Semi-weekly herald., 1912-07-22
LA PLATA DISTRICTS
RESOURCES BOOSTED
(By Gen. Frank HALL J

me city of Durango, down on the
Animas river, has undertaken to boom
the La Plata valley in a large but
perfectly legitimate and commendable
way. The mining committee of its
board of trade has sent John w Tur-
ner to Denver, furnished with about
200 pounds of ore taken from the va
rious mines, together with descriptive
literature, which comprehends all that
is worth knowing about the resources
and physical advantages of La Plata
county. 70 make the situation down
there as clear as it can be without
personal inspection, Mr.. Turner brings
AN admirably constructed model of the
country, which will be exhibited with
the minerals in the uptown ticket of
flee of the Denver & Rio Grande rail
road. This model shows the topog
iaphy of the region, railroads, wagon
roads, trails, streams, etc.
Mr.. Turner is not here to exagger-
ate or in any way misrepresent condi-
tions in La Plata county. He is first
of all an experienced real estate man,
perfectly familiar with the resources
of the southwest and desirous Of con-
veying accurate information with re-
spect to its agricultural, mining and
industrial advantages. The samples
he brings have been selected with a
view to educating the people here and
elsewhere as to what his country has
to offer bona fide settlers and bust
ness men. In an interview this morn
ing speaking of the increasing inter
est in the California mining district,
on the La Plata river, he said there
are approximately thirty to forty
properties being opened and developed
and new discoveries are of quite fire.
quent occurrence, mostly in the tellu-
rum belt. While some of the prod
ucts are exceedingly rich, the average
grades compare favorably with those
of Cripple Creek and other developed
sections of the state Only the tellu-
rum belt is under vigorous exploita-
ton at present.
Nell Rapp, former owner of the
Gold Sovereign, at Cripple Creek, has
take mover a group of claims belong
ing to Peter Lauer, situated on the
north side line of the Burnt Timber
group, and has let a eontrac to drive
100 feet of drift on the vein. A let
ter received today from Count Pour
tales, who is looking after the inter
ests of the Davy-Pourtales Mining
company, in the Bulldozer-Eureka,
states that he has made new strike
on the north end of the claim, expos
ing fourteen inches of ore worth $l06
per ton. Other strikes are reported
from time to time, therefore the inter
est is kept at lively stage.
Mr.. Turner will remain here about
thirty days and will then exhibit his
samples in Colorado Springs, Cripple
Creek and Pueblo. During the fall
and winter they will be taken to Bos-
ton, New York, Philadelphia and
Pittsburg. This mission is undertaken
for the express purpose of attracting
attention to the La Plata country. He
is not offering stocks or promoting
any other form of advertising. His
instruction from the Durango board Of
trade are to tell the exact truth about
the agricultural, mineral and other re-
sources; to enlighten the uniformed
and point the way to the migration of
desirable people. Durango has never
had boom such as most western
cities have framed up as an entice-
ment to come in and enjoy.-Denvcr
Post.