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Show MINING IN 1882. 589 which he said he broke from an immense outcrop as he toiled on his devious way through the mountain passes. Great was the fever thereat, and many loose- footed men wanted him to guide them back ; but dread of the Apaches prevented. At length came a truce ; a rush was made, the mine was found, and the Mexican's description proved literally true. The ore was so rich that immense profits were made, before machinery could be brought in, by simply picking it by hand, sacking the best, and shipping it to San Francisco by mule- back and freight- wagon. The ore is peculiar, and the formation a puzzle to one who sees it for the first time. An expert sent from San Francisco to report thereon, condemned the mine as a flyer that is, a mere freak of nature, without sign of permanence; but it has since that time yielded $ 1,200,000, and is still doing well. Globe City is new, but the district has forty mines within six miles of a common center. The town supports a newspaper and a branch telegraph down to the main line ; and already a branch railroad is projected to connect this group of mines, or rather this series of mining districts, with Tombstone and other more southern districts, crossing the Southern Pacific and traversing some good belts of timber. The Southern Pacific follows the general course of the Gila for a hundred miles or so to Maricopa, thence strikes straight southeast nearly a hundred more to Tucson, thence eastward to the rocky San Pedro, wrhich it crosses in the midst of savage grandeur and sandy desolation. Here we will leave the railroad for awhile and stage it, southward, up the San Pedro, to the really marvelous district of Tombstone. There is enough even in the town to make a week's visit pass pleasantly if not profitably. In fact, the disagreeable feature will be found in the stage ride coming from the railroad station of Benson, about twenty-six miles distant. Large numbers of heavy freight teams are con-stantly coming and going, and every new road that the stage company makes to avoid the dust and chuck holes is almost immediately appro-priated, by the freighters. The jolting is almost severe enough to dis-lodge a man's eyes from their sockets, while the dust is simply fright-ful. A passenger alights from the coach with eyes, ears, and mouth almost obliterated, while his hair and whiskers are turned to a creamy white by the villainous powder known as alkali dust. He would not be recognized by his own wife. There is an opposition stage, both lines running a double daily, in addition to cages carrying baggage and treasure. The fare is four dollars for the trip, and all the coaches appear to run full. Eighteen passengers is not considered by any means a large load. |
