Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-04-01
THIS LOCALITY
Lac Vegas, the Chief City
of New Mexico Some
Of Her Resources,
Attractions and
Advantages.

II Advantages.
4 Las VEGAS, meaning "The Meadows,
, Is the county seat Of San Miguel county
lies on both sides Of the GalIinns river
and, with its suburbs, has about 1000
Inhabitants. F
1t has water works, street cars, arc an,
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 AMI
tie-preserving works, stock yards, and th,
largest sheep sbearing and dipping plan
In the United States.
West of the river, the old town has tb,
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
stirute q 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 healthfulness
OF the place. Handsome and we'll filled
stores, beautiful residences, and lnnumera-
BILE lawns, set in grass and 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.
structed of red and white cut sandstone,
unsurpassed in beauty by similar edifces
in any town, of equal size, 10 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 kim
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 IL infinitely superior.
There is no malaria, no excessive heat or
cold, no gnats, rats or mosquitoes. The
air is pure, dry, rarifed, n highly cleo
trified-a certain cure for consumption, IL
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 California, and Is situated in
a beautiful canyon, five miles from town,
where the Hot Springs, forty 10 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
a peculiar, but most happy, result. In the
winter, during the day, the thermometer
seldom falls, 10 the shade, below forty de-
grees, while it often runs, in the sunshine,
to sixty-fve degrees-or even more. On
the other hand, In the summer, the heat IS
never oppressive, IN the shade, and 40
night is too warm for comfortable sleep,
under one or WI blankets. The sun will
shine nine days out Of every ten, the year
THIS, with the extreme dryness of
the air, caused by the very slight preeipi-
tation Of moisture; the resinous aroma,
rolling 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 an atmos-
phere which Is q balm to all diseases OF the
respiratory organs. The percentage Of
death from consumption 10 lower In New
Mexico than 1t Is anywhere else in the
United States; and no other place In New
Mexico excels La Vegas in the ~saIubrity
OF its climate. Asthmatics experienced
immediate and permanent relief, in this
altitude.
In the way of health and pleasure re-
sorts, Las Vegas IL unrivaled. In a radius
OF twenty miles, in romantic mountain
glens and beside ~babbling mountain brooks,
are the Las Vegas Hot Springs, Harvey's,
Ell Porvenir, Sandoval's Mineral Hill, Ro-
nero Ranch, Blake's, Sparks, Sapello,
Rociada, and other places, too Numerous |
to mention, where health can be recovered,
and life becomes q 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, q number of clubs,
and all the leading civic and social socie-
ties; a roller -four mill, capacity. fifty bar
rels per day two wo~ol-scouring establish
ments,, cleaning 100000 pounds Of wool
annually; a well-equipped brewery and
establishments; Z mandatory OF
and ~carbonated waters; two wag-
on and carriage factories; a saddle and
harness factory; foundry. cleo
light plant, three planning mills,
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
not be duplicated west of Kansas City and
south of Denver. Three merchants brok.
srs have selected the city as their distrib-
lting center, the amour Of their yearly
sales exceeding, in the aggregate, the com.
New Mexico. The retail merchants, of
Las Vegas, are more numerous, and carry
anger 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
hearty all New Mexico. By the Atchlson
,ystem, she has connection with Kansas
y the east, Colorado on the north, Arizo-
la and California on the west, and Texas
Old Mexico on the south. Besides
;hese, she has more stage lines, connecting
Ter with tributary territory, than has any
,ther town In New Mexico. This territory I
the entire section east and south
# the mountains, and comprises the coun-
les Of Colfax, Mora, Taos, SantMiguel,
Santa Fe, Socorro, Dona Ana, Grant,
Jhaves, Lincoln and Eddy. with parts of
Valencia and Bernalillo-a country larger I
han all New England. This takes In the .
amous Valley ofthe Rio Grande, and the s.
ess famous but not less excellent, Valley |
the P~ecos-the finest fruit sections Of
he 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
1873 variety and exhaustless quantities,
re among the several products of the