Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-08-15
RATION THE
BEAUTIFUL
Ideal Location and Masni6-
cent Surroundings Of
Border City
Charms OF Goat hIll and Superb Out.
look from lts Lefty eummlt--oulld.
Ing Boom In Full swIne-eians for
the Futurs-Huoo ssabsro, the
Building Maonate.

Beautiful for situation In the city OF
Ration. There are other cities OF New
Mexico Of which this may be said, but
II IL doubtful II In the superlative de-
gree as when applied to the Gate City
of the north. The city nestles In q
verdant basin OF the mighty hills. On
every side. except for narrow space
where the railroad creeps away to
the southwark, are mountain ranges,
some near and green and wooded.
others farther away In the blue dis
tance but all rich with the rare col.
oring Of New Mexico's sun and shad-
ow.
! NOrthward the Ration mountains
stretch into the Barela and Johnson's
mesa with their grass green slopes
and wood crowned heights. Rifted
mountains half lost in shimmering
haze. far purple peaks and lofty mesas
swing the great circle to the eastward
and far into the south. A hne OF
steep, cedar topped hills rises steeply
from the city on the west. ending
abruptly In Goat HILL" which Ia not.
be It said. the last abiding place Of
city garbage, but as fine natural
park as any city could wish to possess.
And the view! From the top Of
! this eminence the eye over
the pretty town, over fair green fields
and waving trees. over the shaded
slopes and yellow mesas TO where a
hundred miles away the farthest faint
blue mountains mellow with the sky.
In these summer days Of sun and
white cloud and occasional shower the
soft shadows chase each other over
the hills and the play Of color Ii kali
eidoscopic and lovely All day long
the scenes shift rapidly as the sun
marches through the heavens. II Ia
perhaps, though. at night fall that
the colors are richest and the tints on
the mountain walls, imprinted by The
dying sunlight, the most vivid.
A "There is something doing all the
time in Raton." said an enthusiastic
citizen TO me Saturday. Past question
the citizen did not enlarge on the
truth The town is as busy as 1t can.
be and h,mdred.handed industry IL
working his favorite transformations
on every side From one point on
Goat Hill counted seventeen new
buildings In course OF construction.
Yesterday morning, If no plans failed.
f. Roth began work on a two story
brick block 140 feet long. the lower
part Of which Is to be utilized for
stores and the upper part for offices.
This block will be Of all the more i'm
portance because It forced the destruc-
tion of lot Of unsightly shacks such
as are common In every new town.
Attorney Hugo Seaberg, who has
, done fifty per cent Of the building In
Ration during the past year, Is having
erected large building which will be
, maintained as Japanese tea garden.
i An auditorium with a roOmy stage
r will be feature and the Samuels
, company, headquartered here, will
, play series there every few weeks.
The tea garden is to be planted with
, ornamental trees and shrubs. there
h will be rustic seats and winding ways;
;. and FLASHING fountains and at night
q Chinese lanterns and electrical illum-
A nations. The tea garden will be on
d quite as pretentious scale az affect.
& ed by many cities Of fifty thousand In.
A habitants.
!. Mr.. Seaberg has other plans for the
upbuilding Of Ration He last year
). built a two-story brick hotel which
a under the efficient management Oi
J. Mrs. Hankins, one of the most sue
:. cessful hotel women In the west. II
establishing the highest kind Of repu
tation for excellence and popularity
Everybody gets to feeling SO much al
home that II Is hard to persuade hin
to leave and every body else who CT
goes there.
"a This Is not depression. II Is I
o logical introduction to Mr.. Seaberg'i
d further plans. The hotel has becom,
T. SO popular In its brief life that TIL,
u owner has found It necessary to en-
4 large H. He will extend the build
$. ing, during the coming year. to tn,
IS end Of the block and will also enlarg,
the dining room. Meanwhile, II i
x found necessary to utilize an annex.
n, Mr. Seaberg has erected during tn,
n past year a roomy. sunny brick build
" Ing In which are the offices of Sea
8. berg 4 Champion, the Ration Range
~ dut S1sCtut anu ISul CSldt
v, offices.
n The st, Louis, Rocky Mountain 4
sr Pacific Railroad company has had It
ID plans drawn for a big office buildin
r. in Ration and construction work vii
begin very soon. Quite number Q
business men and citizens are plar
o ming new stores and residences, SO
Is safe 10 say that the building boor
in will show no diminution during tn
IS coming year.
nd When one says boom" II must nc
SIS be supposed there is anything OF tn
Of inflated, unhealthy growth that ha
injured so many western towns abou
the progress being made In RatoI
The growth Is rational and solid, bal
rs ed, as II Is, upon the development (
great resources and the carrying 70
ward Of great enterprises. Howeve
at the story Of the industrial develo
q, ment Of the city and vicinity must !
left fer another article. G. w. G.. y