Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-05-20
THIS LOCALITY
Las Vegas, the Chief City
of New Mexico Some
of Her Resources,
Attractions and
Advantages.

lies on both sides of the Gallinas river
and, with its suburbs, has about 1000
inhabitants.
1t bias water works, street cars, arc an
incandescent electric light plant, telephon
exchanges, Territorial agricultural expert
ment station, headquarters OF the Atchi
son railway system, Now Mexico division
together with railroad machine shops an,
tie representing works, stock yards, and tn
largest sheep. shearing and dipping plan
IN the United States.
West of the river, the old town has tn,
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 n h~ealthfulness
ofDthe place. Handsome and we'll filled
stores, beautiful residences, and innumera-
BILE 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 asy lum are public buildings, con
structed of red and white cut sandstone,
unsurpassed in beauty by similar edifices
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 high
school, three graded public schools, a kin
iergarten, 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, rarifed, and highly cleo.
trified-a certain cure for consumption, IL
the disease be taken in time. The hot
waters are a specific for liver, skin, rheu-
matte and blood disorders. Her Montezu-
ma hotel is the finest hostelry between
a beautiful canyon, five miles from town,
where the Hot Springs, forty In number,
boiling to the surface.
The latitude Is about the same as that OF
central Tennessee, while the altitude is
nearly 6. 500 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 RUS, In the sunshine,
to sixty-hve degrees-or even more. On
the other hand, in the summer, the heat IS
never oppressive, In the shade, and no
is too YARN for comfortable sleep,
under one or two blankets. The sun will
shine nine days out of every ten, the year
round. Tits, with the extreme dryness OF
the air, caused by the very slight prcoipi.
tation of moisture; the resinous aroma,
down from the pine.ciad noun
tains; the large amount of electricity In
air, and the consequent cxone, result
ing from thealtitude; and the location of the
town, land-locked by mountain and mesa
all conspire to produce an atmos-
pnere which is a balm to all diseases of the
organs. The percentage of
from consumption is lower Ia New
Mexico than It is anywhere else in the
States; and no other place in New
excels Las Vegas in tina ~salubrIty
Of its climate. Asthmatics experience
and permanent relief, in this
In the way of health and pleasure re-
Las Vegas is unrivalei. In a radius
Of twenty miles, In romantic mountain
glens and beside babtliug mountain brooks,
are the Las Vegas Hot Springs. Harvey's,
Ell Porvenir, Ssndoval's Mineral Hill, Ro-
Ranch, Blake's, Sparks, Sapello,
.ociada, and other places. too Numerous
TO mention, where health can be recovered,
life becomes a pleasure to the ennuye,
the in valid, the over-worked business man.
LAS VEGAS has two daily and ave weekly
apers, three banks. two Guiding and loan
associations, three hotels. many boarding
houses, nine churches, q number of clubs,
aud all the leading civic and social socie-
per day two wool-scouring establish
nents, cleaning 100000 pounds of wool
annually; a well-equipped brewery and
estA blishment; a mandatory of
and c~arbonated waters; two wag-
% and carriage factories; a saddle and
factory; "a foundry. elec-
light plant, three planning mills.
There are eight large WHOLESALE housas.
whose trade extends Throughout the Ter,
.itorv. and into the adjoining sections
vhile the volume Of tbiss trade. and the
,aIne Of the stocks which thew carry. can
lot be duplicated west of Kansas City and
Iouth of Denver. Three merchants brok.
IFS have selected the city as their distrih- |
itlng center, the amount of their yearly |
lined sales ~ ali other such brokers in
Mexico The retnil msrchan n NJ
,as Vegas. ara more numerous. and corrv
arper and better stocks az goods than d.
ratail marchsn MA ~ anv nthsr town In
his Territory or A~riyona.
T.s was IL the d~iatributine noint for