Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-07-21
Il MEADOW CITY.

THE MEADOW CITY.
Some Things About Las Vegas Not
Generally Known to the
outside World.
Las Vegas, meaning The Meadows"
8 the county seat Of San Miguel coun-
y. lies on both sides OF the Gallinas
liver, and. with Its suburbs, has about
10000 inhabitants.
1t has excellent water works. arc
well-iilled stores. beautiful residences
and ~incandescent electric light plant.
telephone exchanges, headquarters Of
the Atchison railway system, new
Mexico division, together with rail.
road machine shops and ti~e-preserving
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 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 s~hrubbery and
flowers, combine to proclaim q cultur.
ed community, possessed Of all mod.
ern comforts and c0n~veniences.
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
Ia infinitely superior. There Ia no
malaria, no excessive heat or cold, no
gnats. rats or mosquitoes. The air Ia
pure. dry. rariaed. and highly electri.
ded-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 Sanitarilm. conducted
by the Sisters Of Charity. and the
Plaza Sanitarlum. conducted by Dr.
William Curtiss Bailey. M. D.
Las Vegas Is the distributing poin,
for nearly all New Mexico BY the
Atchison 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 Fe, 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 lesi
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 o.
this trade. and the value Of the stock
which they. carry, cannot be duplicat
cd west Of Kansas City and south o.
Beaver. Three merchants broker!
have selected the city - their dis
tributing center. the amount Of theil
yearly sales exceeding, In the aggre
gate, the combined sales Of all 0thel
such brokers in New Mexico. Tht
retail merchants. Of Las Vegas, arr
more numerous, and carry larger and
better stocks Of goods than do the NJ
tail merchants Of any other town II
this Territory or Arizona.
Las Vegas has two daily and 81,
weekly papers. three banks, thre,
building and loan associations. ak ho
tells, many boarding houses, min,
churches, . number Of clubs
and all Of the leading civic ant
social societies; roller -four mill
capacity. nifty barrels per day
I'VE woll-scouring establishments
cleaning 5000. 900 pounds of wool an
nually; q well-ecuipped brewery and
bottling establishment: a manufactor,
OF mineral and carbonatcd waters,
three wagon and carriage factories sac
die and harness factory; . 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. OF
era house, Territorial Normal schoo
and Territorial insane asylum and pub
lie buildings. constructed Of red ant
white sandstone, unsurpassed In beau
ty BY similar edifces In any town. O
equal size. In the states.
The latitude II about the same /,
that Of central Tennessee, while the al
titudc ID nearly $500 feet. This com
bination gives . peculiar. but mos
happy, result. In the winter, durinj
the day. the thermometer seldom falls
In the shade. below forty degrees
while II often runs m the sunshine, Il
sixty-ive degrees-or even more. o.
the other hand, In the summer, tn,
heat Is never oppressive. In the shade
and NO night 10 too warm for CON