Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-06-29
LOCALITY
Las Vegas, the Chief City
of New Mexico Some
of Her Resources,
Attractions and
Advantages.

Inhtt UAtb 10 otbtA brf Aosoo
Inhabitants.
1t has water works, street cars, arc snt
incandescent 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 anc
tie preserving works, stock yards, and ttt
largest sheep shearing and dipping plan
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 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 we'll filled
BILE lawns, set in grass ard 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 cot 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
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 10
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 gnets, rats or mosquitoes. Tbe
air is pure, dry, rari6ed, and highly cleo
trifed-a certain cure for consumption, il
the disease be taken in time. The hot
waters are g specific for liver. skin, rheu-
matte and blood disorders. Her Montesu-
ma hotel is the finest h~ostelry between
Chicago and California, 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
Tennessee, while the altitude is
nearly $500 feet. This combination gives
a peculiar, but most happy, result. In the
during the day, tho thermometer
falls, in the shade, below forty de-
grees, while it often runs, in the sunshine,
to sixty-hve degrees-or even more. On
tho other hand, in the summer the heat is
never oppressive, IN the shade, and no
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 preoipi-
tation of moisture; the resinous aroma,
down from the pine-clad NOUN
tains; the large amount of electricity 10
the air, and the consequent ozone, result
from thealtitude and the location OF the
town, land-locked by mountain and mesa
these all conspire to produce an atmos-
pierre which is a balm to all diseases OF the
organs. The percentage of
death from consumption is lower In New
Mexico than il is anywhere else in the
States; and no other place 10 New
Mexico excels Las Vegas in the sslbbrity
of its climate. Asthmatics experience
and permanent relief, in this
In the way of health and pleasure re-
Las Vegas IL unriyaled. In a radius
Of twenty miles, in romantic mountain
glens and beside babhling mountain brooks,
are the Las Vegas Hot Springs, Harvey's,
I'll P%orvenir, S~andoval's Mineral Hill, Ro-
nero Ranch, Blake's, Sparks, Hape!lo,
Rooiada, and other Places, too Numerous
10 mention, whore health can be recovered,
- IA ~<..N. - A... - kt~ = i
The invalid, the over-worked business man.
Lac VEGAS has two daily and lye weekly
papers, three banks, two building and loan
associations, three hotels, many boarding
houses, nine churches, a number OF clubs,
all the leading civic and social socie-
lies, o roller -four mill, capacity. fifty bar
per dsy two understanding establish
nents,, cleaning l,5oO,oCo pounds OF wool
annually; q well-equipped brewery and
establishment; a mandatory of
and carbcnated waters; two wag-
,n and carriage factories; a saddle and
harness factory; a foundry. cleo
rio light plant, three planning mills,
md other enterprises at less importance,
There are eight large wholesale houses,
'itory, and into the adjoining sections;
while the volume Of this trade, and the
yaiue OF the stocks which they carry, can
lot be duplicated west of Kansas City and
out Of Denver. Three merchants brok-
RS have selected the city as their distrib-
lting center, the amount of their yearly
ales exceeding, in the aggregate, the com
lined sales OF ell other such brokers in
Sew Mexico. Tho retail merchants, Of
las Vegas, are more numerous, and carry
anger and better stocks of goods than do
he retail merchants of any other town in
his Territory or Arizona.
LAS VEGAS is the distributing point for
Yearly all New Mexico. By the Atchlsop
ystem, she has connection with Kansas
n the east, Colorado on the north. Arizo.
10 and California 6n the west, and Texas
md Old Mexico ON the south. Besides
hese, she has more stage lines, connecting
Ter with tributary territory, than has any
town in New Mexico. This territory ]
Includes the entire section east n south
les Of Colfax, Mora, Taos, San Miguel,
Fe, Soporro, Dopa Ana, Grant,
Jhaves, Lincoln and Eddy. with parts Of
Valencia and Bernalillo-a country larger
han all New England. This takes in the I
amous Valley of,he Rio Grande, and the I
ess famous, but not less excellent, Valley
Il the Pepos-the finest fruit sections Of
be west.
This Territory is rich In everything that
the Wealth of Nations. Iron,
,oal, lead, silver, gold, mica, limestone,
andstone, marbles, gypsum, soda in end
,ss variety and exhaustless quantities,
ire among the several products OF the
country which Las Vegas commands.
cattle and lumber abound, so that
n each Of these prime articles of commerce
city ID the best market ia New Mexico.
She handles more wool than all the other
owns Ia the Territory combined, while
Ter in hides is truly enofmou
n the same way, she tands pre-emirent
or her TRACE in grains, hay, vegetables,
md other farm products; while her trade
n ice. gathered in the ~neighboriug noun
sin canyons, extends east into Kansas,
vest iato Arizona, and south into Old
iexico