Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-07-24

bih an Wv, NNi''ii "NNN'
representing II New York and Los An.
geles newspaper syndicate, visited Las
Vegas for the purpose OF securing a
write.up of the National Fraternal
sanitarium. The following from the
Los Angeles Times Magazine Is n of
his stories. II Is n OF the fairest
and most %appreciative treatments Of
the subject that has yet been &C.
corded.
Las Vegas, n. NJ, July Is.
Americas greatest battle against
the great white plague will be waged
within sight of this city. The frater-
nal bodies of the republic. welded with
churches. clubs and municipalities in.
to n great humanitarian %organiza-
ton will, within a few weeks, open
a million-dollar sanatorium for con-
sumptive sufferers that will be with
out a neer In the world. Here in the
heart Of the region which In all the
world Is best adapted TO the relief Of
lung troubles a ouickly.recruited army
of 5000 sufferers from pulmonary az.
fections will start to work out their
W salvation along new lines which
1t Is expected will constitute the path
for countless thousands that will fol
low after. :
The public has heard little regard
ing this ambitious project. But the
fact that It has been taken unawares
does not mean that there has not been
thorough study and investigation and
preparation back of the big undertake
ing. On the contrary no life-saving
crusade was never worked out more
carefully. step by step. For a long
time past the darkening cloud of the
c~onsumptive plague which has been
threatening the nation has appeared
especially menacing to the great fra
ternal insurance orders. OF late years
40 per cent of the applicants for adj
mission have been turned away be-
cause of light weight or the faint Of
the plague. Yet of the S62, 900, 600 an
nuallv paid out for insurance, more
than $4,000, 900 is for deaths from
tuberculosis alone, In other words.
despite all precautions, 16 per cent
Of the members are dying from this
terrible disease.
In an effort to stem the tide Of de-
struction committees from the biz
fratefnal organizations have taken
steps for the establishment Of the
"Fraternal City" as the new SENATOR
ium will he known, Churches, clubs
: and municipalities are being invited 10
\ share the benefits Of the uniaue In
stitntion. Any organization may send
it's suffering dependents TO this haven
of refuge by merely paying the cost
Of transportation and maintenance.
The novel community is distinctly not
a money-making institution. Indeed,
the idea is that when farming advant-
ages have been secured. the institu-
ton will be in some degree self-sus-
tanning.
There will be several gateways Of
admission to the Fraternal City.
Wealthy individuals who have do
mated lump sums will each have me
privilege of sending patients ire
%spectiye of their relations with fra
ternalists and churches. At the out
set, however, the greater portion OF
the patients will come as the guests
of the fraternal orders which have
contributed to the general fund. Eacf
order selects stricken men and
women from it's membership to the
extent of it's quota, and such indivi
duals are under no personal expense
at the sanitorium, the cost of main
tenance in each ease being charged
against the organization which send'
the patient. If only the insurance fra
ternal orders become parties to tn
plan to tax each member 12 cents
year for the maintenance OF the sana
torium. the income will be nearl'
5000. 900 a year, and from 1000 t.
1000 persons can be cared for free
whereas If other fraternal sOcietie
and churches cooperate to any grea
extent, as is now indicated. the mae
nitude of the work will be immensel,
broadened.
The selection of a site for the wal
fare against consumption was mad
after a most exhaustive investigator
of the effects of climatic condition
upon the dread disease. OF late year
EXPERTS throughout the world hav
come to the conclusion that the soutt
west-New Mexico and Arizona-cor
stitutes prominently the ideal refug
for the consumptive, and thus it wa
a foregone conclusion that som
locality in this region OF sunshin
and dry. invigorating air would ,
chosen. After the executive comHli
tees Of the leading fraternal oragniz'
tions of the Tilted States had agree
in their supreme lodges. to suppo'
the fraternal sanatorium idea, slxtee
different towns in the southwest wei
proposed as possible sites. Physician
comprising a committee that serve
as a board of managers visited eat
locality in turn. and in the n choit
fell on Las Vegas, which, standing
treeless meadows, underlaid by bl'
limestone and red and WHIT san
stone and watered by the Turkt
river. presents the precise condition
most suitable.
1t was. however. the Santa re ra
road which made 1t possible for u
Fraternal City to come into existen
on the %pretentious scale which 1t W
assume from the outset. For ma
years past the Atchison. Topeka
Santa Fe system, which is the on
railroad traversing this remarkat