Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-03-11
'THISS LOCALITY
Las Vegas, the Chief City
Of New Mexico Some
Of Her Resources,
Attractions and
Advantages.

IL N ..NM "H4. .------ 4.t" ~ "H.D"" Az
LAS VEGAS, meaning "The Meadows,
is the county seat of San Miguel county
lies on both sides Of the Gallinas river
and, with its suburbs, has about 1000
inhabitants.
} 1t has water works, street cars, arc ant
incandesccnt electric light plant, telephon'
exchanges, Territorial agricultural expert
ment station, headquarters Of the Atchi
son railway system, New Mexico division
together with railroad machine shops ans
tie preserving works, stock yards, and th,
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 q distinctive American city. The
streets are wide and well graded, while
sidewalks abound, shaded with growing
trees.y Three parks, sfl:ed with grass and
trees, add to the beauty and healthfulnoss
VI tuU RAutOs A18hAooOiAO- HAA
stores, beautiful residences, and innumera-
BE lawns. 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 edifices
in any town, of equal size, Ia the States.
An Academy, Seminary, Jesuit college,
Convent school, Presbyterian Mission
school, Methodist manual 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 is no malaria, no excessive heat or
cold, no gnats, rats or mosquitoes. The
air Is pure, dry, rarified, and highly cleo
trified-a certain cure for consumption, II
the disease be taken In time. The hot
waters are q specific for liver. skin, rheu-
matte and blood disorders. Her Montezu-
ma hotel is the finest hOstelry between
Chicago and Califoini 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
central Tennessee, while the altitude is
nearly Q 500 feet. This combination gives
winter, during the day, the thermometer
seldom falls, 10 the shade, below forty de-
grees, while it often runs, In the sunshine,
to sixty-five degrees-or even more. On
the other hand, In the summer, the heat Is
never oppressive, IN the shade, n no
night is too warm for comfortable sleep,
under one or two blankets. The sun will
shine nine days out of every ten, the year
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-clad noun
tains; the large amount OF elecfrictyTin
the air, and the consequent ozone, result
ing from thealtitude and the location of the
town, lane locked by mountain and mesa
all conspire to produce an atmOs-
phere which is q balm to all diseases Of the
organs. The percentage Of
death from consumption is lower In New
Mexico than it is anywhere else in the
States; and no other place 10 New
Mexico excels Las Vegas in the ~salubrity
OF Its climate. Asthmatics experience
and permanent relief, in this
altitude.
In the way Of health and pleasure re-
sorts, Las Vegas is unrivaled. In 2 radius
- k-,orNxr v,sInu In rrvtuVti0 fnovNnfQjn
glens and beside babblipg mountain brooks,
are the Las Vegas Hot Springs. Harvey's,
Ell Poryenir, Sandoval's Mineral Hill, RO-
nero Ranch, Blake's. Sparks, Sapello,
Rociada, and other places, too numerous
to mention, where health can be recovered,
INF life becomes o pleasure to the ennuye,
the invalid, the o~ver-worked business man.
LAS VEGAS has two daily and dye weekly
papers, three banks. two building and loan
associations, three hotels, many boarding
houses, nine churches, q number OF clubs,
and all the leading civic and social socie-
ties; a roller iour mill, capacity, fifty bar
rels per day two woo~l-scouring establish,
annually; a well-equipped brewery and
bottling estA hlishment; q manufactory OF
mineral and carbonated waters; two wag-1
on and carriage factories; q saddle and
harness factory; foundry, cleo
trio light plant, three planning mills,
and other enterprises Of less Importance,
There are eight large wholesale houses,
whose trade extends throughout the Ter
ritory, and into the adjoi0lng sections
while 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 merehants' brok-
ers have selected the city as their distrib.
uting center, the amount Of their yearly
sales exceeding, in the aggregate, the com
binod saloe NJ all nfhar snch brokers in