Williams news., 1905-04-01
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
Newsy Letter from L. Schey from
 that Booming Town
LAS VEGAS, Nev., March 24

LAS EGAS, NeV., mdTCl Af. CHAs. A. NEAL, Williams:
 Dear Sir-In the last few days I have begun series of letter writ ing to my Williams friends, and have not forgotten you amongst them. I arrived here February 10, and received my first shipment of goods Feb. 15, as the goods had to be billed out in two shipments. owing to the fact that they did not have car to hold all my goods, and in order to avoid handling same often, we shipped largest and heaviest cases first, and as it hap pened suited me all right, as I was requested to help weigh the goods and name each case so they could know freight classification of each lot of merchandise forwarded.
 The present townsite is one half or three quarters of a mile from the railroad town and postofice, and nobody knows how soon same will be offered for sale to the pub lie. There is nice stream of water running, with nice clear water; comes from springs about two miles away, which looks pretty good; but as for this country and present surroundings, wish to in form you is nothing more or less than desert, as all the vegetation to be seen is sage brush. But at Las Vegas ranch, which is only one-half mile from here, they tell me (as I have not taken time to go there yet), they grow everything in the way of vegetables and fruit.
 You can get water here by dig ging fifteen to twenty feet; but I find plenty of alkali on the surface, and the question is, can they make this successful agricultural coun- try? I am informed it is very dry, warm, dusty and windy in the summer.
 We have at present no less than twenty saloons, with restaurants in rear and barber chairs in front; the tenderloin district is back of all the saloons; four general merchandise stores. two clothing stores, two drug stores, two butcher shops, one cigar store, one fruit store, one furniture and undertaking establishment, one bank, called the Las Vegas Bank and Trust Co.,. with capital stock of $3O,OOO, all paid in (so they ad- vertise}, one printing office, owned by gentleman named Jas. Brown of Butte, Montana, and another printing outfit just arrived yester- day. They will style themselves the Las Vegas Age; the other first named office is called the Las Vegas Times; also two feed yards. Our fellow townsman, Porter Torey, is a partner in one Another bank will soon start with Utah people back of it; also J. Ross Clark and associates are interested in same, with capital of $5O,OOO, all paid in. They will style themselves the Las Vegas State Bank.
 This letter to you is perhaps the twentieth letter I have written in the last four or five days about this place, and will be glad to get some time of my own, as have not read a newspaper through for sixty days and do not know what is going on in the world. It is unusual for me not to keep up with the times as re- gards news; but as I was so busy fixing up my present quarters and not having written to my friends for so long that felt in duty bound to write at once.
 l had a frame building put up, size 2Ox3O, with shingle roof, on leased lot, for the time being.
 Surveyor General Ingalls, has awarded the contract and issued to J. J. Fisher of Pres colt for the sectionizing of the lands