Las Vegas optic., 1913-03-20


Las Vegas is an ignorance on tn
part OF the people regarding tn
splendid resources and assets Of thi
city. The following article b.
George A. Fleming, which was pnt
Hshed in The Earth" the Santa r
publication devoted to advertising III
southwest, win go a long way towar,
remedying this uniformed condition
among the citizens:
The Great Southwest What spell
these words have cast over the mind.
Of thousands Of eastern and northern
city dwellers and farmers in days
gone by. The southwest, the former
home Of the buffalo, the cowboy, the
cattle kings, the outlaw and despsr-
adol The country with wealth Of
historical romance and associations
The oldest and yet the newest por.
ton Of the Unionl
In the minds Of how many Of those
casting their eyes toward the NOUN
tains and boundless prairies Of this
section does there still exist a vague
and hazy notion Of what the county
is like. what they will find here in
the way of civilization and resources,
what sort of a home can be estao-
lished and what are the opportunities
for health and money making?
To give even brief outline of the
varied conditions and wonderful de-
velopment throughout the whole
southwest is quite beyond the prov
ince Of an ordinary article, but since
the resources and development of any
one section is typical in a measure
OF the whole country, it will suffice
to tell something Of the particular
district of which Las Vegas, n NJ,
is the center and distributing point.
Traversed by the main line Of the
Santa Fe, about midway between Chi
cago and Los Angeles, with the main
range of the Rockies to the west, and
the broad mesas or plains stretching
10 Texas on the east, this district lies
at an altitude Of from $500 to $500
feet
Rainfall Sufficient
While located in what commonly is
known as the "semi-arid belt" the
fact should not be lost sight of that
there is sufficient moisture to make
farming without irrigation feasible
and successful The government
records show an average precipita-
ton Of more than 10 inches, Of
which two-thirds falls in the growing
months from April to October max
ing the biennial cropping plan, fol
lowed in regions of light rainfall, un
necessary.
In summer the days are warm, not
hot and the air bracing and invigor-
ating. The nights always are cool
enough to make sleeping under blan-
kets a pleasure.
In winter the thermometer rarely
goes below freezing during the day,
but the nights are cold. However,
stock is allowed to run out all win
ter, and losses are seldom experienced
from severe weather.
In the mountains the snow accumu-
lates in the timbered canyons and on
the slopes. and forms an fnexhaustible
supply of water for the many small
streams and rivers
For many years the natives have
used a small portion of the water of
these streams for irngating their val
ley farms, but it has remained for the
northern and eastern capitalists to
develop the large irrigation systems
which now dot the country with their
vast storage reservoirs and large dis, i
tributing canals.
IN the vicinity of Las Vegas and
tributary to the city there viii be
from $4,000 to 100000 acres under
irrigation when an the system now
under construction, or IN contempla- I
tion, have been completed. What
this will mean only those who are
familiar with the prodaetiveness Of
the soil in this favored section can
realize.
Alfalfa, sugar beets, oats, wheat,
barley and the other grain plants all
grow to perfection; while apples,
pears, plums, cherries and peaches Of
the finest flavor are found in all of
the old orchards, demonstrating that
this win be heard from as fruit dis
trlcs in the not distant future when
proper methods Of horticulture shall
have been applied.
The development Of the vast lrriga,
ticn systems and the settlement Of