The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-07-30
ter, commemorative Of the brave men who fell
In the Indian wars and In the battles Of Nalverde

ter, commemorative Of the brave men who fell
Ia the Indian wars, and In the battles Of Valverde
and Apache Canon, and Pigeons Rancho.
On Tuesday morning, July 18th, we left Santa
Fe, feeling we'll paid for our visit to the ancient
city.
The ride of - miles back to Las Vegas Is full
OF interest. The road passes along the Gloretta
range OF mountains, amid some Of the grandest
scenery in the West, and affords the traveller a
glimpse OF heights as sublime rs he could wish
to view, The peaks seem to move bodily towards
the train and threaten Instant humiliation. Tai!
pines on the summit look like little bushes
We reach Las Vegas about one o'clock. This
s city of about 5000 inhabitants. The new
town is situated near the railroad, and looks
about the same as a railroad town in Kansas or
Colorado. But the old town, about half a mile
distant, is built OF adobe and Is q veritable Mex
lean town. There is one large building in the
old town, four stories high, built by wealthy
Mexican, who, having visited 81. Louis, saw the
large buildings there, and determined to show
his neighbors that he could build high as well as
in St. Louis When the building was finished it
was discovered that not a single fue had been
pat in the masons who did the work having neg
lectcd this important part Of the building.
| Las Vegas is not an ancient city, its history
dating back only to 1885. 1t is situated in rich
grazing country, and shows signs of 4 substan.
tlal growth.
| Taking stage, We were soon on our way TO
the Hot Springs, situated about five miles from
Las Vegas, in glen in the Spanish Range
of mountains. On reaching the mesa, about
miles from town, we had an exhibition Of the
electric storms that sometimes frequent these
high attitudes. 4 storm of rain suddenly came
up, and the lightning flashed with alarming FIRE.
quency and too close to be pleasant. Three tee-
phone poles were struck, one not more than
twenty yards from us, Strange to say, We did
not seem to feel the shock.
Between Las Vegas and the Springs is a village
of Penitentes a low order Of Catholics, who dur.
ing the week preceding Easter submit to the
most barbarous and revolving customs. On top
OF hill may be seen u rude cross, and to this
place they crawl on their knees, over cactus and
stones bearing huge crosses, and beng beaten
over their bare backs with branches of the cac,
tus, and tortured in every way possible.
We arrived at the Springs at 3 o'clock in the
afternoon. These springs rise net far from the
mouth OF beautiful canon, which opens upon
The plains four miles above the city of Las Vegas,
and from that point winds romanticaly into the
Spanish Range Of the Rocky Mountains, the lat
ter extending one hundred and fifty miles south
ward from the Colorado line into New Mexico.
The Springs have an altitude of G400 feet-the
elevation which has made Colorado and New
Mexico such favorite resorts for those affected
with pulmonary COMPREHENSIVE decided adj
vantage over some of tac Northern resorts, as to
latitude aud health giving climate.
The Las Vegas Springs will always possess i'm.
portant advantages oyer similar resorts else
where, in the greatly superior medicinal charac
ter of their waters, and q climate less bleak and
harsh in winter, and equally pleasant and bracing
in summer. During our stay there has not been
an unpleasant day. The sun shines hot every
day, but there is always q good breeze, and We
have not suffered at all from the heat in the week
we have spent here. They are the most souther
ly resort attanable on that central elevated pla
teau, which may be considered the great santa
rum in this country for lung diseases, and which
extends through Colorado and the upper half Of
New Mexico, along the eastern base OF the Rocky
Mountains The Springs number twenty two,
and vary in temperature from 40 deg. TO l40 deg.
Fahrenheit.
There is now good hotel here--the Hot
Springs Hotel, kept by T. F, Chapman-one OF
the best kept hotels in the west. A fine new no.
tel is also being built, which will be ready about
the LIST of September, at a cost of 100000
The Springs are reached by taking the Atchi-
son, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad at Kansas
City, coming direct to Las Vegas without change
of cars. The appointments OF the road are first
class, the eleepers being the finest we have ever
seen. The eating houses on the road are good,
being all in charge Of the railroad company, so
that trip to New Mexico can now be made with
great deal more comfort than trip to the sea.
hnard