Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-04-25
NOW FOR THE RESERVOIR.

Las Vegas people believe that this
city will be selected as the location for
the National FraternaI sHnitarium and
tina, the greatest health esort on the
American continent will be establish.
ed here. The anxiety on the subject
will be at an end within a few days,
but there Is a general feeling that the
princely offer OF the Santa Fe com
pany will ensure the selection OF Las
Vegas. since from the standpoint Of
climatic advantage, OF accessibility, OF
water supply, of a desirable residence
place, this city answers. every purpose.
II Is believed that the Monteznma Will
be reopened. not as a resort for In.
valids. but as a first.class hotel. avail
able to the general public. The ia.
nous hot springs will again become
accessible and the magnificent hostef
ry will again become the resort Of
wealthy and influential visitors. The
sanitarium patients will occupy the
tents, cottages, scattered. according
to the pavilion system over the hills
and through the evergreen groves that
the company will own. There is more
Of promise for this city in this enter
prise than the average citizen takes
time to imagine.
But with growing certainty that the
sanitarium is to come here, Las We
gans are not forgetting that they are
vitally interested In another important
project. In another column is chron
icled the departure Of the reservoir
committee for Wa ,hington. The pro
ject to reclaim ten thousand acres OF
Las Vegas land has been passed upon
f%avorably by the board OF engineers
OF the geological survey and nov only
awaits the authorization of the secre
tary OF the interior. It Is for the pur
pose OF convincing the secretary be
yond any possibility Of doubt that the
enterprise is a feasible and sensible
one that the committee goes.
or the quality Of the land, Of the
abundance of water, there is no ques'
ton. The only cause for hesitancy re.
garding the Las Vegas project Ii the
comparatively high cost per acre. The
committee goes provided with figures
which show that every dollars worth
Of product of the lands which, II II
proposed 10 reclaim, can be sold al
good value at home; that every acre
has already been subscribed for by re-
sponsible citizens. cnsuring 10 the gov.
eminent the prompt return OF the mon.
ey invested, that while the cost OF re-
claiming the land will approximate s57
an acre, the land when reclaimed will
be worth moi less than 800 an acre.
Upon this showing, it is felt that
the Las Vegas committee. with the
powerful assistance OF Delegate An.
drews, Industrial Commissioner IVES
ley Merritt and Assistant to Presiden,
Ripley, w Il. larsen of the Santa Fe,
will have little difficulty In obtaining
from the secretary of the interior def.
mite assurance of the authorization of
the project.
The committee will meet the Santa
Re officials in Chicago and Delegate
Andrews In Washington.
The carrying oul of the reservoir
project win mean upwards Of three
hundred families dwelling on and cul.
tivating fruitful farms at the gates of
the city. II will mean that many
thousand Of dollars which now 20 an
nually out of the city TO buy supplies
will remain at home. II will mean the
transformation OF a region that Is now