Daily Tombstone epitaph., 1886-01-22
TUCSON.
A Glance at it's Past History
 and Present Prospects,
The QuijOtOa BOOm-PrOjected Railroads and UndevelOped
 Resources.
[ From our Special Correspondent l

antiquity. It claims, believe, to be the
 third oldest town in the United States
 the only two which are still more vener
 able and antique being San Augustin,
 Florida, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Il
 was about 300 years ago when the first
 settlers, of whom history speaks, came
 hither. Some of Tucson's present oldest
 inhabitants, who belong to the honorable
 society of pioneers, look as if they might
 have come here about the same time.
 They have, at any rate, retained many of
 the simple names and customs of that
 period.
 Tucson is pre-eminently an adobe
 town. In Tombstone the adobe houses
 are tastefully disguised to simulate stone
 or brick. There is no false pretence of
 that sort here, it is pure unadulterated
 mud. They have not used it all either,
 there is plenty left in the streets.
 The ancient pueblo pursued the even
 tenor of its way for several hundred
 years, nothing happening to disturb it's
 peaceful slumber-with exceptions of the
 passage of some of the '4o gold seekers
 until five years ago, when, amidst great
 rejoicing from the majority and secret
 misgivings on the part of some old-timers, the shril whistle of the iron.horse came to wake the city from its Rip Van Wrinkle sleep. From that time modern
 Tucson rates its start. The arrival of the railroad put an end to the good old fashioned days of ox-teams from Yuma, when nothing less than two-bit piece was known, and if person growled at paying quarter for needle, it was all laid to the high freight. The old firms coming into competition with modern methods, one by one went to the wall. Tucson went in for fine public buildings and big debt, like any giddy young city in her teens.
 The reaction from the railroad boom soon came. Tucson allowed the Sonora Railroad to be built to Benson and the Mexican trade fell off A number of grand mining schemes resulted disas- trously to the investors. Things were looking very blue indeed, two years ago, when came the Quijotoa excitement, Tucson thought that her good days had then surely come. Quiiotoa was to be another Virginia City, to which Tucson would play San Francisco. Two or three telegraph lines, as many stage lines and several projected railroads were fighting for share of the great prospec- tive trade. A mile of street was built at the "Bonanza city," the money for which came mainly from Tucson, although your city contributed good many dol lars. The writer, who was rather more of a lunatic than the rest, took out big newspaper outfit and supplied "long felt want" After a weary two years of hopes deferred, that have made many a | heart sick, the end has come. The bubble has burst and all who could beg, borrow or steel ride, on any mode of | from burro to lumber | wagon, have left the City of the Near | Future. Tucson is again brought face to face with the question of existence, "to be or not to be-"
 It must not, however, be thought that | Tucson has no natural resources. She | has ample wealth at the doors, but it has not been utilized. The Santa Cruz val | ley contains thousands of acres of rich | soil, upon which water can be brought. | At present, most of this land is occupied | by stock ranges, while the city imports her | grain, fruit and dairy produce from California and Kansas, to the value of over S3oo,ooo yearly. There is vast mineral in the county, but hitherto the | only attempts to utilize it have been in the shape of roping in European capital its on visionary schemes. This is begin ming to change, hard times have brought Tucson to her senses. Hundreds of | men are taking out ore for shipment and making money. An association of bus ness men has been formed for the pur- pose of advertising the resources of the county. It looks now as if the old city | were about to take her first legitimate | step forward, towards solid prosperity. Tucson has had several railroad schemes | on hand during the past five years. In fact, the attention of her worthy citizens | has been about equally divided between the prospects of proposed railroads and projected smelters. There was the Port Lobo road, which was to run from Tue son to the Gulf of California. This received assistance in the shape ofbonds, and prospered as far as to have the route surveyed. The stakes are still in the ground and the bonds are in litigation. The narrow guage railroad, bound for