Evening star., 1934-01-14
.Drawinz suggested by Stockton Mulford.


.Drawinz suggested by Stockton Mulford.
own-something to bring him pin
money. The Matchless was rich. Much
of the profit from the mine went into
Tabors ventures in Denver, including
the beautiful and costly Tabor Grand
Opera House. Years later, when every
thing else was swept away from him.
Tabor still held the Matchless. But
silver was demonetized and the Match
less could not help him. Political
friends got him the postmastership in
Denver, to save him from actual star
vation. But o short time after the
appointment had come through he died,
1899.
At the height Of his fame Tabor had
married the beautiful Baby Doe" the
toast of Leadville, and. as his wealth
drifted from him. he cautioned her to
hold on to the Matchless Mine; some
day. he promised, 1t would bring her
back to fortune.
Year after year she has maintained
her faithful vigil, Armed with a shot
gun, she has stood guard at the old
shafthouse of the Matchless, which has
been her home. Every week she in
spects the mine. Dressed in overalls.
she descends the rickety ladders to the
300-foot water level. She has kept in
condition the hoists. the pumps and the
other machinery which was in use when
the Matchless was pouring out its
wealth. The woman who once had q
wardrobe that was the envy Of the
country-whose wedding at Washington
W " r..
tended by President Chester A. Arthur
and other notables-lives in distressing
poverty.
Time after time it looked as If the
property would be lost. by mortgage
foreclosure or failure to pay tax assess
ments, but at the last moment friends
and former benehciaries Of Tabor came
to the rescue. Now that silver has re-
sponded to the stimulus Of Government
purchase, it would be Q fitting end to
the greatest romance Of the old silver
days II the lone guardian Of the Match
less Mine could set the machinery whir-
ring again and the ore roaring out of
the dump carts. But this ending is i'm
possible now.
Several years ago the mortgage
against the Matchless was at last fore
closed by the Shorego Co., controlled
by the heirs Of j. K. Mullen. silver
pioneer. multi millionaire and friend of
Tabor-and Mrs. Tabor, though she
still lives In the old shafthouse. is only
. homesteader now and cannot operate
the mine Its value Is q moot question.
Some contend that 1t still has possibili-
ties; others believe that 1t Is worked
out.
Nor does it seem that the question
will be settled soon. Because of the
friendship that existed between Mullen
and Tabor, the Shorego Co. will make
no effort to work the mine while
Tabor's widow is still alive-and she
keeps her lonely vigil, believing as
firmly as ever that some day the
back with it the wealth Of the early
days when she was the belle Of Lead
Vile.
Celebrste With Pistol Shots.
Leadville celebrated the silver edict
with pistol shots. and If the old guard
of the all-silver camp Of Creede, Colo,
were still in that historic camp. Cy
Warman would be saluting the new
silver edict with Q poem ON the front
page Of '"The Creede Candle" It was
this same Warman who sang Of Creede
in its heyday:
It's day all day in the daytime
And there Is no night in Creede.
Nick Creede was the discoverer OF
the camp. They were going to give 1t
some hifalutin' name, but the common
sense people who flocked in said, ITO
IS Creedel" And Creede it stayed.
Nick had uncovered the Holy Moses
mine, which looked pretty fair on its
own account until it was overshadowed
by q discovery made by butcher
named Benniger, who quit the cleaver
and carving knife and took q pack mule
and went shopping along the valley
Of the upper Rio Grande.
One day the pack slipped under the
belly Of Benniger's mule. There was
prospector could get the pack re-
adjusted. In his kicking and scuming
around the mule had uncovered some
queer looking, crumbly ore. Benniger
took this ore back home with some
other samples and had 1t assayed. But
before he got the report he left on
another prospecting trip. The assayer,
when he had completed his analysis,
was At to be tied. He rushed to Ben
niger's boss with the news that the
meat cutter had made . silver strike
Of surprising richness. The assayer
just couldn't get his tongue around the
figures, they were 50 big. The boss
shut up shop and soon had his horse
in . lather on Benniger's trail.
Stake Out Claims
In the meantime Nick Creede had
seen some Of Benniger's soft, crumbly
ore. He knew the real STUFF when he
saw 1t, did Creede. He had Benniger
stake out claim that quick, and tten
Nick staked out mother alongside 1t.
Benniger's claim developed into the
Last Chance mine, which produced mil
lions. Creede's was the rich Amethyst.
Like most prospectors, Benniger became
panicky at the idea Of having too much
money and sold out for hundred thou.
sand or 20.
Meantime the Last Chance-Amethyst
discovery made Creede the widest spot
in the West for some considerable time.
Among those who drifted In was Bob
Ford, the slayer Jesse James. Bob
opened . saloon and dance hall in q
tent. He was 'ssassinated by an indi-
vidual who wanted the reputation of
killing the man who had killed Jesse
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