Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-06-18
'1A|y IBClLlqY


LAS VEGAe, meaning line mbnuOW
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
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 shearing 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, bandi-
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 filed
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 asylum 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,
Brothers, institute, City high
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,
her climate is infinitely superior.
There is no malaria, no excessive heat or
cold, no gnats, rats or mosquitoes. The
mir is pure, dry, rarified, and highly cleo
.rified-a certain cure for consumption, IL
The disease, be taken In time. The hot
xaters are a specific for liver, skin, rheu-
matte and blood disorders. Her Montezu-
ma hotel is the finest hostelry between
Chicago and California, and is situated in
! beautiful canyon, five miles from town,
the Hot Springs, forty in number,
come boiling to the surface.
The latitude Is shout the same as that OF
central Tennessee, while the altitude is
nearly 9, 500 feet. This combination gives
1 peculiar, but most happy, result. In the
during the day, the thermometer
seldom falls, In the shade, below forty de-
yrees, while 1t often runs, in the sunshine,
he other hand, in the summer, the heat Is
never oppressive, II the shade, and 10
hight is too warm for comfortable sleep,
one or two blankets. The sun will
shine nine days out of every ten, the year
round. This. with the extreme dryness of
he air, caused by the very slight precipi-
.ation of %moisture; the resinous aroma,
down from the pine-clad noun
tains; the large amount of electricity in
,he air, and the consequent ozone, result
ng from thealtitude; and the location Of the
,owD, land-locked by mountain and mesa
these all conspire to produce an atmos-
phere which is q balm to all diseases OF the
organs. The percentage of
Heath from consumption is lower In New
Mexico than It is anywhere else in the
United States; and no other place In New
Mexico excels Las Vegas in the s~aiubrity
II its climate. Asthmatics experience
Immediate and permanent relief, in this
In the way of health and pleasure re-
Iorts, Las Vegas IL unrivaled. In q radius
II twenty miles, in romantic mountain
,lens and beside babbling mountain brooks,
ire the Las Vegas Hot Springs, Harvey's,
Ct Porvenir, Sandoval's Mineral Hill, Ro-
nero Ranch, Blake's, Sparks, Sapello,
O mention, where health a be recovered,
nd life becomes a pleasure to the ennuye,
he invalid, the o~ver-worked business man.
LAS VEGAS has two daily and ave weekly
,apers, three banks. two building and loan
three hotels, nan boarding |
nine churches, . number Of clubs,
nd all the leading civic and social socie-
las; a roller -four mill, capacity, fifty bar
els per day two wool-scouring establish
nents, cleaning 1900. GOO pounds Of wool
nnually; a we'll equipped brewery and
establishments; q mandatory of
and ~carbonated waters; two wag-
n and carriage factories; a saddle and
arDess factory; q foundry. cleo
rio light plant, three planning mills.
nd other enterprises of less importance.
There are eight large wholesale houses,
itory, and into the adjoining sections
7hile the volume of this trade, and the
alue of the stocks which they carry, can
ct be duplicated west of Kansas City and
outh of Denver. Three merchants brok.
RS have selected the city as their distrib-
ting center, the amount of their yearly
ales exceeding, in the aggregate, the com
Ill -kk-. So k~1bA~o H.. l
lew Mexico. The retail merchants, of
,as Vegas, are more numerous, and carry
lrger and better stocks of goods b do
retail merchants OF any other own in
MS Territory or Arizona.
LAS VEGAS is the distributing point for
early all New Mexico. By the Atchlson
.stem, she has connection with Kansas
n the east, Colorado on the north, Arixo-
a md California on the west, and Texas
nj Old Mexico on the south. Besides
lese, she has more stage lines, connecting
er with tributary territory, than has any
Their town in New Mexico. This territory
,cludes the entire section east and south
[ the mountains, and comprises the
es Of Colfax, Mora, Taos, San Miguel,
anita Fe, Socorro, Dona Ana, Grant.
HAYES, Lincoln and Eddy, with parts of
han all New England. This takes in the
smous Valley ofthe Rio Grande, and the
SIS famous, but not less excellent, Valley
I the Pecos-the finest fruit sections Of
De west.
This Territory is rich In everything that
the Wealth of Natl ms. Iron,
lead, silver, gold, mics, limestone,
,ndstone. marbles, gypsum, soda in end
10 variety aud ~exhaustless quantities,
re among the several products of the
,untry which Las Vegas commands.
heep, cattle and lumber abound, so that
each of these prime articl S of commerce
lis city Is the best market 10 New Mexico.