Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-08-07
To,nasrovF. Aurnst 8. 1s71.

' more enJOyable than after many days to
 greet old and kindly friends, and to be
 able in all sincerity to congratulate
 them upon either improved appearance,
 or recovery fromssome prostrating evil
 Either one is pleasing duty, but when
 both may be combined the satisfaction
 is doubled.
 Let me, then, extend to the CITIZEN
 my hearty congratulations at the new
 dress lately donned, and the pluck and
 energy shown in recovering so soon from the effects of the late disastrous
 fire through which she has passed, for
 be t remembered the last letter I had
 tho pleasure of .wfiting appeared in the { first small issue after the fire, and since
 then l have been waiting until the pa- per gained strength sufficient to stand my weekly iuaictions.
 Y z 'ime has come, and from now on fG6pe to send you gossip of Tombstone in such doses that the paper will not ex- perience any trouble in printing them.
 Since my last how many changes have occurredl Tombstone had its first, and We seriously hope its last, visit from the fire fiend. Tucson imagined for a time that the comet had fallen among its an- cient adobes, or that Sodo1n and Rb- marrah was to be rel eated, and mar veled greatly thereat, for surely Tucson Is goodly city, and its denizens deserv- ing of a better fate than befel those peo- pie mentioned in Holy Writ The flood gates of heaven have been opened wide, and the gasping, parched earth treated to copious showers of angels tears. Judging from the delay in mails ard railroad traffic, they were shed more in anger than in pity.
 To-day the nal arrived from the East, and vas the first visitation in eight or nine days. On dit, that from thirty to fifty miles of railroad have been washed out west of Tucson somewhere, and we are not to communicate with Tucson for an indefinite number of days. Our worthy friend Thornton, he who presides over the sanctum Of the Epitaph, hear, with regret, leaves us on Saturday, and Mir. J. D. Power, correspondent of the San Francisco Stock Exchange and other papers, is to occupy the editorial chair. Power is a most excellent corre- spondent; of his editorial ability more anon.
 Our city begins once more to blossom out in new buildings and new stores. Where the blackened ruins of the fire were smoking few short weeks ago new houses have been erected, new signs swing to the breeze, and new stocks of goods invite the passer by tO inspect and purchase, and comment upon the indus try and confidence of those who have rebuilt and go on again. Very few of the business men who were burned out have not resumed. and even some of the few may again rebuild in the near fu- tUre.
 Our new Mining Exchange, that was built with such a flourish of trumpets, is now occupied by the city and county officials up stairs, barring the County Recorder, who retains his old quarters across the street. The lower story, that was to have been the Exchange, is now being made into a courtroom, and in October, 1 expect, will resOund with learned discussions from the legal lumi- naries with whom Tombstone is more than blessed. Last week Smith and Robinson, in the interest of the Southern Pacific Railway. and Tom Fitch, on be- half of the city, had legal tilt before the Board of Supervisors, sitting as a Board of Equalization, on the right to tax the railway in Cachise county. The road was finally taxed Sl0,OOO per mile, which differed slightly from the sworn statement of the urbane CrOcker, that 5000 per mile was all that 1t was worth The county might have grown wealthy could 1t have purchased the 90 odd miles
 of road within its boundaries at the mod est valuation set upon 1t by its exceed ingly modest and retiring President But verbum sap; We hope it may not come again. Had some poor devil sworn to the valuation of his homestead and such startling discrepancies should oc- eur, he would be looked upon as an aw- ful example. But money and position
 are great bulwarks.
 Concerning the mines, what can I say? The unanimous verdict IS that they never | looked better or mOIe promising. Since my last some changes have taken
 place on Contention Hill for the better l The Grand Central has nearly com pleted its new hoisting works, and 'tis | handsome piece of work.
 The Flora Morrison works are in place
 and give new dignity to this side of the nil.
 The Sulphuret has for some time been closed down, and work has been going
 on to get the new boiler and pumps in position to get rid of the water and dis close supposed bonanZas lower down.
 The boiler is ready and in position. The pump is somewhere on the road and will arrive in due season; that Is to say, when
 the rain will allow such a move. Work was resumed yesterday upon the
 mine, and their first work is to cut out a pump chamber at the bottom of the shaft, and SO when the pump arrives 1t can be at once put in position and con- Inence operations What those opera tions will disclose IS query.
 Opinion is divided as to the future pros per;ty of the camp. Ore must be dis covered, and that will give faith to other nine owners.
 The old Contention works were closed few days for repairs, during the stop page of the mills, but all goes on as ever, v'irl no change except for the better. The Bob Ingersoll, since the settle ment of its little difficulty, still con- tInues taking out ore and the dump grows in greatness. Much interest IS felt in this mine, and the curious are filn to indulge in speculation as to its richness, for all access to the mine Is de-
 nied and they can only gaze upon the dump and ponder over what Is being
 done beneath their feet.
 The Ghrard dump now contains about S2tO,0O0 worth of ore, so say the experts, and I hear from a reliable source that a
 mill is soon to be erected on the hill near
 the hoisting works, and the pump of the ! Sulphuret is to supply the water. If Is plan proves a success, and IS followed by similar moves, much money will be saved ip hauling the ore from the mines | here, to the mills two miles away. There
 was a whisper some time ago that the Empire would do likewise, but since then that mine has shut down and quiet
 now reigns where the hum of machinery
 was heard few weeks since. 1 was sorry for this, as a month or two ago the