Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-30
LAS VEGAS IS FAST
FORGING TO FRONT
TOWN IN HEART OF MINING
CENTER
RICH PROMISE FOR FUTURE
Acting Secretary eurIey Of the Cham
ber Of Commerce Says Place ls
Destined to Become
Large City
RICH PROMISE FOR FUTURI

" two thousand persons, is regarded
as probably the most conservative or
ganization in the whole western coun-
try and because of the strict adherence
to this principle the institution repre-
sents to the fullest extent the solid,
reliable sentiment of Los Angeles and
Southern California on all subjects
affecting actual conditions and the de-
velopment of the state south of the
Tehachapi.
The chamber. through the commerce
committee desired to become acquaint-
ed with trade and other conditions in
the new gold mining section in Ne
vada. Much had been published in
the Los Angeles and other newspapers
in reference to the rich minerals of the
mountains and considerable space was
given to the growth of towns along
the line of the Los Angeles, San Pedro
& Salt Lake rail 7ad.
AS the representa-, of the cham
Der, Acting Secretary II. B. Gurley
visited the important points on the
line of the new road and gathered
business facts for the use of the cham
ber in the course that body may take
in annexing as much of the trade of
the district to Los Angeles as possible.
Pictures of Townsite
On his trip Mr.. Gurley succeeded in
securing a number of pictures of points
of special interest. showing water,
business and other conditions, as il
Illustrated in the four views given
herewith Over twenty negatives were
secured. chiefly on and around what
is known as the McWilliams townsite
at Las Vegas. The tract adjoins the
Salt Lake property on the north, and
on it are some of the buildings shown
in the group. The railroad station is
on railroad property and near the sta
tion is the postoffice. The banks,
stores and hotels are on the McWill
Jams tract There are several other
tracts adjoining Las Vegas that are
to be placed on sale in the near fu-
ture.
In an interview Mr.. Gurley said:
Salt Lake is 7S5 miles from Los
Angeles, and Caliente is the midway
town, about 44S miles distant, having
a population of 800 persons. Caliente
has an elevation of about 1000 feet ard
is the supply town for the Phoebe min
ing section. 1t is not an agricultural
country. The town of Moapa, 373 miles
distant, is a small place, with rich
agricultural district in the Muddy
Creek valley. Both Caliente and Moapa
would supply a good trade for Los An
geles.
Las Vegas. 323 miles distant is a
place of 1000 inha bitants, in a broad
valley fifty or sixty miles across. The
stage line for the Bullfrog and Gold
field district starts from Las Vegas,
lis miles distant in a northwesterly
direction. All freight for the mining
camps goes through Las Vegas. The
larger part of the Las Vegas popula
tion is on the McWiliams townsite,
which is about one-half mile north
east of the townsite, as laid out by the
railway company.
Rich in Agriculture
THE old Las Vegas ranch purchased
by the railway company from Mrs.
Stewart, who had lived on it for the
past twenty-four years, is located
about one and one-half miles east of
the railway station. On this ranch
pies and figs and also one or two
orange trees, all of which are doing
we'll and have produced for years, ir-
rgated by water obtained from the
natural springs found in several sec
tions of the valley. Alfalfa is also
grown on this ranch and at several
points in the valley where it can be
reached by water from these springs,
but not in any great quantity. The
old ranch shows evidence of being pro-
ductive and the fruits and crops ripen
about month earlier than in this sec
tion of California. the figs being within
two or three weeks of being ripe at
this date From the results obtained
on this ranch the residents there argue
that the whole valley of Las Vegas will
eventually be under irrigation and pro-
duce all kinds of fruit and agricultural
products in large quantities, and that
the prospect is for a thickly settled and
prosperous community.
Unlimited Water Supply
"Optimists claim that an unlimited
supply of water can be obtained by
sinking artesian wells but this is en-
tirely speculative. as no artesian wells
have ever been sunk In this valley and
consequently there is nothing to prove
the theory that artesian water exists.
"There is this, however in its favor
that the springs which are found, APP
parently come from great depth.
boiling up from below Attempts to
lower heavy iron weights into the open
ing from which the water flows show
that the opening extends far below the
hardpan or surface, and that the up
ward pressure of water seems to make
it impossible after a certain distance