Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-12-18
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 10000
Inhabitants.
1t has water works. street cars, arc and
incandescent 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 ~shsaring and dipping plant
In the United States.
West of the river, the old town has the
quaint and picturesque Mexican appear
ance : adobe houses, narrow, crooked
streets, native people and customs, handi-
crafts and occupations; but the plaza aud
all Of the new town, east of the river, con-
~stitute q 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 we'll filled
stores, beautiful residences, and innumers-
BILE lawns, 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,
Courthouse, 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 edidces
in any town, of equal size, in the States
An Academy, Seminary, Jesuit college,
Convent school, Presbyterian Mission
school. Methodist manual training school,
Christian Brokers' institute, City high
school, three graded public schools, q kin
dergarten, 0 commercial school and two
music schools, besides several private teach
ers. are among the educational advantages
ard facilities.
LAS VEeAs is the natural sanatorium of
the United States, combining more nat
ural advantages than any other place In
America. Her thermal waters are the
equel OF the lot Springs OF Arkansas.
while her climate is infinitely superior.
There Is DO Dalsria, no excessive heat or
cold, no goats, rats or mosquitoes. The
air Is pure, dry, rarifed, and highly cleo
triaed-a certain cure for consumption. IL
the disease be taken In time. Toe hot
waters are q specific for liver. s, in, rheu-
matte and blood disorders. Her Montezu-
ma hotel Is The finest hostelry between
Chicago and California, and is situated 10
q beautiful ea1von, five miles from town,
where the Hot Springs, forty In number,
come boiling to the surface.
The latit 1de 10 about the same as that OF
central Tennessee, wIile the altitude is
nearly $500 feet. THIS co nbiuation gives
winter, during the cfv, tue Thermometers
seldom fslis, IN the 9. see. below forts de-
grees, while 1t often rcps. n the sunshine,
to siziy-ive degrees-or even more. On
the other hand, in the summer. Je neat IS
never oppressive, IN the shade, and nc
night is too warm for comic; liable sleeo.
under one o. two blan- cts. The sun will
shine niue days out of every ten. tue year
round. THIS. with the extreme cryness OF
the air, caused by the very slight precipi-
tat'o1 of moistrre; tie resinods ROMA
rolling down from the pile-clad noun
teins; the large amount OF electricity in
the ar, and the consequent ozone, re ule-
log I 'om thealtitrde; and the location OF tbs
town, lapd-locked by mountain ard mesa
these all conspire to prodvce an atmos-
pierre which Is q balm to all diseases OF the
respiratory organs. The percentage OF
death from consumption is lower In New
Mexico then IL is anywhere else In the
United STATES; ard no other place In New
Mexico excels Las Vegas in the salubrlty
Of its climate. AstnDa.ics ex ~peiience
immediate and permanent relief, Ia this
altitude.
In the way OF heath and pleasure ie-
sorts, Las Veges IL uDgivaled. in q radius
OF twenty miles, n 10 ufut'c mouDtain
glens and beside babb,irg mo,uta'n brooks,
are tie Las Vegas Tot S. II IS. E"yey's,
Ell Pocv eli:, Ea1dovans hi1eislI 1, %
nero Ranch Elske's, Fnerks', sapello.
| Rociada, and other place., too ncme-oss
to mention, where health can be recose ed.
! ard life becomes q pleasure - Inc enlrve,
the invalid, the over-wc'ted brs ress Tae.
LAS VEG IS tas two dei' y ami ave weetly
papers, three uarks, two Dlild'ng ard loan
associations, turee GELS, m ~ boeidi3g
| houses, nine churches, o nj uoey OF clubs,
and eli the 'erd;ng civic and social socie-
ties; q roller foar MIL, capacity, liS..y bar
rels per day; two wool-scoc ing es.ab'sh-
ments, cleaning l 0 5000 pounds OF wool
annually; a we'll equipped brewe Y and
bottling establishment; a manusactory OF
mineral and carbonated waters; two wag-
on and carriage factories; a saddle and
harness factory; "a foundi.y. eec-
trio light plant, three p'anipg mills
| and other enterprises OF less Importance.
| AASAV = - - -
| whose trade extends tnfor loul the Ter
ritory, aud into the adjoining sections
while the volume of this trade, a I'd tie
! value of the stocks which they carry. car
not be duplicated west OF Kansas City and
south of Denver. Three me Giants brok-
ers have selected the ely as the'~ distri3-
uting center, the amount of their yearly
sales exceeding, in the aggregate, the com.
bined sales OF all otL5r such brokers' In
New Mexico. Ths retail merchants. oil
Las Vegas, are more numerous, ami carry
larger ard better stocks o. goods ttan dc
the r. tail merchants CT any other town in
this Territory or Arizona.
Las VEGAS is the distributing point fol-
nearly ell New Me- 60. By the Atchlsou
system, she las connection with Lsnsas
on the eaeg, Colo. lido on tie north, Arizo-
ma and California ON the west and Texas
ami Old Mexico on the south. Besides
these, she has more stage I,oes, correcting
her with tributary territory, Tan has any
other town in Ne Mexico. This territory
includes the entire section east and south
of the mountains, and comprises the coun-
ties of Lolfax. No q, Taos, San Miguel,
Santa Fe, Socorro, Do9a Ana, Grant,
Valencia and Der: ia'ilio-a country larger
than al New England. This takes in tne
famous Valley oftne Rio GraDde, and the
less famous, but not less excellent, Valley
of the Pecos-the finest fruit sections oil
the west.
This Territory is rich In everything that
constitutes the Wealth o; Nations. Iron,
coal, lead, silver, gold, mice. limestone,
sandstone, marbles, gypsum. soda ip end
ess variety and exhalatiess quantities,
are among the several products of the
country which LIS Vegas commands,
Sheep, cattle and lumber abound, 80 that
In each of these prime articles of commerce
this city Ia the best market 10 New Mexico,
She handles more wool than all the other
towns in the Territory combined. while
her commerce 10 hids s is truly enormous,
In the same way, abe stands pre-eminent
for her trade 10 grains, hay, vegetables,
and other farm u oductsi while her trade