Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-12-07
Las Vegas, the Chief City
Of New Mexico Some
Of Her Resources,
Attractions and
Advantages.

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-
| stirute 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 hsalthfulness
of the place. Handsome and we'll filled
| 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
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 ID
America. Her thermal waters are tht
equal OF the Hot Springs OF Arkansas
while her climate is infinitely superior
There is no malaria, no excessive neat OF
cold, no gnats, rats or mosquitoes. In
air Ia pure, dry, r%arified, n higniy 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 Califof mia, aud 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 o.
central Tennessee, while the altitude /.
nearly $500 feet. This combination gives
a peculiar, but most happy, result. In the
winter, during the day, the thermometer
seldom falls, in the shade, below forty de-
grees, while it often runs, In the sunshine
10 sixty-hve degrees-or even more. OI
| Abe othar hand In the Hum m8F. the heat II
never oppressive, In the shade, ana M
night is too warm for comfortable sleep
under one or two blankets. The sun viii
shine nine days out of every ten, the yeal
round. This, with the extreme dryness o.
the air, caused by the very slight precipi
tation OF moisture; the resinous aroma
rolling down from the pine-ciad noun
tains; the large amount OK eiectricty y
the air, and the consequent ozone, result
inc from thealtitude; and the location OF To-
town. land locked by mountain and mess
these all conspire to produce an atmos
nhere which is q balm to all diseases OF th'
Respiratory organs. hi percentage .
death from consumption is lower In New
Mexico than 1t Is anywhere else In IN
United States; and no other place 10 Nev
Mexico excels Las Vegas in the saluorit!
of lis climate. Asthmatics experience
Immediate and permanent relief, In TIL
In the way of health and pleasure re
sorts. Las Vegas Ia unrivaled. In q radiu
OF twenty miles, in romantic mouptal
glens and beside babbling mountain brooks
are the Las Vegas Hot Springs, Harvey
nj Poryenir, Sandoval's Mineral Hill, kt
nero Ranch, Blake's, Sparks, Sapeii'
Rociada, and other places, too ndnerou
to mention, where health can be recovered
and life becomes q pleasure to the ennuy'
, tina invalid, the o~ver-worked business mai
: LAS VEeAs has two daily and I'VE week.
papers. three banks, two building and ioa
associations, three hotels. many boardln
y houses, nine churches, q number ., caun
and ali the leading civic and social soci'
: tiss; a roller -four mill, capacity, hfty ga
rels per day; notwithstanding establish
ments, cleaning 1,500, 900 pounds OF wo
D annually; a we'll equipped brewery al
r bottling establishment; a mandatory
mineral and carbonated waters; two wal
I on and carriage factories; a saddle al
J harness factory; a founoIy m eis
and other enterprises Of less Importance.
There are eight large Wholesale house
= whose trade extends throughout the re
ritory. and into the adjoining section
while the volume of this trade. and t
value of the stocks which they carry, G.
not be duplicated west OF Kansas City a.
y south of Denver. Three merchants pre-
ers have selected the city as their dtstri
l Ill Coub0I. Ii
sales exceeding, in the aggregate, the col
, bined sales of all other such brokers
! New Mexico, The retail merchants,
g las Vegas, are more numerous, and car
he larger and better stocks Of goods than
the retail merchants of any other town
4, this Territory or Arizona.
LAS VEGAS is the distributing point
lg nearly all New Mexico. BY the Atchls
It system. she has connection Win Kan
- = 100 CoIoro1n on the north. Arl1
ma and California on the west, and Tez
at AMI Old Mexico on the south. Besit
these. she has more stage lines, connect1
her with tributary territory, than has a
30 other town 10 New Mexico. This terrific
Fe includes the entire section east and sol
of the mountains, and comprises the COZ
ties Of Colfax, Mora, Taos, San Migt
re Santa Fe, Socorro, Dona Ana, Ora
Chaves. Lincoln and Eddy, with parts
Valencia and Bernalillo--a country lar
than all New England. This takes In
amous Valley ofthe Rio Grande, and
less famous but not less excellent, Val
'er of the Pecos-the finest fruit sections
IL the west.
IA. This Territory is rich 10 everything I
on constitutes the Wealth OF Nations. Ii
~ coal, lead, silver, gold, mica, limesto
o. sandstone. marbles, gypsum, SODA IN e.
I'd ess variety and ~exhaustless quantltl
ho are among the several products OF
~ country which Las Vegas commar
,as Sbeep. cattle and lumber abound, so I
le- IN each of these prime articles of CONNIE
this city is the best market 10 New Mex
She handles more wool than all the OF
towns in the Territory combined, W
en' her 10 hides is truly enorm'
alt In the same way, she stands pre-emin
pee for her trace 10 grains, hay, vegetah
tes and other farm products: while her tr
;Js in ice, gathered in the n~eighboriug mo
'us tain CANYONS, extends east into Kan
west iato Arizona, and south into
Mexico
:. v--A,a c,o,ra, Hair