Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-08-11
THE MEADOW CITY.
Some Things About Las Vegas Not
Generally Known to the
Outside World.


Las Vegas, meaning THE Meadows"
9 the county seat OF San Miguel coun-
y. lies OF both sides Of the Gallinas
liver. and, with its suburbs, has about
10000 Inhabitants.
1t has excellent water works, arc
well-filled stores. beautiful residences
and incandescent electric light plant,
telephone exchanges, headquarters of
the Atchison railway system, rev
Mexico division, together with rail
road machine shops and Representing
works, stock yards and large sheep
%shearfng 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 a 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 ~shrubbery and
flowers, combine to proclaim a cultur.
ed community. possessed OF all mod
ern comforts and conveniences.
Las Vegas is the naturai 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, rarifled. and highly electro
ied-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 a beautiful canyon,
five miles from town, where the hot
springs, forty In number, come boil
ing to the surface. Besides this.
st. Anthony's Sanitarism. conducted
by the Sisters Of Charity. and the
Plaza Sanitarium. conducted ny Dr..
" I Curtiss Bailey. M. ID.
= Vegas Is the distributing point
TO. nearly all New Mexico BY the
Atchis0n system, she has connection
with Kansas on the east, Colorado on
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 Fee, Socorro
Dona Ana. Grant. Chaves. Lincoln, and
Eddy with parts Of Valencia and Der
nalillo-a 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 OF the stocks
which they carry, cannot be duplicat
ed We ). OF Kansas City and south OF
Beaver. 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 10
tail merchants Of any other town In
this Territory or Arizona.
Las Vegas has two daily and sil
weekly papers, three banks, three
building and loan associations, six no
tells. many boarding houses, nine
churches, . number Of clubs
and all Of the leading civic and
social societies; . roller -four mill
capacity, nifty barrels per day;
i've woll-scouring establishments
cleaning 100000 pounds of wool an
nually; a w~ell-ecuipped brewery and
bottling establishment; n mandatory
of mineral and carbonatcd waters
three wagon and carriage factories; sad
die and harness factory; a foundry
electric light plant, three planning
mills. and other enterprises of less i'm
portance.
A city hall, four public school build
hugs, courthouse, Masonic temple. op
era house. Territorial Normal schoo
and Territorial insane asylum and pub
lie buildings. constructed Of red AND
white sandstone. unsurpassed In beau
ty BY similar edinces In any town, o.
equal size. In the states.
The latitude is about the same u
that Of central Tennessee. while the al
titude is nearly $500 feet. This com
bination gives q peculiar. but mos
] happy, result. In the winter, during
the day. the thermometer seldom falls
In the shade. below forty degrees
while II often runs IN the sunshine. Il
sixty.nye degrees-or ever more. Or
the other hand. In the summer, tn,
i heat Is w oppressive. In the shade
and no night Is too arm for com
Portable sleep. under one or tw,
9 blankets. The sun will shine MIN,
days out Of eve ry ten, the year round
This. with the extreme dryness OF tb,
air. caused by the very slight preoip
~itation Of moisture: the resinous aru
ma, rolling down from the ~pine.cla,
. mountains; the large amount OF eles
trtcity In the air. and the consequen
ozone resulting from the altitude; ant
, the location " the town. landlocke'
by mountain and mesa-theso oil con
splre to produce an atmosphere which