The Legend of The Swamper...
Many years ago in the 1800's, Big Nose Kate's Saloon was
The Grand Hotel. This great hotel hosted such infamous
personalities as Wyatt and Virgil Earp, Doc Holliday, as
well as the Clantons and the McLaurys. In this hotel was
the janitor and odd job man, known simply as "The Swamper."
He was a trusted and honest helper who was given his
accommodations as part of his hard-earned pay.
 "The
Swamper" had his own special bedroom which was located in
the dark basement of The Grand Hotel. This was his own
special and private haven where he could enjoy peace and
solitude away from the hustle and bustle of the hotel's
many guests. Within his private domain where no guest was
invited, he also kept secret his passion for silver. The
basement was deep enough below the surface of the ground
to afford entrance into one of the catacombing mine shafts
which ran underground, beneath the hotel, as well as most
of Tombstone.
"The Swamper" spent many painstaking hours over a period
of years tunneling an entrance into the shaft (see photo
to left). When the digging was completed, he could gain
access to a thick vein of silver where he extracted ounce
by ounce of the glorious silver nuggets. This mine
entrance is still a prominent feature of the bar's
basement.
It is still unknown if "The Swamper" spent his silver or
if he hoarded it in an unknown niche somewhere on the
premises of The Grand hotel. However, several workers of
the now "Big Nose Kate's Saloon" will swear that they have
seen a ghost wandering the halls and stairs.
Photographers have caught the ghostly image of an unknown
being on a photo as well as on the postcard of the
saloon's interior. It has been reasoned that the ghost is
indeed "The Swamper" and that his afterlife is being spent
protecting the silver that may still perhaps be buried
somewhere in this legendary building.
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