Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-06-11
THIS LOCALITY
Las Vegas, the Chief City
of New Mexico -Some
of Her Resources,
Attractions and
Advantages.

| lies on DOtn blucb OIL tHo OhiiiHhs tisoi
and, with its suburbs, has about 1900
inhabitants.
1t has water works, street cars, arc ant
incandescont electric light plant, telephone
exchanges, Territorial agricultural expert
ment station, headquarters OF the Atchi
son railway system, New Mexico division
together with railroad machine shops ene
tie preserving works, stock yards, and ths
largest sheep shearing and dipping plan
In the United States.
West of the river, the old town has thu
quaint and picturesque Mexican appear
ance - adobe houses, narrow, crooked
streets, native people and customs, handi.
crafts and occupations; but the plaza and
all of the new town, east of the river, con-
stitute a distinctive American city. The
streets are wide and we'll graded, while
sidewalks abound. shaded with growing
trees. Three parks, filed with grass and
trees, add to the beauty and healthfulness
of the place. Handsome and well-hlled
stores, beautiful residences, and innumera
BILE law ms, set in grass and adorned with
shrubbery and flowers, combine to pro-
claim a cultured community, possessed OF
all modern comforts and conveniences.
A city hall, three public school buildings,
court. house, Masonic temple, opera house,
Territorial Normal school and Territorial
Insane asylum are public buildings, con-
structed of red and white cut sandstone,
unsurpassed in beauty by similar edihces
in any town, of equal size, in the States
An Academy, Seminary, Jesuit college,
Convent school, Presbyterian Mission
school, Methodist mauua training school,
Christian Brothers, institute, City high
school, three graded public schools, a kin
dergarten, a commercial school and two
music schools, besides several private teach
ers. are among the educational advantages
and facilities.
LAS VEGAS is the natural sanatorium Of
the United States, combining more nat
ural advantages than any other place In
America. Her thermal waters are the
equal of the Hot Springs Of Arkansas,
while her climate Is infinitely superior.
There ia no malaria, no excessive heat or
cold, no gnats, rats or mosquitoes. Tbs
air is pure, dry, rariied, and highly cleo
trifisd-a certain cure for consumption, II
the disease be taken In time. The hot
waters sre a specific for liver, skin, rheu-
matte ard blood disorders. Her Montezu-
ma hotel Is the finest hostelry between
Chicago and California, and is situated IN
a beautiful canyon, five miles from town,
where the Hot Springs, forty in number,
come boiling TO the surface.
The latitude Is about the same as that OF
--.- .-Iitn tna olfttrdA 10
nearly 6 800 feet. This combination gives
a peculiar, but most happy, result. In the
winter, during the day, the thermometer
seldom falls, In the shade, below forty de-
grees, while it often runs, in the sunshine,
to sixty-fve degrees-or ever more. On
the other hand, in the summer, the heat IS
never oppressive, in the shade, and nc
night is too warm for comfortable sleep,
under one or two blankets. Til sun will
round. This, with the extreme dryness Of
the air, caused by the very slight precipi-
tation of moisture; the resinous aroma,
rolling down from the pine-ciad noun
tains; the large amount of electricity in
the air, and the consequent ozone, result
ing from thealtitude; and the location of the
town, land-locked by mountain and mesa
all conspire to produce an atmos-
phere which is q balm to all diseases of the
respiratory organs. The percentage of
death from consumption is lower In New
Mexico than 1t is anywhere else In the
United States; n no other place In New
Mexico exceis Las Vegas in the sGiubrity
of its climate. Asthmatics experience
n permanent relief, in this
altitude.
In the way of health and pleasure re-
sorts, Las Vegas IL unIivaled. In q radius
OF twenty miles, In romantic mountain
glens and beside babhling mountain brooks,
are the Las Vegas Hot Springs. Harvey's,
Ell Porvsnir, Sandoval's Mineral Hill, Ro-
nero Ranch, Blhke's, Sparks, Sapello,
Kociada, and other places. too Numerous
to mention, where health can be recovered,
and life becomes a pleasure to the ennuye,
the invalid, the o~ver-worked business man.
LAS VEGAS has two daily and ave weekly
papers, three banks, two Guiding and loan
associations, three hotsls. many boarding
nine churches, q number Of clubs,
all the leading civic and social socie-
ties; a roller -four mill, capacity, fifty bar
rels per day; two wool-scouring establish
cleaning 1900, 900 pounds Of wool
annually; a we'll equipped brewery and
establishments; a mandatory OF
on and carriage factories; a saddle and
factory; a foundry cleo
trio light plant, three planning milis.
and other enterprises of less importance.
There ere eight large wholesale houses,
whose trade extends throughout the Ter.
ritory, and into the adjoining sections;
the volume Of this trade. and the
value of the stocks which they carry, can
not be duplicated west Of Kansas City and
south Of Denver. Three merchants brok-
srs have selected the city as their distrib-
uting center, the amount Of their yearly
sales exceeding, in the aggregate, the com.
bined sales of all other such brokers In
New Mexico. The retail merchants, Of
Las Vegas, are more numerous, and carry
and better stocks OF goods thai do
The retail merchants OF any other town in
Territory or Arizona.
LAS VEGAS is the distributing point for
nearly oil New Mexico. By the Atchlson
system, she has connection with Kanses
On the osst, Colorado on the north, Arizo-
ia and California on the west, and Texas
and Old Mexico en- the south. Besides
,hese, she has more stage lines, connecting
her with tributary territory, than has any
,ther town in New Mexico. This territory |
includes the entire section east and south
the mountains, and comprises the coun-
Of Colfax, Mora, TAGS, San Miguel,
Santa Fe, Socorro, Dona Ana, Grant,
Chaves, Lincoln and Eddy, with parts OF
Valencia and Bernaii.lo-a country larger
han all Now England. Tnis takes in the
famous Valley ofthe Rio Grande, and the
ess famous, but not less excellent, Valley
If the Peccs-the finest fruit sections Of
he west. 4
This Territory Is rich In every thing that
the Veal b OF Nations. Iron,
,oal, lead, silver, gold, mica, limestone,
sandstone, marbles, gypsum, coda in end
,ss variety and e~xhaustless quantities,
Ire among the several products Of the
which Las Vegas commands.
Sheep, cattle and lumber abouad, so that
n each OF these prime articles OF commerce
city Ia thef,est market 10 New Mexico.
Sic handles mora wool then all the other
in the Territory combined, while
Ter Ia hides is truly enormous.
IN the same wav, she stands pre-eminent
or her trace Ia grains, hay, vegetables,
ind other farm PRODUCTS: while her trade
q ice, gathered in the neighboring noun