Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1894-07-24

valley, and this, together with |
their higher altitude and latitude, |
causes the temperature to be much !
lower than that Of other cities in !
the Territory These rains would !
be very Objectionable to the in
valid were it not that they are of
short duration, and that the slope
of the ground and porosity of the
soil cause the water to flow off and
disappear at very rapid rate,
leaving the atmosphere quite dry
and free from impurities. As
consequence there are very few
days during the rainy months in
which a patient may not find
few hours, morning or evening, to
venture out.
The mean temperature of these
two cities is about that of New
York City, st. Louis and Salt Lake
City, while their summer temper
ature is about that Of Detroit and
Chicago, but experience has shown
that here as in other high, dry alti-
tudes the cold is felt to be less
penetrating in winter and the heat
far less oppressive in summer.
A residence in this Territory
during both winter and summer
has convinced the writer that for
equal temperatures tho winters
cold and summers heat are far
more easily borne and less intense
. ly felt than in the eastern and
southern states--a difference due
to the great dryness Of the
climate.
A few miles from the town of
that name are the famous Las We
gas Hot Springs, which have be-
come a delightful summer resort,
and are deserving Of a greater rep
utatlon than they now enjoy.
They have been found to be very
useful in rheumatism and gout, as
we'll as many cutaneous and syph-
little diseases, In the treatment
of the latter the bath is soft, hot
mud is a conspicuous and advan-
tageous feature. The waters are
strong in lithia.
Before passing on to Silver City,
: which we believe to be the best
5 all-the-year-round health resort, it
e may be well to say a word or two
= about Albuquerque and Socorro,
t These, like other New Mexican
/ towns, have great advantages Of
j, climate. They are both situated
D on the Rio Grande, and the latter
a town is, commercially speaking
y but a small edition of the former
r Albuquerque is perhaps the mosI
e important, as it is undoubtedly the
s most progressive city of the terri
i tory. The position held by these
two places, climatically, is a sor
" of mean between those already
h mentioned mot as warm in winte
d as Las Cruces, nor as cool in sum
a mer as Las Vegas, Santa Fe anC
Q Silver City. Perhaps it would b'
d well to describe them as pleasan
st resorts for the spring and fall.
n We now come to Silver City,
o mining town of 5000 inhabitants
y in the southwestern portion of til,
It Territory, with an elevation o
% 5000 feet 1t is located partly oi
t. the hillsides and partly in an ar
y royo or open valley Immediately
2 surrounded by hills about 200 fee
n higher than the town, and NOR
n remotely by mountains on th
ID north-some 1000 feet higher
"a The natural fall of the main stree
Is is 260 feet to the mile. Its peculia
g location gives it a great adyantag
Is over other New Mexican towns
70 more particularly Albuquerqu'
Vs. Socorro and Las Cruces, inasmuc
ne as the surrounding hills cut off th
IN hard winds that are 80 disagreeabl
y at all seasons on account Of III
III dust they carry, but more particr
}" larly in winter, when the elemeT
70 Of cold is serious consideration
az Dust and wind storms are muc
is. less common at Silver City tina
at in the valley Of the Rio Grand
o. and only an invalid can testify
~ ~ the disagreeableness of such col
W ditions. The water for the SUI
OF ply Of the town is intercepted by
sort Of underground dam about
he mile above, aud is supplied in ire
Fe pipes. Like that which is pr
20 cured from wells along the r
ak Grande it is "hard," and has
slightly alkaline taste, and witho