DEN'VER. 'file largest city of Colorado, :mate capital, and count y -sea t of Arapahoe County, at the junction of the South Platte River and t 'terry Creek; 2023 miles from New York ('Ily and 135; miles from San Francisco; in latitude 47' N., longitude 105' IV. OLT: Colorado. E :L'o it is all important railroad cen tre. .1inong the lines entering the city are the Atchison. T..p, La and "'mita Fe; the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy: the Chicago, Rock Is land and Pacific: the t olorado :Midland: the Den ver and Rio Grande; the :Miss. mini Pacific: the I uion I'acilie; and the Colorado southern.
The city, far•famed for its beauty and health ful climate, is magnificently situated at an alti tude of 5270 feet. within 15 miles of the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains. Owing to the re markable cb artless of the atmosphere. many of the prominent peaks are discernible in clear weather, although distant 70 miles and More.
the grand view mf snow capped 11101111 tain: on one side, there is a vast stretch of plains on the other. and from the latter the city has been named the 'knees City of the Plains.' Den ver has a climate peculiarly mild and adapted to people suffering with pillnumary complaints. The city is laid out regularly with broad and shaded street.:. is sohstalltially built with brick and stone, and is watered entirely by irrigation. The more important streets are asphalted, 20 miles of thoroughfares being paved in this way. Among noteworthy buildings and institutions are the t'apitol on Capitol Bill, an imposing structure of Colorado granite, erected at a cost of i:42,000,000; the United States custom house and post•ollice; the l'inited States mint : the county courthouse; the chamber of commerce: the mining exchange; the Union Depot ; University of Denver I Nlet110 dist Episcopal) : College of the Sacred Heart Roman t'atholic); Baptist Female College: Ilall (Protestant Episcopal) ; Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church; I •,rown Palace Hotel; the Tabor opera House. and the 1)enver C11110: Equitable Building: and Saint Anthony's, saint Luke's, Saint Joseph's, and several other hospitals aml sanatoriums. The city has also theologival. law, and medical colleges. a manual training school, and art museum, and a public library of 90.000 besides the State li bra of 15.000 volumes and 1111111eroll-; others. Of the t‘NelVe piddle park.;, With a total area of acres, the largest is City Park, a preserve of :120 adorned with flowers, shrubbery. statuary, ete.. and Oa•hiding zoidogieal gardens, a natural history museum. lakes, bieyele track, and drive wo:t s. The street railway service of the city is partienlarly efficient, the system covering 143 it iles• At D•m•r are held an annual flower show, and the Festival of Mountain and Plain. ant 1•Nillt tthieh is (If more than local interest.
.\ inn of livorable natural cot ditions Ills resulted in it •1 Denver Dn• indus• trial •itv of III,' \ll's{1•111 unmnntain of the f these is its proximity to the grits region of Colorado, which produce. mot only metals lead.copper.iron.gold, and silver—but also coal. the latter making it possible to smell the oros, and avoid Hot; to other parts for that prpose. .1.1.111,1 tm
this is the c(.1rtenient situation of the city fot a railway centre. Fifteen lines now enter the city, making it altogether the best collecting and dis t•ibuting centre in the Rocky :11ountain States— I he met ropkdis cif a regime. furthermore, the great distance from the Eastern manufacturing centre. exempts it largely from trade competition, being its only rival. The value of the manufactured products in 1900 was $41,3119,000, eousideraid• over one-fourth of which was the product of smelting and refining works. .Ifter this in order of importance were foundry and machine-shop products and flouring and grist mill products. The inaehinery produced consists largely of that used in mining. l'he manufacture of malt liquors and construction and repairs are also considerable Dining the decade IS90-111o0 there was a slight decrease in the output of industries other than that connected with smelting and refining works. Denver is important as a live-stoek market, and as the trade centre of a tributary agri cultural region. It has large wholesale in dry goods and groceries, its annual jobbing trade being estimated at :I:25,000,000. The stock yards handled in 1001 over 575.000 head of stock, The City Council is a bicameral body. consti tuted of 5 supervisors and 16 aldermen. The _Ilayor is elected for two years. The boards of pnblie works, lire, and police, consisting of three members each, receive their appointment from the State Governor. The health and the park commissions and the superintendents of street cleaning, sprinkling, supplies, and certain other officers are appointed by the :Mayor. The .city surveyor. treasurer. auditor, attorney, and clerk are elected by the people. The city has a good supply of water, which is secured from the moun tain streams, but the water-works are owned and operated by a private company. The net debt in 1900 was $2,194,000. or per capita. The total actual income was S'2,:178,000. and the ex penditure for maintenance and operation was $1, t;q7.000. The larger annual appropriations ap Froximate $800,000 for schools. 811;5.000 for the fire department, $150.000 for the police depart ment. 8100.000 for municipal lighting, and 000 for parks.
Denver was first settled by miners in 1858. and in the following year was incorporated as a city by the Provisional Legislature and named in honor of Gen. .1. W. Denver, then Governor of I:ansas. In 18til it was reincorporated by the first Territorial Legislature. It became the eapi tal of the Territory in 1867, and in 1870, on the completimi of the Denver Pacific and the Kansas Pacific railroads, was first connected by rail with the East and South. Destructive floods occurred in 1864 and in 18711. In POI the town of South Denver was annexed. Since 1570 its growth, a striking instance of the remarkable rise of IN ester!' cities. has been exceedingly rapid; a popli•it ion of 47511 in that year having increased to 35.0i2n in 1880, lofi.71:1 in 1890, and 131,8511 in 191111. 25.300 persons of foreign birth :1000 f negro descent.