Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1907 — EDITORS AT FRENCH LICK. [ARTICLE]

EDITORS AT FRENCH LICK.

Have a Delightful Time Despite the Torrid Weather. The Indiana Democratic Editorial Association met at French Lick last Thursday for its midsummer meeting, as guests of the national democratic chairman, Thomas Taggart, at the big French Lick Springs Hotel. It is needless to say that the entertainment was on a grand scale and everybody had a good time, except for the intense heat. The banquet Friday evening was one of the most sumptuous ever given at this popular hotel. Beginning at 8:30 p. m., it was after 1 a. m., when the speech-making was all over and the pen-pushers sought repose. There were about 300 in attendance at the banquet, and the president of the Carroll County Citizen-Times, acted as toast-mas-ter. Talks were made by President Crampton; B. F. Loutbain of the Logansport Pharos; Geo. S. Pleasants of the Vevay Democrat; Clay Metzger of the Plymouth Democrat; Frank Haimbough of the Muncie Press; Major G. V. Menges, John W, Kern, Samuel Ralston, Congressman Adair of the Eighth district, Michael Ryan, Dan Sims and others.

The fine large flag offered by President Crampton to the district having the greatest turn out of democratic editors at this meeting was won by the Eighth district, every democratic editor in the district being on hand. Saturday night a fine musical and vaudeville entertainment whs given in the handsome lobby of the hotel for the visitors, most of whom left for; their homes Sunday morning, although a few remained over until Monday. The editors all voted Mr. Taggart a royal host and thanked, bi m profusely for the splendid entertainment provided for them. Frank J. Reed, G. P. &T. A. of the Monon railroad also came in for a generous vote of thanks for courtesies extended the visiting editors over his road. French Lick is improving a great deal and several more large hotels have been erected in the past few years, although the “big hotel,” as the big French Lick Springs Hotel is called, is still far in the lead and this company of which Mr. Taggart is president have probably a million or two millions of dollars invested there in buildings and grounds, and are still beautifying the place. While the gambling casinos at West Baden and French Lick—both of which were conducted independent of the hotels and were in buildings some distance from them but on the hotel grounds — are now a thing of the past, it is said that the closing of them has been a real benefit to the hotels and that a different class of people are coming there, and they were never doing as much business or making the money they are now. None of the hotels have bars connected with them and there are but three saloons in French Lick at present. The last of these will close in October, when the town will go “dry” via the remonstrance route. That French Lick is a beautiful place and the fame of its Pluto waters are becoming known over the entire world is a matter of common knowledge to those who have been there and have seen the carloads of bottled Pluto being shipped from the big bottling house to the distributing points in the large cities, from whence it is sent all over the civilized world. And it is destined to continue to grow in popularity and bring annually thousands of dollars into Indiana and a section of country that is really not of much importance as a farming section. Our advice to people of this section who go there either for their health or recreation, is to avoid the hot Bummer months. Of course there are thousands of people there now, but a great part of them are from the south, people who are used to a warmer climate, and being in a basin of the bills and the hills covered with timber, it does get mighty hot there. It is said that a greater business is done at many of the hotels in the winter than in the summer.