for drunkenness in March of 1877. Silks had a head for business. Before purchasing property in Denver, she rented, a house on Holladay Street where she conducted business. She bought her first brothel at 501 Holladay Street (now Market Street) from Nellie French for $13,000 and suffered from stiff competition from other brothels. Silks also conducted business out of buildings on either side of her brothel. In August of 1877 Silks engaged in the now famous, duel between her and another madam, Katie Fulton. It was the first recorded duel in Denver between two women. 'According to historian Katy Ordway, Cortez was Katie's lover before his meeting Mattie. The duel was allegedly a jealous feud over Cortez. There are many versions of the incident. One version has Mattie and Katie topless shooting at each other. Another version says Mattie, who was known to carry a pistol, caught Cortez and Katie in a compromising position and challenged Katie to a duel. According to Collins, the Denver Daily Times reportedKatie and Mattie had an argument following a footrace. Thompson won the race, and Mattie collected $2,000. A fight broke out involving several people, including Mattie, Thompson, Katie, and Katie's lover Sam Thatcher. Katie received the worst of it: During the fray she was punched, knocked down twice, and kicked in the face, breaking her nose. Afterward, as Thompson returned to Denver in a buggy, another carriage pulled up beside him and he was shot in the neck, though not fatally. Katie left town for a while but returned in September, where she had another fight with Mattie. This time Mattie punched Katie, knocking her down and injuring her nose again.Mattie was an intelligent business woman. She bought, sold, and rented property throughout the 1870's, 80's, 90's and early twentieth century. Her real estate included a ranch in Yuma and a fashionable home at 2635Lawerence Street away from the Red-Light District. From 1877 to 1897 her brothel was the most successful in Denver. Silks was known as the “Queen of Denver’s Red Light District”. In 1898, Madam Jennie Rogers openedhe House of Mirrors in Denver, and quickly became more successful than any of the competition. Jennie Rogers died in 1909, after which Silks purchased the House of Mirrors for $14,000. She continued to work as a madam, traveled, and invested in real estate, making her a very wealthy woman. She died in 1929