Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-12-16
This LOCALITY.
Las Vegas, the Chief City
of New Mexico
of Her Resources,
Attractions and
Advantages.

LAS VEGAS, meaning "Ths Meadows,"I
Is the county seat Of San Miguel county, |
lies on both sides Of the Gallinas river,
and, with its suburbs, has about 10000
Inhabitants.
1t has water works, street cars, arc and
lncandescent 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 and
tie preserving works, stock yards, and the
largest sheep ~shearing and dipping plant
In the United States.
West Of the river, the old town has tho
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. Three parks, filed with grass and
trees, add to the beauty and hsalthfalness
OF the piace. IhhuSomo -
stores, beautiful residences, and innumera-
BILE la W ns, set in grass and adorned with
shrubbery and flowers, combine to pro-
claim a cultured community, possessed OF
all modern comforts and c~onveniences.
A city hall, three public school buildings,
court. house, Masonic temple, opera house,
Territorial Normal school and Territorial
Insane asylum are public buildings, n
| 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 manual training school
Christian Brothers, institute, City higf
school, three graded public schools, a kin
dergarten, a commercial school and 1--WE
music schools, besides several private teach
ers, are among the educational advantages
and facilities.
Las VEGAS is the natural sanatorium O.
the United States, combining more nat
ural advantages than any other place II
America. Her thermal waters are TN
equal of the Hot Springs OF Arkansas
| while Der cllmdto 10 iuhhteOA- cuPS%'N
There is no malaria, no excessive heat o.
cold. no gnats, rats or mosquitoes. In
air Is pure, dry, rariied, and highly cleo
| trried-a certain cure for consumption, |
| the disease be taken In time. The no
v aters are a specific for liver, skin, rheu
matte and blood disorders. Her Montezu
ma hotel Is the finest hosiery betweel
Chicago and California, ana Is situateu u
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 Q
central Tennessee, while the altitude l
nearly $500 feet. This combination give
a peculiar, but most happy, result. In tn
winter, during the day, the thermomete
seldom falls, 10 the shade, below forty oe
prees, while Ii often runs, In the sunshine
: Ia sixty-fys degreea~-or even more. y
the other band, in the summer, the heat
never oppressive, IN the shade, and .
night is too warm for comfortable sleeI
under one or two blankets. The sun WI
shine nine days out OF every ten, the yea
round, This, with the extreme dryness Q
the air, caused by the very slight precipi
tation of moisture; the resinous aroms
rolling down from the pine-clad noun
tains; the large amount OF electricity |
the air, and the consequent ozone, result
ing from thealtitude; and the location of th
town, land locked by mountain and mes
THESE ali consplTo W pIouuco uu aehou
, pnere which is q palm to all diseases OF tn
? respiratory organs. The percentage
death from consumption Is lower In Ne'
Mexico than it is any where else In til
United States; and no other place In Me-
Mexico excels Las Vegas in the salubrit
OF its climate. Asthmatics experienc
immediate and permanent relief, in tn
altitude.
In the way of health and pleasure RI
sorts, Las Vegas is unrivaIed. In . radir
OF twenty miles, 10 romantic mouDtai
glens and beside babhling mountain brook
are the Las Vegas Hot Springs, Harvey
! Ell Porvenir, Ssndoval's Mineral Hill, RI
nero Ranch, Blake's, Sparks, Sapell'
Rociada, and other places, too ndnerot
to mention, where health can be recovered
and life becomes a pleasure to the emmy,
the invalid, the over-worked business maj
8 LAS VEGAS has two daily and Ave weekl
papers, three banks, two building and loa
associations, three hotels, many boardin
houses, nine churches, q number OF club
. and all the leading civic and social socit
. ties; a roller -four mill, capacity, fifty bal
: rels per day; W wool-scouring establish
ments, cleaning 100000 pounds of wo
bottling adjustment; a mandatory
r mineral and carbonated waters; two wat
. on and carriage factories; a saddle an
! harness factory; a foundI, ele'
J trio light plant, three planning mill
b and other enterprises Of less Importance.
; There are eight large wholesale house
whose trade extends throughout the TIE
z ritory, and into the adjoining section
while the volume of this trade. n Il
value Of the stocks which they carry, CT
n not be duplicated west of Kansas CITY ar
south of Denver. Three m~erchants' bro
ers have selected the city as their distril
uting center, the amount Of their year
sales exceeding, in the aggregate, the con
bined sales of all other such brokers
New Mexico. The retail merchants,
Las Vegas, are more numerous, and car
larger and better stocks OF goods han
@ the retail merchants OF any other town
= this Territory or Arizona.