Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-06
SCENES IN TOMBSTONE.
Decay OF the Once Famous Arizona su-
yer Camp.

| climbed 10 the summit Of the Hill ON which
is situated the reservoir OF the Huachuos
Water Company, writes . correspondent OF the
San Francisco Chronicle Below was the Con-
sention valley. in the bosom OF which nestles
the pretty and once prosperous CITY OF Tomb
stone-name Of al omen. The picture 10 an
| exceedingly pretty one to one who loves the
| mountains aud whose heart throhs in unison
with the music OF the driIr and the hammer
and drop OF the tireless stamp mill There 10
no more picturesque place in Arizona than
tombstone. none moro prettily situated. and
not one enjoying q more sAlubrious climate or
possessing more intelligent enterprising ana
generous population.
Its massive blocks and elaborate nlace. ~
business are reminders OF the prosperous DAYS
| OF 1880 to 1856. During that period millions
we're invested in mining machinery aud within
three years more than $4,000 600 were paid out
| IN dividends. Below Law the original discovery
OF the csmp-the Toughnut NINE Bevond 70
the right. was the Contention. the Grand Gen.
ual and other properties that contributed so
much 70 making Tombstone at one time
the largest silver producer in the country.
esumated-and Il was subsequently confirmed
by inquiry at the offices of the mines-that 4
was looking on hosting plants and mills that
| cost fully $1,000. 600
This estimate does not include the long
1 ARCHAEOLOGICAL tllls ll SINE tiers that line the
San Pedro from Benson TO Charleston and he
| !ond the Nogales. These latter must have
cost several millions more and stand as remind
ets OF the ignorance of character OF the ores
and the means needed for their reduction
Loday put one OF them is in operation-the
orand central mil-but they have had their
uses. They furnished the hight bv means OF
wnicn thelr builders and operators were en-
a s, 20 nnd the loadstone TO attract the pre-
cious metals from the ores of Contention moun-
tain. Having served their purpose they were
abandoned, charged TO profit and loss ana ara
now rapidly decaying
The plants that rested under the eve were no
more active than those that fringe the San
Pedro. Excepting one little stack on nv eI-
IRENE left they were all idle. The cages were
hanging idle on the cables and rats and lizard.
inhabited the adits. OF the army of miner,
whose monthly pay once aggregated s2O0, 600,
less thsn hundred are ut work TODAY The
| streets that once swarmed with people are now
practically deserted. Blocks of handsome
buildings are untenanted. The variety theater
where serio-comics cracked their voices and
other peoples ears, aud where newly made
millionaires healed those cracked throats
with Jersey champagne az "s5for pints" only
Few years ago. Is now vacant dark and
dreary, the boxes that hang like bird cages
rom tne sides stu carving a suggestion OF
wicked women, wasted lives empty purses and
headaches. Three banks have given vay 20
one, and over the whole hovers the evil
spirit OF desolation.
Inc uansltion came as IN night. With the
dying out OF the flames of the Grand Central
~ 1855 came the gloom that has since hung
over the place. The great strike two wears be-
fore was an injury to the camp and il had
scarcely recovered from that when the other
disaster came. Five years of idleness; five
years OF contraction OF values. of detractiou
outside. OF waiting. And yet there are here
brave spirits who have never wavered never
despaired Through it all they have stood by
tombstone, and express determination to do
SO TO the end. The attachment men form for a
mining camp is stronger than that for any
other locality. In the end these loyal Tomb
stoners will get their reward.
More disastrous than strike, fire or water
was the act demonetizing silver. That law
parayzed the entire camp. The Grand Gem
trHl Company did not feel warranted 10 replace
pumping plant that cost between $3.50 600 and
S4OO,OOO. Soon others ceased pumping aud
the water gradually rose, and no one could
work below the water level
while work was prosecuted below that level
no change was found either ia the yalue or the
characteristics of the ores. There was no rea-
son TO believe that with silver at fair price the
large dividends should not be continued indef-
nltely Those riches are still in these MINES
under the water. They cannot be reached IN
less the water Is lifted. and that means The ex-
pendlture OF sum approximating a 600 COO
NO one company feels like gong TO this eK-
pense, since It's pumping would help all it's
nelShbors; indeed, every mine in the CAMP
Efforts have been made to consolidate the great
Interests of the camp and Jointly erect a pump
ing plant, but without success thus far. All
miners agree that the body OF water encount-
cred in tins camp is enormous; indeed, that il
| IL quite phenomenal; but with silver perma-
nently at from SLl5 TO - 20 this difficulty
would be soon overcome and Tombstone would
once more be itself.