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Dr. James Allen
[SALT CITY, SUMNER COUNTY, CORRESPONDENT: “BOZ”]
Winfield Courier, June 12, 1879.
Dr. Allen’s horses ran away Sunday while out driving. He had a couple of young ladies from the entertainment in with him and the horses took the drop on him while he was busy holding one of the fair damsels in the buggy. They had not run far when the doctor was thrown out on his back and both of the girls on top of him. The doctor feels as though he had been run over by a one-horse street car. This morning sees him going towards the spring for relief. He was into Dr. Arnold’s to get some sticking plaster for the girls. How much danger there is in running around with a married man. The buggy is somewhat damaged, too.
[Thanks, Boz, come again and give us your name.—Ed.]
Article shows “Dr. S. A. Allen.” Could this be “Dr. James Allen?”... YES!,,,
[KANSAS SALT.]
Winfield Courier, June 26, 1879 - Front Page.
[Item written by Topeka Commonwealth Correspondent.]
SALT CITY, KANS., JUNE 10, 1879.
This is the famous salt region of Sumner County. It was laid out by Messrs. Mills and Foster in 1874. It is situated in the southeastern part of the county near the Arkansas River. It is surrounded by some of the best lands of the valley. The farms show that their owners understand their business, as they are well improved and cultivated. The population at the present time is only about fifty. It has a weekly mail, which arrives on Friday. It is very unjust to the people, as it arrives just at the right time to prevent them from receiving the weekly papers until they are at least ten days old. If the date of arrival was on Monday or Tuesday, it would be a vast advantage to them. Something ought to be done for them by the postmaster officials.
The town contains one business house, a drug store, a large blacksmith shop, and two hotels. The great future of the town is in their salt and mineral springs. The salt marsh, as it is called, covers an area of at least ten acres. Salt Creek runs through this marsh, and is fed by hundreds of small springs. The banks of the streams are as white as snow, from salt which covers the ground from one to four or five inches, all along its banks.
The water contains a large percent of salt. A test of four gallons yielded four pounds of salt, and the method of testing was very crude.
D. H. Prouty & Co., have organized themselves into a company for the purpose of developing the springs and establishing works. Another company has been formed to prospect for coal. It is believed that a coal formation underlays the whole section of the country. The funds for the prospecting are being raised by subscription. The company have agreed to sink a shaft 600 feet for $800. If coal is found, the future of the salt company is assured. It is assured any way as soon as the railroad penetrates this county.
The large thing for this place is its mineral springs. There are a great many of them, and they are already known to contain medicinal properties of the highest order. I met Dr. J. A. Allen, of Rhode Island, late of Cincinnati, who was severely afflicted with diabetes. He has been troubled with it for four years in its most aggravated form. He has traveled far and wide, visiting in his tours nearly all localities in the United States for relief, but failed to find any until he came here, 4th of last April. At that time he was almost helpless. Now he is strong, and able to do more than for years before. He says that it is the first time that he has ever received any benefit in doctoring, and knows that it is the water that does it.
As nearly as he can judge, the properties of the water are chloride of potash, soda, zinc, sulphur, and iron. He is confident that their medicinal properties will be vastly beneficial for ulcers, catarrh, kidney diseases, and all skin diseases. He could not be hired to leave here.
Messrs. Hackney & McDonald, of Winfield, own the largest of the springs. They have sent water out of the springs to two or three different parties for analysis. If I mistake not, these springs will become a favorite resort in the near future, for all who are suffering from any of the above named difficulties. Just so soon as they are known, the future of Salt City is assured.
It will only be a few miles from the railroad, just far enough to make it a pleasant drive. It is my sober opinion that it will only be a short time, till that event will occur. Dr. Allen is an educated gentleman, and knows whereof he speaks in stating the above. He is also a gentleman of considerable means, and means business in his statement.
I send you a specimen of the salt with this article, so that you may see that it is fine, and that these springs are no illusion.
I am under obligations to Drs. Allen and Arnold, and Messrs. Berkey, Resch, and Mills, for courtesies shown, for which I thank them.—W. G. H. in Commonwealth.
[SALT CITY, SUMNER COUNTY, CORRESPONDENT: “RUDY.”]
Winfield Courier, June 26, 1879.
SALT CITY, JUNE 20, 1879.
During our stay of one day in your city last week, we met several of your citizens who had been using the mineral water from this place, and everyone spoke in very flattering terms of it, as they had been testing it themselves.
It would astonish you to see the number of persons that come here to use it and carry it off, and Mr. Whistler has worked up quite a business marketing it at the different cities and towns around here. Has found ready sale for it in Wichita, Winfield, Wellington, Oxford, Arkansas City, etc. Dr. Allen still continues to improve by its use, and is now able to take as long a walk as the average man. Others in the vicinity are digging with the hope of either tapping the vein, or developing more of a like character; some claim success in this direction, but we think with the supply at present exhausted, they will either have to fill up again or abandon their hopes.
[SALT CITY, SUMNER COUNTY, CORRESPONDENT “RUDY”.]
Winfield Courier, August 14, 1879.
Drs. Arnold & Allen have formed a co-partnership in the practice of medicine and also in the drug business; and have stocked up more fully, now having quite a complete stock of fresh drugs, and are ready to prescribe compound and issue at all hours and at reasonable rates.
Arkansas City Traveler, June 30, 1880.
Drs. Allen and Arnold, late of Salt City, have left for other climes. These gentlemen sold out their interest in the drug store to F. L. Davis, who is now running the same. Mr. Davis is well known, and may rest assured that his many friends will not fail to call upon him when sick, or visiting the far-famed Geuda Springs.
Arkansas City Traveler, August 3, 1881.
GEUDA MINERAL SPRINGS.
The people of Cowley, Sumner, and adjoining counties are just wakening up to the fact that the “Geuda Mineral Springs,” near Salt City, Kansas, are fast becoming quite a popular health resort. The history of these springs is, that the s. w. ¼ of Sec. 6, R. 34, Tp. 3, on the west line of Cowley County, was purchased of the government by a Mr. Walpole when the Osage lands first came into market, supposing it to be quite valuable on account of a large salt marsh and some very clear water springs that were on the land, since which time the land has passed through several hands.
The quarter section opposite this tract was at about the same time purchased by other parties for the famous salt spring on that tract, and for over two years salt was manufactured there, but on account of the vats being constructed of inferior lumber, and because there was no transportation for the salt produced, the manufacture was abandoned until this summer, when James Hill & Co. got a ten year’s lease of the land and have commenced to manufacture again, and the salt produced is of the very best quality, equal to any salt we have ever seen, and it is claimed that the water produces 1¾ pounds to the gallon, being equal to the great Syracuse salt well, at Syracuse, New York, heretofore claimed to be the strongest salt water in the world.
Messrs. Hill & Co. are under contract to manufacture 500,000 pounds of this salt the coming year, and at least 1,000,000 per year for the balance of the term of their lease.
As the water is almost inexhaustible, the prospects for an extensive salt manufactory appears to be good.
The clear water springs on the other tract were, for several years, supposed to be of no particular value, as the water in most of the springs had a very strong taste of mineral, and, to a person unaccustomed to drinking mineral water, was very disagreeable to taste.
Robert Mills, Esq., however, an old resident of Salt City, was seriously afflicted with the rheumatism, and, having tried about everything else, concluded to try the water of these springs, and in a short time all symptoms of rheumatism disappeared.
At about the same time, or soon after, others began to use the water for different diseases, and almost invariably found relief. The people in the near neighborhood soon had a great deal of faith in the curative properties of the water, but it was not publicly known or generally used until Messrs. Hackney & McDonald, of Winfield, Kansas, purchased the land, and Judge McDonald, who was very seriously afflicted with eruptions on his face, which he had been unable to get cured, concluded to try the use of his own medicine, and to his surprise, he was cured up by using the waters for a very short time by bathing his face.
Then Dr. James Allen, who had been at most of the watering places in the United States for his health and finding no relief (he being afflicted very badly with diabetes, and also catarrh—so much so, in fact, that he was unable to even walk), came to try the benefits of these waters, and in a few month’s time was entirely cured.
The news spread until the people generally in the counties of Cowley, Sumner, and some of the adjoining counties, would afterward, when afflicted, go to Salt City for their health; and there being no accommodations whatever at the springs, they were compelled to camp out.
During the summer and fall of 1879 there were often 8 or 10 tents to be seen near the springs, occupied by persons in search of health.
Messrs. Hackney & McDonald, being attorneys with a very lucrative practice, were not in a situation to improve the springs and sold the same to Messrs. Newman & Mitchell, of our town, for $4,000 cash, and in a short time, probably the best bath house in the State was erected near the springs, and during the summer and fall of 1880, on Saturdays and Sundays, from one to three hundred persons would visit the springs; generally going out of curiosity, but now it has become so popular a place for health that it is impossible to accommodate all who go.
The springs, so far as we are able to learn, have never yet failed to cure ulcerations and other diseases of the uterus, rheumatism, skin and blood diseases, dyspepsia, diabetes, catarrh, and diseases of the liver, kidneys, and digestive organs in general, and are especially effective in female diseases, rheumatism, and affections of the skin and blood.
We have, heretofore, always been skeptical about cures of such magnitude as claimed here, “but seeing is believing,” and we have personally known of at least fifty persons who have been undoubtedly cured by the use of these waters, and we are told that at least five hundred persons have been cured, and we do not doubt it in the least.
Most of our people who have been talking of an expensive trip to Hot Springs, Saratoga, or Colorado, are now going to Geuda Springs. The springs themselves are a natural curiosity. There are seven of them, and they each contain a different kind of mineral, and are within a circle of twenty-five feet in diameter, and it does not require a chemical analysis to detect the difference, as it is readily distinguished by the taste. There are two of these within eight feet of each other that taste as different as does common rainwater and vinegar. It is well worth a trip to anyone who has never seen them to make the trip for that purpose alone.
The ancients supposed that such springs that were of a healing nature, were manipulated by spirits of ghosts—Bethesda, Siloam, and others are instances of such belief. Modern scientists, however, have, by chemical analyses, discovered that the curative properties of such springs consists in the different kinds of minerals contained in the waters, and the minerals found in this state are undoubtedly natures purest remedies.
A qualitative analysis of the Geuda Springs shows that they contain the bicarbonates of iron, soda, magnesia, and calcium; sulphates of ammonia and magnesia; chlorides of sodium and potassium; iodide of sodium, bromide of potassium, sulphur and silica, and are strongly charged with carbonic gas.
The name “Geuda” is taken from the Indian name “Ge-u-da,” meaning healing, and, although not euphonious, is very appropriate. We say this because we have personally tested many of the mineral springs of this country and Europe, and have never known any, in our opinion, to equal their healing and curative properties. The letter “G” in this name has the hard sound, as in the word “get.”
We are informed that a joint stock company is about to be formed, called “Geuda Springs Co.,” and that it is the intention to build a new hotel, and make other improvements which are greatly needed, as not more than half the people, who now want to go there, can be accommodated with boarding. If we mistake not, by the time next spring opens, Salt City and Geuda Springs will experience a boom, such as it never before thought of, and all she will need is a railroad, connecting her with the commercial world, which in time will be built. A narrow gauge road connecting it with our town can easily be built if taken hold of right, and thus be a great benefit to both places.
There is also a large quantity of excellent salt water, or more properly brine, there running to waste, which, if here, might just as well as not be manufactured into salt. We see no good reason why pipes should not be laid and this water conveyed here in the near future. By this means it could be utilized not only to the benefit of our town, but to Cowley County, and the adjacent counties. We believe there is some hostility to this enterprise, but if the people in the neighborhood of these springs cannot manufacture it themselves, it is certainly a dog in the manger policy to object to others doing so, especially when they would be equally benefitted by the undertaking.
[GEUDA SPRINGS.]
Arkansas City Traveler, September 7, 1881.
NOTE: A PHOTOGRAPH APPEARS WITH CAPTION ABOVE IT STATING “GEUDA SPRINGS”; ABOVE BUILDING “IN SUNNY SOUTHERN KANSAS”.
BELOW PICTURE: “VIEW OF BATH HOUSE AS NOW COMPLETED.”
ARTICLE:
These springs are situated in the south-western part of Cowley County, Kansas, seven and one-half miles north-west of Arkansas City, are 7 in number, and contain 7 different kinds of Mineral Water; and neither does it require a chemical analysis to detect the difference, as it is readily distinguished by the taste. They are a sure cure for ULCERATIONS OF THE UTERUS AND FEMALE WEAKNESS, generally. Also RHEUMATISM, Diabetes, Sciatica, Catarrh, Diseases of the Skin, LIVER and KIDNEYS; Erysipelas and Dyspepsia, and are the best known remedy to tone up the digestive organs.
We have a first-class Bath House—baths are better than any Turkish Bath.
GUARANTEE. To prove that we mean just what we say, we will enter into a WRITTEN CONTRACT TO CURE any of the diseases above named; no cure no pay, and will pay the board of invalids besides, in case they are not benefitted by using the waters.
TOPOGRAPHY. The springs, themselves, are a NATURAL CURIOSITY, well worth a trip to see them.
We have an elegant SALT LAKE for boating, excellent roads for buggy-riding; splendid waters for fishing; plenty of game within a few hours ride, for hunting; the most beautiful climate in America, and the most beautiful country “God ever made.” We have implicit faith in this “Bonanza.” Come and see us.
TESTIMONIALS. The following named persons have been cured of the ailments mentioned:
L. B. Thomas, Winfield, Ks., Rheumatism.
J. E. Searle, Winfield, Ks., Scrofulous sores.
J. Allen, Salt City, Ks., Diabetes and Catarrh.
H. T. Shivvers, Win., Ks., Rheumatism and Neu.
E. Mills, Salt City, Ks., Scrofulous and Rheu.
Mrs. L. Parmenter, Topeka, Ks. Rheumatic enlargement of joints.
Mrs. Day, Wellington, Ks. Ulcerated Stomach and Uterus.
We refer to the above persons by permission. We also refer to the following persons, some of who are now using these waters:
J. Kearsh, Winfield, Ks., Dropsy.
H. Vigus, Wichita, Ks., Sciatica.
Miss Annie Arnspiger, Cleardale, Ks.
Bettie Berkey, Salt City, Ks., Erysipelas.
W. C. Crawford, Wellington, Ks., Paralysis.
J. M. Mahan, Wellington, Ks., Inflammatory Rheu.
Judge T. F. Blodgett, Wellington, Ks., Liver Disease.
G. Darlington, Winfield, Ks., Blood and Skin Dis.
HISTORY. We have never yet failed to cure any of the diseases mentioned in this circular, no matter of how long standing, and have effected at least 500 cures, 200 of which were of ladies afflicted with ulcerations, falling or weakness generally, 100 with Rheumatism, 100 with Skin and Blood Diseases, and 100 with the other diseases mentioned. That such are the facts, we refer to the persons above named, and also the people of Cowley and Sumner counties generally, most of whom are acquainted with these Springs. Write and see what they say. The Springs are named from the Indian word Ge-u-da, meaning healing.
ANALYSIS. A qualitative analysis of these waters shows that they contain the Bi-carbonate of Soda, Iron, and Calcium; Suphates of Ammonia, Magnesia; Chlorides of Sodium and Potassium; Iodide of Sodium; Bromide of Potassium, Sulphur, and Silica, and are charged strongly with Carbonic acid gas.
THEY ARE NATURE’S PUREST REMEDIES.
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HOW TO OBTAIN THE WATERS. The Express Companies have extended their lines from Winfield to Salt City, and will ship the waters to any point desired. Parties desiring waters address H. A. Newcomb, Winfield, Kansas. For further particulars address the GEUDA SPRINGS CO., Arkansas City, Cowley Co., Kansas, or: Salt City, Sumner Co., Kansas.
NEXT COMES ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPH WITH CAPTION UNDER IT STATING “VIEW OF SALT LAKE TAKEN FROM PHOTO.”
[END OF ARTICLE...OR SHOULD WE SAY AD!]
