which 120 special fea
tures are pointed out by tho guide. The
shortest, requiring two hours to traverse,
has been named the Garden of Eden route.
The next, requiring three hours, is called
the Fair Ground. The largest one, called
the Pearly Gates, requires six hours. The
dazzling splendor of the various cham
bers, the largest of which covers three
acres, one-third larger than the largest
In Mammoth cave, Illuminated with cal
cium light la Indescribably beautiful and
can only be comprehended by actual ob
servation. The United Statees government has desig
nated Hot Springs at the site of a national
sanitarium for disabled soldiers. A group
of handsome buildings has recently Been
completed at a cost of almost $1,000,000, and
the "Battle Mountain Sanitarium" was
opened May 15, 1S07. The main group
of buildings is in old Cpanlsh mission
style and a happy grouping of them in a
circle makes them very compact and won
derfully easy of access to each other. Some
idea of the extent of the buildings can be
had by realizing that within the main
group Itself, four full city blocks could be
placed, filing as it does a circle G8& feet
In diameter, or about five acres. Tho sani
tarium property includes a total area of
3,461 acres. The roadways around the main
group will cover five miles.
Nothing has been spared in equipping the
sanitarium In every way for the comfort
and pleasure of the veterans who may be
come members. A flue military band Is
provided, which plays dully at the raising
and lowering of tho colors. Orchestral
music evenings within the court or arcade.
To the person acquainted with western
South Dakota, It Is a source of constant
surprise and disappointment to note the
way In which thousands of visitors gallop
through the Block Hills. They try to do
too much. They spend their days In sight
seeing and their nights lu traveling. In a
few duys they have seen the entire Hills.
When they start for home they are com
pletely worn out. Their holiday has been
of no benefit, they are rested neither in
body nor in mind. Let us suggest that
your trip through the Black Hills be what
it is supposed to be, a holiday, a pleaeant
outing. Don't hurry. Don't rush.
But whatever you do or wherever
you go, visit Hot Springs. Spend
a week or a month at Hot Springs.
You will find etiough of Interest there to
occupy every moment. "God's country" it
is sometimes called. Rather it is a
woman's country, children's country, the
country where the invalid lives out of
doors. The visitor to this region will carry
In his mind for .the rest of his life pleas
ant memories of his trip, and a warm place
in his heart for the people and the sur
roundings. The strongest Impression one
gets of Hot Springs and its surroundings
is the air of restfulneas, the complete ab
sence of care and the congenial social sur
roundings everywhere.
The saddle is indispensable to the full
enjoyment of the country around Hot
Springs. The streams, the hills and the
canyons are always beckoning the rider.
The saddle horse la In full evidence every
where. Many a delicate woman, finds her
way where she wishes without escort, and
careless as to fashion In mounting. Either
she Is bent upon recruiting her health or
means to have a good time, or has busi
ness requiring her attention. It is essen
tially a country made especially for an
outing. The place is not a fashionable re
sort where people go on dress parade, but
Just a cosy corner of Nature, where one
does not think much about druns In the
enjoyment pf its reslfulness and beauty.
The railroad trains steam past the piculo
parties, and the four-horse stage trots by
with its Jolly crowd of pleasure seekers.
In time the trolley Hue will be laid here.
There are large scopes of country here 4
that have missed the whistle of th loco
motive and tha noise and bustle which the
railroad Implies, but they are up-to-date
people and keeping step with the present
century mark of civilization.
This Is one of the Ideal places of the
wM( lor eampiua uuv. ,v uuvi, vraciii
air, (he abundance of fuel, water and '
grass are all appreciated by the old-time
camper. The romance of the early miner
Is one of the most thrilling In the history
of the Black Hills. Men are living who
took part In It. The deserted pathways of
men are all through tbe Hills. The growth
of shrub ana weed and biir is simtit;
to hid the acars and gashes made by Uie
Mick and shovel of many years ago.