Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-03-19
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 GalIinas river
and, with its suburbs, has about 1000
Inhabitants.
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 an,
tie preserving works, stock yards, and th'
largest sheep shearing and dipping plan
in the United States.
West Of the river, the old town has thu
quaint and picturesque Mexican appear
ance adobe houses, narrow, crooked
streets, native people and customs, handi.
crafts and occupations; but the plaza ant
all Of the new town, east Of the river, con
stitute a distinctive American city. The
streets are wide and we'll graded, while
sidewalks abound, shaded with growing
trees. Three parks, filled 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,
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 edifices
in any town, Of equal size, Ia the States.
An Academy, Seminary, Jesuit college,
Convent school, Presbyterian Mission
school, Methodist manual training school,
Brothers, institute, City high
three graded public schools, a kin
dergarten, a commercial school and two
music schools, besides several private teach
ere. 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,
her climate is infinitely superior.
There is no malaria, no excessive heat or
cold, no gnats, rats or mosquitoes. The
air Is pure, dry, rarifed, and highly cleo
trified-a certain cure for consumption, IL
the disease be taken In time. The hot
" aters are q specific for liver, skin, rheu-
and blood disorders. Her Montezu-
hotel is the finest hosiery between
Chicago and California, nj Is situated In
! beautiful canyon, five miles from town,
where the Hot Springs, forty In number,
come boiling to the surfaces
The latitude Is about the same as that OF
Tennessee, while the altitude is
6 800 feet. This combination gives
/ peculiar, but most happy, result. In the
during the day, the thermometer
seldom falls, in the shade, below forty de-
yrees, while 1t often runs, in the sunshine,
o sixty-five degrees-or even more. On
he other hand, in the SUMMED, the heat is
never oppressive, IN the shade, and no
night is too warm for comfortable sleep,
one or two blankets. The sun will
Ihine 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-
,here which is a balm to all diseases Of the
organs. The percentage Of
leath from consumption :is lower in New
than It is n ywhere else in the
United States; and no other place in New
dexico excels Las Vegas in the salubrity
II its climate. Asthmatics experience
immediate and permanent relief, in this
Lltitude.
In the wav of health and Measure re-
orts, Las Vegas ~ unrivaled. In a radius
Il twenty miles, in romantic mountain
liens and beside hatbling mountain brooks,
re the Las Vegas Hot Springs, Harvey's,
Porvenir, S~andovals Mineral Hill, R0-
nero Ranch, Blake's, Sparks, Sapello,
lociada, and other places, too Numerous
0 mention, where health a be recovered,
nd life becomes a pleasure to the ennuye,
invalid, the over-worked business man.
LAS VEaAs has two daily and ave weekly |
'apers, three banks, two building and loan
three hotels. many boarding |
Iouses, nine churches, q number of clubs, 4
nd all the leading civic and social socie-
les; q roller -four mill, capacity, fifty bar
els per day two wool-scouring establish
nents, cleaning 1,500,00 0 pounds Of wool
nnually; a ll-equipped brewery and
establishment; a mandatory of
n and carriage factories; a saddle and
arness factory; a foundry. cleo
rio light plant, three planning mills,
nd other enterprises of less Importance.
There are eight large wholesale houses,
those trade extends throughout the Ter
tory, n into the adjoining sections;
,hile the volume Of this trade, and the
alue Of the stocks which they carry, can
OF be duplicated west OF Kansas City and
outh Of Denver. Three merchants' brok-
RS have selected the city as their distrib-
center, the amount OF their yearly
ales exceeding, in the aggregate, the COM
ined sales of all other such brokers in
Mexico. The retail merchants, of
Vegas, are more numerous, and carry
rger and better stocks of goods than do
,e retail merchants OF any other town in