Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-02-04
MEEEa IA MAN
lao ssaaa EsWs lid ubIalohA W'Bflby
Of Rcaiizirgs

PUEBLO. Colo, February 1st. 1898 ~
When we read some Ct the leading
dailies Of Denver, the horrible fear
that starvation and misery galore is
stalking abroad, and that this country
is going TO the devil. at a break neck
pace, that is appalling to the sslooker
on in Venice,'' but from personal
observation and personal knowledge,
we are Of tho opinion that Pueblo is
not going s'over the hill to the poor
house" nor get to the "demnition bow
vows" simply because ut this writing
Pueblo is prosperlng as it has not
prospered, in The last four years at
least.
The proof Of the pudding, IL is said,
lies in the eating Of it, and so q few
facts to prove Pueblo's prosperity,
may be of interest to Tie OPTICS
readers. First in The list comes the
great Bessemer steel works. A year
since, less than 500 men were en-
ployed in these works, and the railmill
vas idle the greater part OF the year.
Anticipating q revival of business the
steel works received a thorough over
hauling last fall. TIE old and
obsolete machinery was removed and
replaced by the latest n most i'm
proved machinery used for The man
ufacture Of steel rails, bolts, iron pipe,
merchant iron and steel railroad work
of all kinds, a3d structural iron. To-
day, these works employ 1,100 men,
every department III these works is
running on full time, day and night,
and their weekly pay roll foots up
$50, 600. The Santa Fe road has given
these works a million dollar order for
steel rails. spikes, bolts and angle
bars, and other orders already on file,
insure work for the entire year.
A year ago that portion OF Pueblo
known as Bessemer, had any number
of vacant houses for rent, now there ia
not a vacant house in Bessemer, and
fifteen new cottages are to be erected
as fast as workmen Car put them up.
Real estate that has been a drag on this
market is having a decided upward
tendency and rents are rising.
The three great smelters here are
also running on full time, and with q
full force. During last year men were
turned away for lack of work. A few
weeks since the smelter5 advertised fol
men and found it no easy task to gel
them. 1t can be safely said that the
number of idle men, who are residents
OF Pueblo is very small. a year since il
was s. difficult task to find work Of any
kind.
The merchants report better bust.
ness than they have known for severaI
years, most of our manufactures
employ o larger force of workmen thar
they did n year since, and the appli'
Giants for charity that were SO numerous
last winter, are now few in number
If all these facts do not show pros
perity, then the Denver calamity
howlers have the floor.
, Another favorable showing fol
!, Pueblo is the increase of its wholesale
trade, and its extension into no-therl
new Mexico and Texas, and the
organization of a business mems asso.
citation, that is now we'll in hand, will
no doubt bring about good results ia
still further increasing Pueblo's whole
sale trade during the coming year.
What a disappointment it must bt
!, to the people of New Mexico. 10 SEE
, statehood again defeated. No doubI
the fear that statehood meant two
silver senator's, had much to do with
this bit of poiItical"skulduggery ;''adc
to this the bad break made by the ill.,
experienced young egotist, who now
fills the governors chair at Santa Fe,
and you have the reasons in a nutshell,
Why the solons in Washington are op-
posed to New Mexlco's self govern.
ment,
The Pueblo Elks, who recently
visited Las Vegas, are loud in theil
praises of the treatment they received
from the people of the Meadow City.
Their trip there is a good advertise.
ment for Las Vegas, and for the Ter.
ritory.
The G. A. r. posts of this city have
received two cannons from Benlcia
arsenal, the gift Of the government.
These cannons are to be put up in the
G. A. r. cemetery, and they will be a
fitting decoration for the silent city,
where sleeps the boys in blue, that
sleep which knows no waking.
JOHN j. BIPPUs.