Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1881-05-28
TOMBSTONE.
A Letter from an Old Nevadan
and Lyon County Resident,
TOMBsToN, May II, 1881.

peDplc III youT HeiS uOolnOou "oulu
like to hear something about the Ari-
IONA elephant, l will give you some
information in regard to the present
condition of affairs in this camp,
which is attracting the attention of
mining men all over the country.
To begin with l will give you a
short description of the camp and
the country which surrounds it.
Tombstone is the largest, richest
and only camp of any consequence
in the Territory at present; indeed
this is not saying much for it, for
there is nothing in Arizona outside
of Tombstone. 1t is the county
seat of Cachise county, new county
created out of a portion of Una
county by an Act of tile last Legis-
lature, and is called after a noted
Indian warrior, who at one time de-
fled all the available forces of the u.
S. The city is located in the open
country, on broad deselate looking
plain, about 60 miles east of Ker
shaw, 80 miles form Benson-the
nearest point on the s. P. K. r.
Is miles south of the Dragon mount
aims, and close to the base of a low
range of hills, on the latter of which
the principal mines of the camp are
located, and at distance is a barren
and desolate looking place. On
reaching the Summit of the hills,
there, in the midst of a desolate
looking country you see number of
dumps, several shaft houses and a
large lumber of board shanties from
Which heavy clouds of dust are as
cending, and you at once become
Disguised and disappointed when you
are told that this is the great city of
Tombstone; but upon landing inside
the busir ess portion of the town you
form more favorable opinion, ana
are better satisfied with the appear
ance of things. There are two
blocks of very good buildings in the
town, but aside from these there are
no buildings worthy of mention ex-
cept the opera house, and the streets
are fearfully dusty from being ground
up by heavy teams.
Like all new mining camps, Tomb
stone is oyerdone, and would adj
wise everybody who is making a
livi ng TO stay whele they are, and
turn deaf ear to the glowing &C
counts they hear about the great
mineral wealth of Arizona. WIKI a
few exceptions, the mines of this
country are very low grade, and be.
ing in the hands of eastern men, whom
it takes year to accomplish what a
Nevadan would in a month, it is safe
to say it will be long time before
another excitement will be had in
Arizona.
There are about 500 men at work
here, while fully trebble that mum
Der are lying idle. All who are out
of employment are trying to get out
of the country, and when the bust
ness men have to depend on the real
number of men employed, l venture
to say there will be more than one
Sheriff's sale and many blue faces
in this camp, as four or five hundred
men are not enough TO keep up a
town of six or seven thousand in
habitants. There are ten shaft houses
on the hill, about the size of the
DAYTON shaft house in Silver City,
all of which contain the latest pat
terms and most approved stye of ma
chinery. The Nugget, Contention
and Grand Central are the three
leading mines of the camp, the two
former having declared few small
dividends, and the owners of the
latter are hoping to be able to do the
same at no distant day. The general
formation of the rock is lime and
porphyry, the former largely FREEDOM
mating. All the ore is hauled to
Charleston and Contention, two di
minutive towns located on the San
Pedro river, about ten miles apart
snd about the same distance from
Tombstone.
There are, no doubt, some coed
mines here, hut there is no telling
how long they will last, as the lodges
are no larger than the average, the
Nugget beng but feet, and con
sidering the facilities for working
rock, the ore cannot be called very
rich, as it will not average over $40
per ton. Board can be had from 81
to So per week, and bad whisky finds
Ii. L