Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-01-30
Leading Merchant
and Financier Or
poses Division.
OF SAN MIGUEL COUNTY
Max Nordhaus Firmly Be-
lieves in Greater Las Ve-
gas-.-Sound Reasoning

Monday last Max Nordhaus. of
Las Vegas, was in the city partly on
commercial business and partly to
examine Legislative proceedings with
view to obtaining the status of the
project to make two counties out of
the county of San Miguel, the division
to be marked by the Gallnas River.
Mr.. Nordhaus Is one of the leading
and most favorably known merchants
and financiers in the Southwest and
man, although only in the prime of
life, who has made his mark in the
banking and commercial business of
great section. He came to New
Mexico twentyfour years ago as an
employe OF Charles Ilfeld and Com.
pany, the widely known mercantile
firm Of Las Vegas His abiliIy
integrity and great capacity for hard
work was recognized by the head of
the firm and he was promoted step
by step until today he is the vice
president and trusted general mana.
ger of the Charles Ilfeld Mercantile
Company, this company conducting
wholesale establishments in Las
Vegas, Albuquerque and Santa Rosa,
and doing business that extends for
many hundreds of miles in each di-
rection from its principal location in
Las Vegas north as far as the
Arkansas River in Colorado, east as
far as Dalhart and Amarillo, Texas
south as far as Chihuahua, Mexico,
and west as far as Tucson and Phoe-
nix, Arizona Upon being requested
to give his views upon the proposed
division of San Miguel County, Mr..
Nordhaus said:
Il came 10 New Mexico twenty.fonr
years ago when quite young and you
might say | have grown up with Las
Vegas. which then became my home.
and the county of San Miguel. have
been in active business almost every
day since my advent to the town and
f1atter myself that I know the people
and the resources of what is the
County of San Miguel and greater Las
Vegas, fairly well.
Division Of County Would be Detri-
mental
Il am sure and speak motives of
and what consider
best for all concerned and the entire
now embraced in the city
Of Las Vegas and the town of Las
Vegas, when | say that ] cannot pos
sibly see how division could benefit
the two towns, while there are manv
and many reasons for not taking such
action What Is called the two towns
is virtually one and should be one
city under one city government. The
Gallinas river is not and ought not to
be more of boundary than is the
Santa Fe River here. The business
interests of the two are Identical
the owners of property in one gener.
ally own property in the other. Some
Of the business men reside in the
residence portion of East Las Vegas
while their business establishments
are in Las Vegas and vice versa;
there is no reason why the population
of both should not be thoroughly
and united and work for
one common object, namely, the edu-
cation, the advancement and the pro-
sress of Greater Las Vegas.
Il am sorry to say that some of nv
friends who are advocating division
have come to the conclusion that two
ocal business centers near each other.
cannot thrive at the same time; for In
stance, some Of them believe that the
business places on Bridge Street and
IN the plaza in Las Vegas interfere
with the business firms on Douglas
Ind Sixth Streets in what is denom-
mated officially now as East Las
vegas. | do not believe that this con
tention Is at all we'll founded. | am
convinced that there is ample busi-
ness, which is steadily growing for
Ill concerned, and that the distance be.
.ween the two business portions is SO
easily covered by street cars, by bug.
5ies, or by using the splendid side
walks, which we fortunately have, that
MS ought not to be of consequence,
'ut rather benefit, as 1t gives people
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