Health Spa Is Raised on Milk Bottle

 An elixir of health has been wrested from its channel hundreds of feet below the surface of the earth in the hills of Dry Ridge, Kentucky, forty-four miles north of Lexington on the Dixie Highway.

 This health giving tonic is known by steadily increasing numbers of people throughout this section of the United States as Kentucky Carlsbad Mineral Curative Water, bottled and distributed by the Kentucky Carlsbad Mineral Water Company, Incorporated, of which Claude B. Robinson, of Lexington, is president.

 The story of the discovery of this mineral water is an interesting one and shows how little we know of the blessings that nature has laid at our feet, and placed within our grasp.

 If a dairy company, operating in Dry Ridge, had not needed fresh water to run its plant, the world never would have heard of the Kentucky Carlsbad, and Kentucky probably would never have had a product that promises to attract as many people to the Blue Grass State as are migrating annually to other health resorts.

 To get this coveted water the dairymen drilled through solid rock to a depth of 1,107 feet, spending weeks, as well as a great deal of money, in the operation.  The water was dark in color and they did not use it for drinking purposes, merely piping it directly into their plant.

 Later the dairy sold out to a gristmill and the new owners placed a man in charge who greatly suffered from rheumatism.  This rheumatic manager of the Dry Ridge gristmill was the true discoverer of the value of this mineral water.  He drank it regularly.  The water contained the substances so lacking in his own body and gradually his painful rheumatism left him.  The secret was out and Dry Ridge, Kentucky, became the mecca of thousands of people - an Ohio chemist scientifically confirming that which had already been physically demonstrated.

 J. B. Saunders, who had purchased the plant, decided to market the water and he operated the business for fifteen years, when it was sold to J. W. Glover.  Mr. Glover leased the property to W. W. Scott, owner and operator of the Kentucky Carlsbad Springs Hotel.

 Mr. Robinson acquired ownership of the properties in March of this year.  One of his first steps was to have an analysis made of the water by J. S. McHargue at the Experiment Station of the University of Kentucky.  The results of this analysis are [ here ].

 On standing, the water deposited a dark colored sediment which consisted of the sulfides of iron, manganese, zinc, arsenic, barium, and copper.

 Since June Mr. Robinson has shown encouraging progress in securing greater distribution for the products of his famous well.  Plans are going forward on a proposed hotel giving promise of a large and modern health resort for Kentucky.

 In this age of encouraging the support of home industry it is well to say that the Kentucky Carlsbad Mineral Water Company is an organization worthy of the support of Kentuckians.

By J. Campbell Breckenridge, from the Kentucky Progress Magazine, 1931.