The Tombstone epitaph., 1882-02-27
WEEKLY MINING REPORT
No Material Change in the BOnanzas-The old Guard
 Developing Good.
The Water Level-what The, l.

The Water Level-What Then,
 The history of the mines of Tombstone has thus far been most remarkably pros porous one,-a history full of rich develop. ments from the grassreots down. There have been no untoward events to interrupt the steady increase in the flow: of bullion since the first stamp dropped in the Gird mill upon the San Pedro, in June, 1879.
 Milling ore in large quantities was found cropping to the surface on both the Tough Nut and Ioodenough locations, as the great excavations upon these claims attest unto this day. At the Contention the top of that rich vein was only covered by a few inches of debris, and within the last year the south end of the vein has been stopped out for several hundred feet, up to the surface. At the Grand Central, .he development work began upon the top of the vein, which was followed down upon its dip, the ore taken out accumulating z upon the dump until the mill commenced running in March, 1881, at which time there was pile of at least 1000 tons. We might go on with this list until the number of mines that have shown rich ore at or near the surface would long way overtop a score of them, but this is not.necessary, as the fact is patent to every enc at all familiar with the district
 Up to the present time there are but two of our mines th at are down to water level, these being Sulphuret and Head Center, and neither of them have had sufficient appliances to control the strong flow that they might prove the ore below that point The ore above the water level is remark. able for its freedom from deleterious bases, ana yields up in the pans over 90 per cent of its precious contents. The principals of base thus far noted have been ilon oxide and carbonate of lead, the latter in some of the mines, par ticularly the Tough Nut group, constitut- ing from to 12 per cent of the ore. Not. withstanding this high percentage of lead no difficulty has been experienced Tn the free treatment of the ore. But, thus far, the ore has been desulphurized in natures laboratory and the metallic bases left in harmless condition. The same processes that have converted the iron into oxide and the lead into carbonate has been ins- trumental in chloridizing the silver. This is, however, above the water level What change may be expected where permanent water abounds? This is the question that presses upon the attention of the mIne owners along the line of the great ConteAtion Assure If it be logical to draw conclusions from comparisons, then we think it mere than probable that Tomb stone will follow in the footsteps of Reese River, Nevada, where surface ores were chlorides and chloro bromides, but chang ed at the water level to sulphurets and ruby ore, richer even than the chlori des above. If the rule holds good here, the ore will become highly sulphureted form of galena and iron, and the mine owners will have to do by artificial means what nature has done by the elements. Whether, like the mines of Reese River, our mines will become richer and the veins more persistent, can only be solved by pushing downward upon them.
 Mir. J. R. Farrell, superintendent of the Grard and Sulphurct mines. has this problem under consideration, and is hay ing estimates made of the cost of putting in Cornish pump at the Sulphuret and sinking the shaft down to a depth of l,500 feet, which will be nearly 1000 feet below the present water level. It is to be hoped that he will be successful in the early con. summation of this scheme, as it will settle the question of, What is beyond the water lsvel?"
 The Grand Central new shaft has been su nk with a view of uninterrupted pro- gress when water is struck in its down. ward course. This shaft is the largest and most substantially timbcred of any in Ari. zona. There are three compartments in this shaft, two of 4Y5 feet in the clear, for h0isting, and one 5x7 for pumping when that event becomes necessary. This shaft | has been timbered in square sets at dis tances of 5 feet each, with the best of 1G- | inch Oregon pine, and Jagged with 3.inch | plank. When the water level is reached, which may reasonably be expected before the 700.foot station is attained, there will | be no longer delay in continuing the work of sinking than will be entailed in getting the pumps and engine upon the ground and putting them in working order In any event, either the one orthe other of these mines will solve the problem within the next six months at furthest, when much of the future destiny of Tombstone will be known.
 Ground Hog.
 This is one of the first locations made in the district by Ed. Schieffelin, the dis coverer of the mines of Tombstone, and is in no wise inferior to his other locations h hat hava pa6a hic pup,a ;p,p,ortal |