Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-12-11
LADY FROM MAINE.
Enthusiastic In Her Views OF What
she has Observed While Here.
written for TIE orr1o.l

search OF either health, rest or a new
sensation, who does not break his
journey at Las Vegas, New Mexico,
misses q rare opportunity. Old travel
ers know this, and come hither again
and again, finding their delight en-
HANGED each time; but the newcomer,
eager to reach .'the land Of sunshine"
rushes on as fast as steam CAD carry
him, unconscious Of what he IL missing.
On one OF the overland trains, about
a month ago, was q solitary traveller
from the distant coast OF Maihes
ljourneying across the continent to take
nasty glimpses Of the land and It's pos
sibilities, with a view to lettering the
conditions OF the submerged masses 10
the great cities. She noted the pros
porous towns and villages which are
led BY the Boston and Maine and
| Vermont central railroads, and studied
| ne conditions In the growing English
| cities Of Montreal aud Toronto, ON the
inc OF the Grand Trunk railway; she
recognized with heart throbs OF Joy the
mighty forces which are working for
Righteousness in that city OF mar
velous growth, Chicago, but
,,ar heard also the muttering OF the
nvfied but ever increasing thunder OF
d,scuntent which sooner or later is
oound to make itself heard throughout
! tbs length and breadth OF our beloved
land unless more Of those with oppor-
unity, culture, genius and wealth
pause in their pursuit Of pleasure and
luxury and give ear to these cries OF
agony. Her heart grew faint as she
was told OF o section in this once
white city section Of only three
quarters of q square mile-in which
are herded together $4,000 souls, souls
born in the image and likeness OF
the Father to glorify them and enjoy
them forever! She was told that
! some women toll sixteen hours q day
to make wrappers, which r called
.ssuch bargains" at sixty'ive and
seventy cents apiece, and in return for
this nervous, hurried labor receive
T
twenty-five cents q day!
With tbs thought Of this injustice
and oppression eating into her heart
and intensifying the purpose OF her
life-to minister to the needs OF
humanity and help oil men to a realiz.
| alton Of the s.more abundant life"
which God has revealed to the world
oy his prophets Throughout all the ages.
she hurried toward the golden gate,
which to her seemed the land OF
promise. She could spend but ten
days on the shores OF the Pacific, amid
its bower OF roses, and under the
orange trees, bending beneath their
weight of golden fruit, and yet the
thought of q dear friend, weakened BY
long, unselfsh devotion at the bedside
OF a sainted mother who has just
passed within the gates" babe The
traveller pause.
At the office of the Santa Fe route,
she had been given q pamphlet. mos
alphabetically written by q. A Hig
gins, of the passenger department
setting forth the advantages of La
Vegas as "the natural sanitarium O
the United States" The claim made
that il combines "more natural ad
vantages than any other place IL
America,n seemed to her extravagant
as, in her mind, she quickly recalled
the many chosen spots she hat beer
| privileged to vislt-north, south, cas-
and west. Her curiosity was awak'
ened; she alighted from the train. i
was night, and, as she sat in the
station, waiting for the branch train t.
take her to the springs, she noticed bel
train at the depot. waiting while Its
passengers rested from their journey
and refreshed themselves from one o.
the really admirable Harvey restau.
rants which continually surprise the
traveller crossing the plains. A wilo
desire seized her to get on board tina
train and hurry to California. OnIy
he thought of her friend held bel
back. Great opportunities await tbs
restoration Of that friend to health anc
strength, and, for her sake, she turned
her face toward the Montezuma, the
model hotel built by the generosity o.
he Santa Fe management.
AS she drew near, the lights on thu
hillside, far up above the valley
cleaned forth a joyous welcome, bul
she had journeyed 40 many miles ovel
nigh table.lands that nothing had pre-.
pared her for the surprise 10 store fol
her when. at last, she stood upon the
vide verandas and, for the first time
in eleven years, drank 10 the dry, pure,
rarified and life-gi ring air which, one
happy summer, she wa permitted to
snj,y on the high mountain peaks Of
Switzerland, and which she had never
before found elsewhere. The full
moon was shining, but ever that radi.
ance could not dim the brilliancy OF
he stars, which seemed to throb with
hidden fire In the midst OF the won.
derful bluessky, which even night can
not hide. "A feeling of awe stole over
her as the beauty of II oil sunk into
her soul. One has happily SAID that
each new opportunity should send a
man in reverence to bis knees, instead
VI lifting him up in vanity and self
graduation. Such IVES her feeling as,
at last, she turned away and entered
the door Of the hospitable home which
the Montezuma really is. SIZE was
wholly unheralded. yet the greeting Of
the popular manager, Walter G.. Green
leaf, who quickly stepped forth, lacked
nothing in cordially. Indeed, il is
his generous interest in people as
people which gives to this unique hotel
that which money canuo buy-atmo
spbere-an atmosphere which puts the
most difident stranger at once at ease.
This result IL Cue not only to him, but