Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-06-10
This LOCALITY
Las Vegas, the Chief City
of New Mexico Some
of Her Resources,
Attractions and
Advantages.

Attractions ana
Advantages.
LAS VEGAS, meaning "The Meadows
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 tie
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, 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 well graded. while
sidewalks abound, shaded with growing
trees. Three parks, filed with grass and
trees, add to the beauty and healthfnlness
Of the place. Handsome and well-hlled
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 edifces
in any town, of equal size. in the States
An Academy, Seminary, Jesuit college,
Convent school, Presbyterian Mission
school, Methodist manual training school,
Cbristian 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 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 la pure, dry, rariied, and highly cleo
trified-a certain cure for consumption, II
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 hosiery between
Chicago and Califoi mia, and is situated In
a beautiful anyon 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
central Tennessee, while the altitude is
nearly $500 feet. This combination gives
q peculiar, but most happy, result. In the
winter, during the day, the thermometer
falls, ia the shade, below forty de-
grees. while it often runs, In the sunshine,
to gixty-five degrees--or even more. On
the other hand, in the summer, the heat Is
never oppressive, IN the shade, and no
night 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 precipi-
fation OF moisture; 1.-THE resinous aroma,
railing down from the pine-clad noun
tairs; the large amount of electricity in
the air, and the consequent ozone, result
ing fro m thealtitude; and the location of the
lsnd-locked by mountain and mesa
all conspire to produce an atmos-
pnere which is a balm to all diseases of the
respiratory organs. b percentage of
death 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 salubrity
of its climate. Asthma tics experience
and permanent relief, In this
altitude.
In the way of health and pleasure re-
so, ts, Las Vegas is unrivaled. In a radius
OF twenty miles, Ia romantic mountain
glens and beside babbling mountain brooks,
are thr Las Vegas Hot Springs. Harvey's,
Ell Porvsnir, Sandoval's Mineral Hill, Ro-
Ranch, Blake's, Sparks, Sapello,
Rociada, and other places, too Numerous
to mention, where health can be recovered,
and life becomes a pleasure to the ennuye,
invalid, the over-worked business man.
LAS VEGAS has two daily and Ave weekly
papers, three banks, two building and loan
associations, three hotels. many boarding
houses, nine churches, q number OF clubs,
aud all the leading civic and social socie-
lies; a roller -four mill, capacity, fifty bar
ls per lay; two wool-scouring establish
ClS6uib6 1tcoOyVoO RO0ANS - WV
ally a well-equipped brewery and
establishments; a mandatory OF
mineral and carbonated waters; two wag-
and carriage factories; q saddle and
factory; a foundry. cleo
trio light plant, three planning mile.
and other enterprises of less Importance.
There are eight large Wholesale houses,
ritory, and into the adjoining sections;
the volume Of this trade. and the
value of the stocks which they carry, can
be duplicated west Of Kansas City and
IL nth of Denver. Three merchants brok-
RS have selected the city as their distrib-
center, the amount of their yearly
sales exceeding, in the aggregate, the COM
sales Of all other such brokers IN
Mexico. The retail merchants, of
Las Vegas, are more numerous, mi carry
arger and better stocks of goods than do
The retail merchants OF any other town in
Territory or Arizona.
LAS VEGAS is the distributing point for
nearly all New Mexico. By the Atchlson
system, she has connection with Kansas
N the east, Colorado on the north. Arizo-
Ia and California on the west, and Texas
and Old Mexico on the south. Besides
these, she has more stage lines, connecting
ler with tributary territory, than has any
town in New Mexico. This territory
includes the entire section east and south
II the mountains, and comprises the I'LL
Of Lolfax, Mora, Taos, San Miguel,
Santa Fe, Socorro, Dona Ana, Grant.
.haves, Lincoln and Eddy, with parts of
Valencia and Bernalillo-a country larger
lan all New England. This takes in the
lous Valley ofthe Rio Grande, and the
ess famous, but rot less excellent, Valley
If tho Pecos--tbe finest fruit sections Of
he west.
This Territory Is rich 10 everything that
,onstIrntes the Wealth Of Nations. Iron,
coal, lead, silver, gold, mica, limestone,
IandstLae. marbles, gypsum, soda In end