Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-04-01
HI 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 o both sides Of the Gallinas
liver, and, with it's suburbs, has about
$1,000 inhabitants.
II has excellent water works. arc
well-flled 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 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 a distinc
tive American city. The streets are
wide and well graded, while sidewalks
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 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 nc
malaria, no excessive heat or cold, nc
gnats, rats or mosquitoes. The air is
pure, dry, rarified. and highly electri
fed-a certain cure for consumption
IL the disease be taken in time. The
hot waters are a 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 S~anitarium. conducted
by the Sisters Of Charity, and tho
Plaza SanitarIum. conducted ry DR.
william Curtiss Bailey. M. d.
Las Vegas is the distributing poinl
for nearly all New Mexico BY the
Atchison system, she has connection
with Kansas on the east, Colorado or
the north, Arizona and California Oh
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
prfses 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 broker:
have selected the city a their dis
tI1Outln6 CCAtCAs tAO vi t4OAl
yearly sales exceeding, in the aggre
such brokers in New Mexico. The
retail merchants, of Las Vegas, are
more numerous, and carry larger ani
better stocks of goods than do the 70
tail merchants of any other town ir
this Territory or Arizona.
Las Vegas has two daily and si1
weekly papers, three banks, three
building and loan associations, six no
tells, many boarding houses, nins
churches. number of clubs
and all of the leading civic and
social societies; Q roller -four mill
capacity. fifty barrels per day;
i've w~oll-scouring establishments
cleaning 5000. 900 pounds of wool an
nually; a well-ecuipped brewery and
bottling establishment; 4 mandatory
of mineral and carbona.cd waters
three wagon and carriage factories; sad
electric light plant, three planning
mills. and other enterprises OF less i'm
p~ortance.
a city hall. four public school build
hugs, 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 edihces In any town, OF
equal size. in the states.
The latitude Is about the same ~
Of central Tennessee, while the al
titude Is nearly $500 feet. This com
bination gives q peculiar, but most
happy, result. In the winter. during
the day. the thermometer seldom falls.
In the shade below forty degrees.
while 1t often runs m the sunshine, to
Sixty-ave degrees-or eve mor On
the other hand, In the summer, the
~ nnwna o-0nroaetwn n t6a ahnAn