Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-10-22
THIS LOCALITY
Las Vegas, the Chief City
of New Mexico Some
of Her Resources,
Attractions and
Advantages.

LAS VEGAS, meaning "The Meadows,r
is the county seat of San Miguel county,
lies on both sides of the Gallinas river,
and, with its suburbs, has about 10000
inhabitants.
III 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 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 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 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,
courthouse, 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 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 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
Her thermal waters are the
equal OF the Hot Springs of Arkansas,
while her climate is infinitely superior.
There is no malaria, no excessive eat or
cold, no gnats, rats or mosquitoes. The
air is pure, dry, rarified, and 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 hosteIry between
Chicago and California, and is situated in
q 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
falls, In the shade, below forty de-
xrees, while it often runs, in the sunshine,
20 sixty-1ve degrees-or even more. On
he other hand, in the summer, the heat IS
never oppressive, IN the shade, and no
is too warm for comfortable sleep,
,hine nine days out of every ten, the year
'ound. This, with the extreme dryness of
he air, caused by the very slight precipi-
alton of moisture; the resinous aroma,
'olling down from the pine-clad noun
aims; the large amount OF electricity in
he air, and the consequent ozone, result
from thealtitude and the location of the
own, land locked by mountain and mesa
all conspire to produce an atmos-
there which is o balm to all diseases of the
organs. The percentage of
from consumption is lower In New
dexico than 1t is anywhere else in the
United States; and no other place In New
dexico excels Las Vegas in the s~alubrity [
its climate. Asthmatics experience
Immediate and permanent relief, in this
In the way of health and pleasure re-
orts, Las Vegas ia unrfvaled. In a radius
1 twenty miles, In romantic mountain
lens and beside babbling mountain brooks, {
re the Las Vegas Hot Springs. Harvey's, I;
Il Porvenir, Sandoval's Mineral Hill, Ro-
zero Ranch, Blake's, Sparkle, Sapello, {
and other places, too Numerous j
mention, where health can be recovered, ]
nd life becomes q pleasure to the ennuye, \
he invalid. the over-worked business man. !
las VEGAS has two daily and five weekly :
apers, three banks, two building and loan !
ssociations, three hotels. many boarding
ouses, nine churches, q number Of clubs,
ali the leading civic m social socie- ]
a roller fiour mill, capacity, fifty bar !
els per day two wool-scouring establish =
rents, cleaning 1,500,0 900 pounds Of wool :
.nnually; q we'll equipped brewery and
establishment; q mandatory of {
and ~carbonated waters; two wag- s
q and carriage factories; a saddle and .
arness factory; a foundry. cleo {
ic light plant, three planning mills.
nd other enterprises of less importance. :
There are eight large wholesale houses, y
hose trade extends throughout the Ter \
tory, and into the adjoining sections; i
lille the volume Of this trade. ard the y