Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1894-08-14

Albuquerque DIS % ~
s3SS1, Cd ". sss Is
Las Cruces. bi2 62 ~
TIE foregoing figures are valua-
BILE to the physician inasmuch as
they illustrate the general climate
of New Mexico, and because they
enable him to point out the most
desirable resorts for the different
seasons of the year. For example,
It would be exceedingly unwise to
send during the winter months a
patient from the Gulf states to any
place colder than Silver City or
Las Cruces, and equally SO to have
him go during the summer months
to Las Cruces, Socorro or Albu-
querque.
The ideal winter resort Of New
Mexico is Las Cruces, which, with
its twin city, La Mesilla, is located
in the famed and fertile Mesilla
Valley, about twenty miles above
the Texas line. 1t is located
directly on the Rio Grande west
of the Organ mountains, which, in
the clear atmosphere, look like
hills three or four miles away,
but which are really great
mountain peaks fourteen miles
distant and 5000 feet in height.
These mountains are perforated by
valuable lead and silver mines.
Las Cruces is a quiet little town
Of 1000 people, a large proportion
Of whom are Mexican. A good
hotel built upon the mesa
or high land on the edge of this
town would be deserving of a large
winter patronage, as Las Cruces is
quite accessible, being about two
hours ride from Ell Paso, Texas.
With two or three exceptions the
accommodations are poor. A plan
for a cottage sanitarium twenty
four miles east of the town is still
in embryo. In summer a few
invalids have found it beneficial tc
camp out on the higher ground al
the foot Of the Organ mountains
After the first of April the heat Al
Las Cruces becomes very disagree
able, the temperature in the un.
clouded sun running far above 10(
deg. Fair. 1t is not a summer
resort.
On the other hand, we find The
cities Of Las Vegas and Santa f,
presenting most of the require
ments of the patient with veal
lungs who seek a summer resid
ence. Being in mountainous dis
tricts the summer rainfall j
greater than in the cities of tn.
i valley, and this, together will
; their higher altitude and latitude
causes the temperature to be mucl
lower than that Of other cities il
, the Territory. These rains woul,
, be very Objectionable to the in
valid were it not that they are o
short duration, and that the slop
, of the ground and porosity Of til
soil cause the water to flow off an
disappear at a very rapid rate
leaving the atmosphere quite Dir
and free from impurities. AS
, consequence there are very fe'
! days during the rainy months j
which a patient may not fnd
few hours, morning or evening, I
r venture out.
The mean temperature of thes
! two cities is about that Of Ne.
. York City, st. Louis and Salt LAX
= City, while their summer tempe.
3 allure is about that of Detroit an
Chicago, but experience has show
that here as in other high, dry alt
a tudes the cold is felt to be lei
! penetrating in winter aud the he
far less oppressive in summer.
. A residence in this Territol
y during both winter and SUNNI
has convinced the writer that f
eequal temperatures the winter
!, cold and summers heat are {
y more easily borne and less lntens
lly felt than in the eastern al
d southern states-a difference d.
is to the great dryness Of u
"a climate.
A few miles from the town
y that name are the famous Las Y
81 gas Hot Springs, which have |
come a delightful summer reso
tx and are deserving Of a greater re
utatlon than they now enjC
They have been found to be We
t: useful in rheumatism and govt,
we'll as many cutaneous and syp
4, little diseases. In the treatme
" Of the latter the bath is soft, b
4 mud is a conspicuous and adya
}5 tageous feature. The waters a
n strong in lithia.
II Before passing on to Silver Oh
which we believe 70 be the b'
re all-the-year-round health resort
may be we'll to say a word or .
a about Albuquerque and Socorl
t. These, like other New Mexic
As towns, have great advantages
a. climate. They are both situat
ia on the Rio Grande, and the lati
le town is, commercially speaku
Il. but a small edition of the iormI
Albuquerque is perhaps the ms
~ limpOrtnnf. as ~ is undoubtedly (