SANTA CLARA COUNTY MINERAL 



SPRINGS 



JOS. T. BROOKS 

 Secretary San Joae Chamber of Commerce 



THE famous Santa Clara Valley, with its vast horticultural production, 

 is equally valuable in its mineral springs of wonderful life-giving prop- 

 erties. One usually connects mineral springs, and especially hot 

 springs, with a dry, barren locality or where the rocky declivities 

 preclude a possibility of Nature's beauty. Such is not the case in 

 Santa Clara County, where Nature has clothed the valley and foothills 

 with grandeur of scenery and endowed the land with soil of inexhaustible 

 fertility and production. What are termed the Eastern winter months, here 

 bring forth a carpet of green and herald the bloom of the almond, roses, and 

 shrubbery. There follows, in turn, the blossoming of peach and cherry 

 trees, and finally, as a climax, over five million prune trees unfold an array 

 of blossom which extends for miles as far as the eye can reach. 



Let us leave the enchantment of this charming sight, and pay a visit 

 to the Gilroy Hot Springs, located in the southern portion of Santa Clara 

 County. Stages await you at Gilroy, and after traveling twelve miles up, 

 up, up in the mountains, one reaches the springs, where it is a pleasure 

 to live and a regret to leave. Here are hot springs flowing five hundred 

 gallons per minute of hot mineral water. The waters from these wonderful 

 fountains of nature are 112 degrees of temperature and contain iron, soda, 

 magnesia, sulphur, and traces of iodine, arsenic, and other valuable mineral 

 properties. Thousands of marvelous cures have been effected by these 

 waters, such as rheumatism, gout, lead and mercurial poisoning, alcoholism, 

 kidney and liver troubles, bladder and urinary complaints, general debility, 

 brain-fag, and nerve-fatigue, leaving the body as nature would have it. 



To the west of the valley we find, nestled in the foothills, the famous 

 Congress Springs. At San Jose take the Interurban Electric car, which car- 

 ries you through beautiful scenery, winding in and about the foothills, each 

 turn in the road presenting a panorama which surpasses the last, and lands 

 one at Congress Springs station. The springs proper are located about half 

 a mile up the canon. The distance seems short while winding in and out 

 about the trees and shrubbery — a veritable lovers' lane. The music of the 

 stream trickling down among the rocks lends enchantment to the journey, 

 and the deep quiet, broken here and there by the sweet notes of a wild 

 canary or linnet, brings fancies of dreamland, till we reach a pagoda in a 

 bower of green foliage. Here the bubbling soda-water rushes from the 

 rocks into a concrete basin, and one may drink to his heart's content. An 

 analysis plainly shows that the Congress Springs mineral waters contain 

 much more tonic properties than the famous springs of Ems, Germany, and 

 the German springs are reserved for royalty. The waters of these springs 

 is valuable for table purposes; its action is mildly aperient, from the presence 

 of Glauber and Epsom salts. 



To the east of the valley, about six miles from the center of San 

 Jose, and reached by the Alum Rock Electric Railroad, is located the famous 

 Alum Rock Park and Springs, which is a city reservation of one thousand 

 acres. The park is controlled by a board of commissioners, to whom much 

 credit is due for the many improvements, including a zoological garden. 

 The park is being improved constantly with beautiful walks and drives, 

 which in no way interfere with the growth of native trees and shrubbery, 

 but serve only to convert this wild region into a natural park. 



Here we find sixteen mineral springs open to the public, and which in 

 time must become of worldwide renown. At present the hotel accommo- 

 dations are limited at the springs, which has led to the opening of health 

 resorts outside the city reservation and near at hand in the foothills, where 

 one may take the home and rest cure, and from an elevation of six hun- 

 dred feet have a sweeping view of the entire valley and San Jose. 



