The Tombstone epitaph., 1882-03-06
ALONG THE RAILROAD LINE.
Contention and Junction City-The
 Future shipping Point for Freight . Improvements.

of what he saw.
 An effort is being made to remove the town of Contention to the west. ern bank of the San Pedro. There are two reasons for this-the railroad being on that side of the river, and the Contention mill being in need of a greater area for its tailings. The mud dam around this pond has al- ready been erected to as great a height as safety permits, and DOT tion of the structure recently gave way, without, however, doing any damage. If more space cannot be obtained, it will be necessary to sur round tho tailings with high stone or concrete wall. at great expense. Already a considerable town is springing up onsthe western bank, the most conspicuous buildings of which are Meyers hotel and the rail road depot. The former building was erected nearly a year ago, the proprietor having the foresight to see that the town would eventually tend in that direction.
 THE NEW RAILROAD DEPOT
 is probably the most commodious and elegant structure of the kind in Arizona. The main building is two stories, containing below a large ticket and telegraph office and two passenger rooms. These rooms are elegantly finished in narrow panels of light and dark woods. In the second story are elegant offices for the use of the railroad officials. From the main building a one story addi- ton for freight purposes extends f.. over one hundred feet, and beyond this are suitable out buildings. These buildings all have projecting roofs, are quite ornate in their architec ture, neatly finished in every detail, are painted in rich, dark color, and all surrounded with wide platform. The depot buildings are built be. tween the main and side tracks, and the platform is of great length, affording ample accommodations to passengers and freight. Oppo. site the depot the leading mer. chant of Contention, L. Marks, is building large store for the accom- modation of his wholesale business, and number of other structures are going up, giving the place quite an air of activity. The river is spanned at this point only by a foot-bridge, but is intended at once to build a substantial structure for teams, step which the large freighting business from the depot to Tombstone will render necessary.
 From this point the railroad keeps
 UP THE RIVER
 for. about four miles, passing from the west to the east About 2 g miles niles south of Contention the Grand Central mill IS passed. This is one of the best appointed mills of the district, and the clatter of its 30 stamps affords a cheerful contrast to the quietness of the surrounding country.
 About four miles south of Con. tentiOn, the raill oad makes an abrupt turn, crosses the river and climbs the western bank, on it's way up the Babacomari valley to Calabasas and Sonora. At the point where this di- vergence is made some enterprising citizens, not connected with the railroad, have surveyed and located a town site, and called it
 JUNCTION CITY,
 anticipating that the freighting busi- ness to Tombstone and other places south and east will hereafter be car ried on from this point. It is not probable, however, that the railroad magnates have given them any as- surances on this point. The Conten- tion people, on the contrary, arg ue that the erection of so large a depot at that point is conclusive of the in- tention of the railroad to make that the shipping point until the main line shall have been built from Dem. ing, via Tomhs.cce, to connect with s!... Mexico line at Junction City Without pretending to set up for an Gdipus to read the riddles of the railroad sphinx, we will say that the building of ample side-tracks at Junction City indicate their intention to do considerable freighting busi- ness at thia point. The only freight thus far discharged there are the pipes of the Huachuca Water Company. Great piles of these are strewn along the side track for hundreds of yards, and Mexican teamsters are loading them up for various points along the pipe line.
 The improvements at this place consist of a store, saloon and several dwelling houses, all substantial structures. Junction City Is about eight miles from Tombstone, or two miles nearer than Contention.