Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-06-09
This LOCALITY
Las Vegas, the Chief City
of New Mexico--Some
of Her Resources,
Attractions and
Advantages.

Is the county seat OF San Miguel county,
lies on both sides of the Gnllinas river,
and, with its suburbs, has about 10000
Inhabitants.
1t has waterSworks, street cars, arc and
i~ncandescent 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, 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
sid abound, shaded with growing
trees. Three parks, filed with grass and
trees, add to the beauty and healthfulness
Of the place. Handsome and vel filled
stores, beautiful residences, and innumera-
BILE lawns, set in grass ard adorned with
s~hrubbery 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-
$4,000 o ,aI and xuhffo ont aandafOpa
unsurpassed in beauty by similar ediices
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 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, rariied, and highly cleo
trifed-a certain cure for consumption, II
the disease be taken in time. The hot
waters are q specific for liver, skin, rheu.
matte and blood disorders. Her Montezu-
ma hotel is the finest hosiery 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, the Thermometer
seldom falls, in the shade, below forty de-
grees, while it often runs, In the sunshine,
10 sixty-fve degrees-or even more. On
The other hand, in the summer, the heat is
never oppressive, IN the shade, and nc
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 dryDess OF
the air, caused by the very slight precipi-
tation of moisture; the resinous aroma,
down from the pine-clad noun
tains; the large amount of electricity in
the air, and the consequent ozone, result
ing from thealtitude; and the location of the |
town, land-locked by mountain and mesa
all conspire to produce ar atmos-
pnere which is a balm to all diseases of the
gam The percentage OIL
death from consumption is lower in New
than it is anywhere else ia the
States; and no other place Ia New
Mexico excels Las Vegas in the salubrIty
Of its climate. Asthmatics experience
and permanent relief, in this
In the way of health and pleasure re-
Las Vegas is unrivaled. In q radius
- a-o-tr IL l.. 0~nn-s snoxntnsx1 |
ylens and beside babbling mountain brooks,
ire the Las Vegas Hot Springs. Harvey's,
Porvenir, S~andoval's Mineral Hill, Ro-
nero Ranch, Blake's, Sparks, Sapello,
Rociada, and other places, too Numerous
10 mention, where health can be recovered,
and life becomes a pleasure to the ennuye,
The 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, a number OF clubs,
ind all the leading civic and social socie-
les; a roller -four mill, capacity, fifty bar
per day; two wool-scouring establish
nents, cleaning 1900, 900 pounds of WOOL
annually; a well-equipped brewery and
establishment; d mandatory Of
and carbonated waters; two wag-
factory; o foundIy. elec-
rio light plant, three planning mile,
md other enterprises of less importance.
There are eight large wholesale houses,
trade extends throughout the Ter
itory, and into the adjoining sections;
white the volume Of this trade. and the
'alue OF the stocks which they carry, can
lot be duplicated west of Kansas City and
of Denver. Three merchants brok-
RS have selected the city as their distrib-
ting center, the amount of their yearly
ales exceeding, In theaggregate, the COM
lined sales of all other sue brokers in
Sew Mexico. The retail merchants, of
Ias Vegas, are more numerous, and carry
arger and better stocks Of goods than do
be retail merchants OF any other town in
his Territory or Arizona.
LAS VEGAS is the distributing point for
learly all New Mexico. By the Atchlson
ystem, she has connection with Kansas
n the esst, Colorado on the north, Arizo-
"a and California on the west, and Texas
nd Old Mexico on the south. Besides
she has more stage lines, connecting
'er with tributary territory, than has any
Their town in New Mexico. This territory
the entire section east and south
I the mountains, and comprises the coun-
les of Colfax, Mora, Taos, San Miguel, .
Fe, Socorro, Dona Ana, Grant,
Lincoln and Eddy. with parts of
7alencia and Bernalillo-a country larger
all New England. This takes in the
amous Valley ofthe Rio Grande, M the
sss famous, but not less excellent, Valley
I the Ptcos-the finest fruit sections Of
be west.
This Territory is rich iu everything that
institutes the Wealth of Matt ms. Iron,
oal, lead, silver, gold, mice, limestone,
andstone. marbles, gypsum, soda in end
IS variety and exhaustless quantities,
10 among the severed products of the
which Las Vegas commands.
'heep. cattle and lumber abound, so that
q each OF these prime articles of commerce
city Is the best market 10 New Mexico.
lie handles more wool than all the other
owns 10 the Territory combined, while
er commerce 10 hides Is truly enormous.
O the same WAY. she stands nre-eminnnt