Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-08-09
WILLIAM E. CURTIS
ON ALBUQUERQUE.
Continued from Page ~

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ties and improvements. The popu-
lation, according to the school census,
is now about Il, 000-all Americans
except a few rich Mexicans and the
usual proportion of laborers and do
nestle servants. The secretary of
the chamber of commerce estimated
the present population of the two cit
les at about 10000.
Albuquerque spreads out over a
great deal of ground, but you can get
about easily by of trolley cars
There is a neat. modern school house
in every ward, and one of the most
artistic high school buildings in the
country. While it is not a pious town
by any means, there are twelve
churches, Of which the most imposing
is a Jewish synagogue. The Jewish
community is unusually large and rich
and controls the mercantile trade
The Mexican is not a tradesman or
mechanic; he is either a farmer or 9
laborer, and nearly all of that race
are engaged in herding cattle or sheep
The professional men and mechanic!
are Americans.
1t is pleasant to see the different re
ligious denominations dwelling to
gether in unity. The Methodists hell
their Sunday services in the Jewish
synagogue until their own house O
worship was finished, and the Presby
t%erians, who are putting up a hand
some building, are now using the op
era house, which is as pretty and con
v%enient an auditorium as you will fine
/ lnVVUhnrn in tho antlnfrx opl 4
owned by the Elks, who have a clul
house adjoining. The finest buildins
in the city belongs to the Commercial
club, which is a social organization
and a board of trade at the sam,
time. 1t was established in 1892 anC
is composed of about 200 business
men. It booms the town on all oc
c~asions and takes the lead in every
thing, stimulating the public spirit Of
the citizens and doing effective team
work in securing new industries and
railroads and promoting trade. The
building is an unusually good one. OF
red sandstone, with a dancing hall
reading rooms, card rooms and a mum.
Der of bachelor suites, which are oc,
cupied by some of the members. II
is a temperance club, however. There
Is no bar or buffet. Members whose
thirst is insatiate have individual
lockers, with keys, in which they keep
medicine, liquors, hair tonics, face
powders, or anything else they like,
and may help themselves at will.
Albuquerque is one of the few towns
| have found lately without a Carne-
gle library, II has a fine building,
however, and a good collection of
books, which were presented to mis-
fellow citizens by Joshua A. Reynolds,
formerly of Canton, Ohio, who has
been out here since he was a boy and
Is one of the richest men in the ter
ritory. He has a string of banks
along the Santa Fe railway between
Las Vegas and FL PasO, and is an in
%fuential, public spirited citizen. The
library is maintained by a special tax.
Albuquerque has two daily papers,
both enterprising and newsy, and six
weeklies, two Of which are printed
in the Spanish language. IL has a
number of banks with large capital,
the combined deposits at present
amounting TO more than $4,000, 900.
The trade territory Is almost eX-
c~lusively c~ontributory to this city Is
perhaps larger than that of any other
commercial center in the world, hav-
ing a radius OF 200 miles, and cover
ing an area of 100,0 900 square miles
larger than New England and New
York combined. 1t comprises prac-
tically the entire Rio Grande valley,
the most fertile and populous section
OF New Mexico, with at least three
ffths of the population of the terri
tory. There is some manufacturing,
but no mining OF any importance. The
larger portion Of the people are native
Mexicans, and they are engaged In