Show t f TOWN SEEKS TOU TOURIST RIST TRADE Creede Colo Cob Once Scene of Great Boom Begins Struggle for or orI I Existence i The story tory of th the struggle of at a n small mining town In Colorado for tor exIst existence nce has Just been told by the Department of ot the Interior It Is of Creede In the midst of or the great mountain group called San Juan mountains near the Illo Itlo Grande Just below the picturesque canyon of Willow Creek The he citizens of ot Creede are now doing their best to tomake make their town to a stopping place for tourists to offset the decline In min ing mg The first mining claims In the Creede district as stated In a report by the J Department of the Interior through the geological survey were located In 1883 1881 but tut the great boom which rl ri rivaled ri- ri v led anything In the early history of ot other mining districts did not begin until late In when perhaps people rushed to the camp n R railroad was as extended to It and the small amount of ot flat fiat land available In iii the deep canyon was built up almost sol sol- sol sol- idly Early In the following year a disastrous fire Ore destro destroyed ed most of the new city The city was rebuilt but the boom subsided almost as rapidly asIt as asIt It Jt It had grown ni It was In lii June 1891 that two pros proa prospectors prospectors Theodore and Jull us Haas Hans grubstaked by two butchers butcher of Del Norte set out to prospect the Creede region It Is said that the tho search for tor their strayed burros led to the outcrop on the famous fa famous Last Chance claim The poor surface Indications led him to define his claim the Last Chance Chanc A short time later he be sold his share In It for foi but by December 1892 1802 the mine had produced silver and o other her ore valued at nearl nearly After Arter the trio great Doom boom the district settled down to a more regular existence existence existence exist exist- ence and has produced metals v valued at atmore more than about halt half haltof of which was distributed as profits The metal produced In largest quan quantity Is silver which makes up about twp two of ot th the total value e of the metallic output Lead makes aboul abon one-fifth one and gold 01 1 about one fifteenth Most Host of the metal mined was taken from a single singie vein which extends along alonga a great fault or earthquake rift that that thatIs Is several miles mlles long and cuts volcanic rocks Many thousand years ago th the rocks on one side of this fault were dropped down more than 1500 feet A mining tunnel follows this vein rein hn for forab ab about ut two miles mUes Some ore h has tas s been hew produced from other veins most of which extend along nIong faults |