Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-08-25
THE MEADOW 7
Some Things About Las Vegas Not
Generally Known to the
Outside World.

Las Vegas. meaning THE Meadows"
s the county seat OF san Miguel coun-
", lies o. both sides OF the GalIinas
liver, and. with its suburbs, has about
10000 inha bitants.
It has excellent water works. arc
Well.filled stores. beautiful residences
and i~ncandescent electric light plant,
telephone exchanges, headquarters of
the Atchison railway system. new
Mexico division, together with rail
road machine shops and Representing
works, stock yards and large sheep
shearing and dipping plants.
West Of the river. the old town has
the quaint and picturesque Mexican
appearance adobe houses, narrow,
crooked streets, native people and
customs, handicrafts and occupations;
but the plaza and all of the new town
east of the river, constitute q distinc.
tive American city. The streets are
wide and well graded, while sidewalks
abound, shaded with growing trees.
Three parks, filled with grass and
trees, add to the beauty and healthful
ness OF the place. Handsome and
and innumerable lawns, set in grass
and adorned with shrubbe-y and
flowers, combine to proclaim a cultur.
ed community, possessed OF all mod
ern comforts and conveniences.
Las Vegas is the natural sanato-
rum OF the United States, combining
more natural advantages than any
other place In America. Her thermal
waters are the equal Of the Hot
Springs Of Arkansas, while her climate
Is infinitely superior. There is no
malaria, no excessive heat or cold, no
gnats, rats or mosquitoes. The air is
pure, dry, rarified. and highly electri-
fied--a certain cure for consumption,
II the disease be taken in time. The
hot waters are q specific for liver,
skin. rheumatic and blood disorders
Her Montezuma hotel Is the finest hos.
telry between Chicago and California
and Is situated in q beautiful canyon,
five miles from town, where the hot
springs, forty In number, come boil
ing TO the surface. Besides this.
St. Anthony's S~anitarium. conducted
by the Sisters OF Charity, and the
Plaza Sanitarium, conducted ~ Dr.
" \ Curtiss Bailey. M. d.
Vegas Is the distributing poinr
10. nearly all New Mexico BY the
Atchison system, she has connection
with Kansas on the east, Colorado Oh
the north, Arizona and California on
the west, and Texas and Old Mexico
on the south. Besides these. she has
more stage lines, connecting her with
tributary territory, than has any other
town In New Mexico. This territory
includes the entire section east and
south OF the mountains. and com
prises the counties Of Colfax, Mora
Taos. San Miguel. Santa Fe, Socorro.
Dona Ana. Grant, Chaves. Lincoln, and
Eddy with parts OF Valencia and Ber,
MATILDA country larger than all New
England. This takes In the famous
valley Of the Rio Grande, and the less
famous, but not less excellent. valley
Of the Pecos-the finest fruit sections
Of the west.
There are eight large Wholesale
houses, whose trade extends through.
out the Territory, and into the ad.
joining sections: while the volume OF
this trade. and the value OK the stocks
which they carry, cannot be duplicat-
ed ives, OF Kansas City and south Of
Denver. Three merchants brokers
have selected the city as their dis
tributing center, the amount Of their
yearly sales exceeding, In the aggre.
gate. the combined sales OF all other
such brokers in New Mexico. The
retail merchants, OF Las Vegas. are
more numerous, and carry larger and
better stocks OF goods than do the ~.
tail merchants OF any other town In
this Territory or Arizona.
Las Vegas has two daily and six
weekly papers, three banks. three
building and loan associations, six no
tells. many boarding houses. nine
churches, a number u clubs
and all of the leading civic and
social societies: q roller -four mill,
capacity, fifty barrels per LAY;
Ave w~oltscouring establishments
cleaning 100000 pounds OF wool an.
nually; q welleenipped brewery ard
bottling establishment; d inanufactory
Of mineral and earbcnafcd waters,
three wagon and carriage factories; sad
die and harness factory: a foundry.
electric light plant. three planins
mills. and other enterprises OF less i'm
portance.
A city hall, four public school build
iligs. courthouse. Masonic temple. op.
era house, Territorial Normal school
and Territorial insane asylum and pub
lie buildings. constructed Of red and
white sandstone. unsurpassed In beau.
ty by similar edifices In any town. OF
equal size. In the states.
The latitude IL about the same ~
that Of central Tennessee. while the al.
titude Is nearly $500 feet. This com