Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-08-27
OLD GIVES PLACE TO NEW
THE HISTORIC EXCHANGE BUILD
ING ON THE PLaza BEING
TORN DOWN.
Don Marsarito Romero Gets Reminis-
cent and Talks Interestingly Of the
Days Of the Freishter.

The demolition uf The south part Of
the old Exchange llolei goes on ruth
iessly. These old adobe awlls could
tell strange stories il they could
Ispeak of what has taken place within
them. They sheltered the pioneers
of the early days of Las Vegas, the
fortune seekers Of the Santa Fe trail,
the commanders Of the army forces
which guarded this. wild southwest,
and the strange wanderers who pass
ed through III. The old hosiery was
the center Of life and gaiety and
often OF wild hilarity. In the gamb
ling rooms large sums OF money
changed hands nightly. A fayorite
amusement of the guests when near
the hour for the overland stage 70.
come in was to stand on the walk
before the hotel until the stage was
seen 10 emerge above "nine.mile hill
and then wager upon the length OF
time ii would take 70 arrive. Dear
10 the heart Of s.old timers are recol-
~lections 81 the old Exchange and well
remembered yet is its then proprietor
Charley Kitchen.
Now, these well bliit walls of adobe
are being laid low and in their stead
will . arise new walls OF brick
where the present owners NJ. Romero
ana L Barber are about % erect a
block pf SIX modern stores with plate
! glass fronts bordered BY q wide SCI
ment sidewalk.
L. Barber who viii build d hand.
some store Of fifty feet frontage 70
replace that portion Of his properly
adjoining Baffaio hall IRON which ne
naW removing the oid structure WIN
at the same Time Widen the street by
we've feet. tbs ie Zoe freely Ior
i4e public good.
Ion Nargafito Romero heealna ref
m~iniseeat this morning rs AZ viewed
tae work III preparation for tbe chang
/ ea III ba made and recalled that his
/ oad Aoae vas III tae lot Al the
! rsar 81 te ola structure una l aay
Ne Wa about twelve years VI
! fatlef eaiiei him 81 pic np
CANVASS sack sing oa The door and
/ como viii Hin. rAey went into tft
room Ae1t d Buffalo hall W4ere ir,
Kitchen counted Ont g the father SIS.
900 ii gold, being pay for the freight
on d wagon train Of supplies from
Kansas City az eighteen cents PEI
1 pound which The wagons Of Mr.. fo
nero had delivered the day before
The gold filled N sack aud partls
: another, The father picked up tbs
, full sack and young Margarine The
! part sack and carried them home
: where, with his addition, there wa
a stack of coin amounting to quite
g 100000. "a few days afterward Mr.
q Kitchen called in Romero, senior. an
t, said, Il a now give you a bettel
y contract than last, this time from TT
l. Union to Tucson. The father re
piled There are too many Indians OF
[. that road; | will not take it; | would
Z. not risk the lives of my boys"
y Kitchen then asked How mucl
wall you take for your outfit? I'll rul
y the risks"
i Mr.. Romero answered that he woul,
sell at : 1000 per team. Kitchen &C
!. cepted and took the train Of sixteel
wagons and ox-teams for $4,000.
Not many days later q freightin.
S train came in from Arizona on its wa.
10 the Missouri loaded with buffaI,
hides, etc, the owner Of which wa
homeWafd bound with a profit Q
some $4,000 in his coin sacks. Mi
p Romero succeeded in trading will
him for his entire outfit at 500 pc
- team and at once set out for Kansai
AZ City on another three months journ
le ey.
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