Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-03-20

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 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 adj
joining sections; while the volume of
this trade. and the value OF the stocks
which they carry, cannot be duplicat-
ed IVES 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.
The latitude is about the same as
IudJ VI CCAt1 al 1CuACSSSCs WAAlC tlC Ill
titude is nearly $500 feet. This com
bination gives a peculiar, but most
happy, result. In the winter, during
the day, the thermometer seldom falls.
in the shade, below forty degrees.
while it often runs IN the sunshine, to
sixty-five degrees-Or even more. On
the other hand, n the summer. the
heat is never oppressive, in the shade,
on1 NJ rsr1% 80 80 2n
Portable sleep, under One or two
blankets. The sun will shine nine
days out of w ry ten, the year round.
This, with the extreme dryness OF the
air, caused by the very slight precip-
itation Of moisture: the resinous arc
ma, rolling down from the pine-clad
mountains: the large of cleo
tricity in the air, and the consequent
ozone resulting from the altitude; and
the location Of the town. land-lockel
by mountain end mesa--these al cOn-
spire to produce an atmosphere which
is a balm to all diseases OF the respi-
ratory organs. The percentage of
death from consumption is lower in
New Mexico than IL is anywhere else
in the United States; and 10 other
place in New Mexico excels Las Vegas
in the salubrity Of its climate. Asth-
mates experience immediate and per-
manent relief, in this altitude.
, In the way of health and pleasure
resorts, Las Vegas is unrivaled. In a
radius Of twenty miles, in romantic
mountain glens and beside babbling
mountain brooks. are the Las Vegas
hot springs, Harvey's, Ell Porvenir,
Blake's, Sparks Sapello, Rociada,
and other places, too numerous to
mention, where health can be rccov-
cred, n life becomes a pleasure to
the ennuye, the invalid. the over
worked business man.
Las Vegas has two daily and six
weekly papers, three banks, three
building and loan associations, six ho-
tells, many boarding houses, nine
churches, a number Of clubs,
and all of the leading civic and
social societies; a roller -four mill,
capacity. fifty barrels per lay:
five -wOll-scOuring establishments,
cleaning 10000 pounds Of wool an
nual1y; a wellecuipped brewery ard
bottling establishment; 4 mandatory
of mineral and carbonated 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 /!
courthouse, Masonic temple. op-
era house, Territorial Normal school
and Territorial insane asylum and pub
lie buildings, constructed of red and
Write sandstone, unsurpassed in beau
ty ~ similar edi1ceS In any town, Of
equal size. in the states.
This Territory Is rich In everything
iron, copper, coal, lead, silver, gold,
that constitutes the wealth OF nations,
mica, limestone. sandstone, marbles,
gypsum, salt, soda in endless variety and
.exhaustless quantities, are among the
products of the country which
Las Vegas commands. Sheep, cattle,
and lumber abound, SO that in each
Of these prime articles OF commerce
city is the best market In New !;
Mexico. She handles more wool than
all the other towns In the Territory
combined, while her in hides
IS truly enormous. Ip the same way,
she stands pre-eminent for her trade
il grains, hay, vegetables, and other /
Farm products; while her trade In ice,
gathered in the neighboring mountain
canyons. extends east into Kansas
west into Arizona, and south into Old
Mexico. !,