Evening star., 1905-07-30
Growing in Fame as a Resort
for Consumptives.
MANY CURES EFFECTED
NOTABLE CHANGES GOING ON In
THE TERRITORY.
Substitution of English for Spanish
Efforts to Improve the Schools
The Royal Road.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star the Chicago
Record Herald.
LAS VEGAS, N. M, July %, 1905.
There is no more prosperous, progressive
or important town in the territory than
Las Vegas. 1t Is growing rapidly in pop
ulation, business and in fame a health
resort and as an educational center. Gov
ernor Thompson of Alabama. who has been
spending the winter here. has recently re-
turned home practically cured of the lung
trouble that brought him here, and hun
dreds of other sufferers have equal reasons
to be grateful to this climate. There are
four private Sanitorums for tuberculosis
patients in addition to the MonteZuma
Hotel about six miles from the town,
which has recently passed into the hands
of the benevolent fraternitieS of the United
States and will be fitted up for the use
cf their afflicted members. The hot springs
are similar to those of Arkansas and are
specifics for rheumatism, neuralgia and
other diseases.
Las Vegas is division headquarters of
the Santa Fe railroad and one of the lar
gest wcol-shipping and distributing points
for merchandise in the southwest. Its pop
ulation Is increasing rapidly and now
city in the territory. Between five and SIX
million pounds of wool secured and
handled here every season by the three
securing mills.
Irrigation Schemes
This is essentially sheep country and
will never be very much else. 1t is ques-
tion whether New Mexico has not reached
very near the limit of the population it can
support with The present systems of irri-
cation. The construction of the dams and
reservoirs proposed under the reclamation
act will make it possible to extend the IL,
rgated area for agriculture about 260,000
acres. There are three schemes. One will
reach 22OOOU acres; another %, 900 acres
and a third 1900 acres. One of the pro-
posed reservoirs is to be in the neighbor
hood of this city. The federal government
proposes to build a dam five miles from
Las Vegas, which will furnish water
enough to irrigate 1000 acres in this i'm
mediate vicinity and of course it is very
important proposition from every point of
view. The extent of the cultivated area
in this county is not greater than 900
acres, and it Is not sufficient to feed the
town. The people are compelled to import
much grain, hay, vegetables and other
food and forage. The proposed dam will
cost $4,000, which is insignificant COM
pared with the purpose it will serve The
trustees of the town have been authorized
to convey the title to all of the land that
is to be irrigated to the federal govern
ment; which, after the improvements are
finished, will sell it to actual settlers at
the pro rata cost of the irrigation system.
Las Vegas Is in peculiar situation. 1t
is unique in the fact that nearly all the
land upon which the city stands and 5O0.-
600 acres surrounding it belong to the COM
munity in common, having been granted to
the municipal corporation by the Mexican
government in 1882. This land will ulti-
mately make the town very rich, but at
present it is not available and does not
produce any considerable revenue, and
that comes from the sale of timber. The
city has small debt. including $4,000.
which was the cost of the city hall, and
$4,000. which was expended for school
houses.
Cultivated by squatters.
The grant extends in all directions.
About $500 acres, as 1 have said, are un-
der irrigation and are cultivated by squat
ters. About One-half is covered with tim
Der. which is being cut under contract:
the rest Is range common to all, upon
which any one can pasture cattle or sheep
under certain regulations. Shortly after
the grant was made certain tracts were
allotted to various citizens, whose descend
ants are still occupying them and claim
ownership. These were called "allotments."
and it is probable that the claims will be
recognized. The descendants Of these
original settlers. about sixty In number.
laid claim to the entire property. In or
der to determine their rights the case was
put through two courts, both of which de-
cided in favor Of the corporation. In
other words. the courts held that, under
the terms OF the grant the land belonged
to the community In common, not only
to those who happened to be here at the
time. but to all who have come since or
may come hereafter.
Under this decision the court appointed
a board Of trustees with authority to sell
| land and titles and to StraiRhtan
out the tangle. The descendants Of those
to whom the allotments were made have
had their titles confirmed. The remainder
of the grant Is being surveyed and plotted.
and will be held for the benefit Of the
community until disposed Of. The pro-
ceeds Of all sales are paid into the public
treasury. Ten thousand acres were re-
Gently presented the National ASSOCIATE
of Fraternities for the use Of the sani-
torium mentioned. The remainder of the
land will be leased for use as common
grazing ground under proper regulations
An Educational Center.
Las Vegas is becoming quite an euuca-
tional center, and Is the seat of the New
Mexican Normal University. the only in
stitution of the kind between Lawrence.
Kan. on the east. Colorado Springs on the
north and Los Angeles to the west 1t Is
seven years old. and under the direction
of Prof. Edmund ]. Vert, formerly of
stevens fOlnt, WIS, Is QOI1S d great WOTk
in educating teachers for the sadly neg
lected schools of the territory Last win
ter there were eighty-seven students. Thir-
ty were Mexicans For two years summer
schools have been held for the benefit Of
teachers who are employed during the
winter. Last summer only thirty-seven
took advantage Of the opportunities but
this year seventy are here and more are
coming. There only eight Mexicans In
the number.
According to the most reliable reports
the schools OF New Mexico are in de-
plorable condition. There are few school
houses except in the modern towns. In
the counties where the natives are in the
majority it Is customary to rent rooms at
some convent hacienda, and few of the
teachers have ever seen any school but
their own. They have no knowledge of
the science Of teaching: they have had
no experience and very little education;
many can scarcely read and write, and
most of them are appointed for political
reasons. OF the 800 school teachers In New
Mexico at least 600 are Mexicans. More