TOMBSTONE SKETCHES

In the Spring of 1540, Francisco Nez de Coronado, a Spaniard of noble governor of New Galicia, general army of His Majesty, the king of and famous Conquistador, camped night in those little hills near the edro river that we now call TombHe was the leader of a royal band venturous spirits who had set out scover the Seven Cities of the Cithe fertile fields and fabulous treasof which, had fired the imagination Spain. That night his company red of the immense wealth, wondertates and magnificient honors that to be theirs on the completion of undertaking. Visions of galleons, laden with silver, gold and jewels them onward. They believed themto be the luckiest and most favmortals in all the world. The next ing they buckled on their armor continued on their journey. They found the mythical cities of the and Coronado died broken hearted. Coronado but known it, he was apex of his career that night when mpeed on the site of Tombstone. he left the next day, his star had he further he got away from Tombthe worse off he was, for he had the ball, booted the game and a boner. It does not seem possible me man could make so many errors night. That night, he was actually g on the immense gold and silver of the Tombstone district, a few away was the fabulous commonmine at Pearce. In another direcme could almost see the rich mines tagonia. To the south were the opper hills of Bisbee and to the ere the turquoise mines of Tiffany son. All this at a time when silas rated far more valuable than nd copper was considered a precital. If Coronado had been propto his job and stopped right there, mard to estimate what might have ed. Spanish galleons, richer than have read about in history, would ailed the seas. Spanish Grandees now be the owners of big estates San Pedro, Santa Cruz and SulSpring valleys. Coronado would meen eligible to a place in Arizona's a along with Father Kino, Geronand the Hon. G. W. P. Hunt. No he died broken hearted. He had chance of making his family fa-mous as one of the first families of Arizona.

However, true worth always makes itself known, and in the late seventies of the last century, Dick Gird and the Schefflien brothers found that which Coronado missed, and today, we have in old Tombstone, a most delightful as well as famous city. For years, its people swayed this part of the United States. No other western city has had so many books written about it by famous authors. Of course, all old Tombstoners take pride in the fact that all her early citizens were red blooded men who could, and did, take care of themselves against all kinds of bandits, Indians and bad men, but they also point with pleasure to the many famous leaders, intellectual giants and progressives numbered among her early citizens. The Clantons, Lowerys, Earps, Mas-tersons and Johnny-behind-the-gun were colorful, but there were others, Gen. Ben Butler, Gen. Wardwell, Mark Smith, Ben Goodrich, M. M. O'Gorman, Rev. Endicott Peabody, Rev. Father Miron, Francis Heney, the Gird brothers, John Slaughter and Johnny Behan, just to name a few, whose brains, ability and education would add lustre to any occasion, anywhere. In Tombstone, there is yet standing in splendid condition, the First Episcopal Church of the Diocese of Arizona and New Mexico. Its classical outlines and beautiful interior, make it worthy of any great city. It was designed, as a work of love, by a famous architect who came in the gold rush. Its first pastor and builder was the Rev. Endicott Peabody, of Massachusetts, who for the past fifty years has been world famous in educational circles and for that same length of time has been head of the well known Groton School for boys. A Brahmin of Mayflower aristocracy, whose family out-ranked even the Cabots and the Lodges, a Harvard graduate whose polish was only completed by several European universities, and a scholar, this Rev. Endicott Peabody was a some real man. The old timers tell with glee how he built the church. Not the least of Mr. Peabody's ability was his skill as a boxer which he had acquired at Harvard in his under graduate days. He became the idol of the miners by defeating their champion, a heavier and more powerful man, in a friendly bout in a saloon one night. How is that for Boston. Mr. Peabody would walk into a gambling saloon on Saturday night and invite the men to come to church the next day, to hear a sermon against gambling. His frankness won the crowd and prompted many a gambler to donate liberally. The church never needed a mortgage to pay for its building. The minute book of the Ladies Aid Society shows that the saloons sold the biggest blocks of tickets to the ladies benefit operas and bazaars.

St. Paul's Episcopal Guild of Tombstone is the oldest Episcopal Guild in Arizona, having completed more than fifty years of continuous service. The church timbers were hauled from the Chiricahua mountains by Jake Sherer, an old timer. It still has the original walnut pews and furnishings, transported by wagon from the east. The original carpets, still in first class condition eloquently tell of their beauty and value by surviving all these years of use, and its little organ peals forth as sweetly as ever. It is truly a little gem of a church.

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS

A few blocks away is the Catholic Church. It, also, has withstood fifty year of trying times. Its first pastor was Rev. Father Miron who brought with him a wonderfully sweet bell that yet serves. Father Miron was known to the world as the companion of and confessor to the Emperor Maxmillian, the night that unfortunate ruler was executed by the Juarez Diaz soldiers. Tall, lean and quiet, this learned man labored unceasingly among the sick and poor of all classes. No one would ever think of him being the Father Confessor and confidante of royalty. Used to the best of everything, he calmly spent years among the lowly. Beloved by all of every creed, he held his own among the lively spirits of the day. On every great topic of the day, his opinion was eagerly sought. The sick and wounded of all creeds went to him in their great hour of need. It is told, he always found means to help them. He could always talk some big saloon keeper or gambler into donating when his own funds were low. Like the Episcopal Church, the Catholic Church never had to mortgage to pay for buildings operations. The gamblers and saloons knew a man when they saw him and helped whenever the need required. The Church is still in excellent shape and has been in continuous use.

The Tombstone Epitaph, which I think is the oldest English newspaper in the Southwest, still keeps the world informed of all that is necessary for its well being. This newspaper, founded in the early days of the camp, startled the world by having three editors, each of equal rank, at its birth. Other papers like the New York Sun, Boston Globe or San Francisco Chronicle never had more than one chief editor, but the Epitaph had three John P. Clum, Charles D. Reppy and Thomas R. Sorin. This puzzled me. I could only figure that as the old editors were often an outspoken lot, and all the citizenry of that time wore Colts, two of these editors were kept as extras, or replacements. Finally, asked Dick Gird why he had three editors when one was usually a great plenty. He grinned and answered, "you know, Edward, the old time editors and traveling printers, were inclined to be a bibulous lot, so we tried to make sure the paper would come out on time every Thursday, by having an extra handy."

Does it seem possible to you that Tombstone once had a restaurant with a world wide reputation greater than any in New York, London or Paris? Such is the fact. The Can-Can was its name. Mr. Walsh, its proprietor, kept a hunter just to get antelope and deer for it. Another man hunted bear in the near-by mountains. Others made a living just by getting quail and rabbits. Chinese at Fairbanks raised fresh vegetables all the year around, while fast stages brought in fish, clams and oysters from Guaymas at a time when ice was a novelty and a luxury in this ciimate, and ice making machines were unknown. It had a wonderful table service of Tombstone silver for use on state occasions, and its cellar of wines and liquors were unequalled. In the early days, the Tombstone mines attracted capitalists, mining engineers and lively spirits from all over the world. European Royalty, chaperoned by American army officers, appointed by this government to look after them, made it a point to see the city. Gen. Butler and Governor Rice of Massachusetts, Clark and Daly of Montana, John L. Sullivan, Lotta Crabtree, Eddie Foy, Alice Nielson and others were resi-(Continued on Page Eighteen)

AUGUST, 1932