F. D. MORSE.

MR. R. F. D. MORSE was born near Princeton, New Jersey under the shadow of Old Nassau Hall, where he received his education. He studied law with Judge Bortine, of Somerset County, New Jersey. Subsequently he was admitted to the bar in 1871, in the State of Nebraska; afterwards he practiced law in the State of Kansas, and dealt largely in real estate.

In 1887 he removed to Denver, and entered into the real estate business and the practice of law. He soon became prominent in real estate circles, taking an active interest in the Real Estate Exchange, of which he was a member. The prominent part he took in debates upon the important subjects brought before that body soon marked him for promotion, and he was, at the second annual election of the Exchange, chosen one of the directors. In the revision of the by-laws of the Exchange, and subsequent incorporation, Mr. Morse was one of the most active workers, was one of the incorporators, and in the chartered body became a director. The present efficiency of the Exchange is largely due to the personal efforts of Mr. Morse.

The law business has been, up to this time, merely an auxiliary to Mr. Morse's realty transactions, but is growing to become the main feature of the business. His judgment of titles is highly regarded by several large loan and trust companies, who consult him frequently.

Mr. Morse is a natural politician, and figures very conspicuously in the various conventions of the city. Being a natural organizer, he usually succeeds in having things go his way, therefore the future public career of Mr. Morse is liable to be something to be proud of. With all public enterprises we find him prominently identified, and he is a liberal supporter of all movements which tend to increase the growth of Denver.

THE senior member of the firm of Apple & Hamilton, real estate

dealers and brokers in loans, mines and insurance, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, July 29th, 1838. In 1842 he removed with his parents to their old home and birthplace, Philadelphia, from whence they went to Pittsburg in 1844. Having lost their entire fortune in the great fire of 1845 in this city (Pittsburg), they soon after removed to Nashville, Tenn., when the subject of this sketch was placed in the best private schools of this city, there being no public schools in those days. While in school he made the best possible use of his advantages, and advanced rapidly.

In July, 1850, his father died of cholera, leaving the wife and mother in straitened circumstances, which compelled her in September, 1852, to place her son in a wholesale auction and commission dry goods and notion house, where she hoped he might earn a livelihood. In this business he made a marked success as a salesman, and in three years' time obtained a position with another leading firm of the same city, where, although the youngest salesman, he made the largest

sales.

In 1861 he responded to his state's call in the Confederate service, but, fortunately, his company was mustered out at the end of six weeks' service. Until 1863 he employed himself as best he could in the city of Nashville, when he went to Cincinnati and took the position of bookkeeper in a large commission house, where he remained for one year, then embarking in the wholesale boot and shoe business, doing business on his own account for awhile, but, finally, with the firm of Pritchard, Alter & Co., building up a prosperous business. After this we find him in business again in Nashville, where his venture was unsatisfactory to himself; afterwards with the firm of Chatterton & Co., of New York City, and in the fall of 1876 back again in Nashville, in the commission business.

Owing to ill-health, in August, 1879, he came to Denver. The following month he entered into a copartnership with H. K. Bunch, an attorney from St. Louis, Mo., who retired from the firm in 1881, leaving Mr. Apple to control the business alone, until 1883, when he formed a copartnership with Mr. George A. Hamilton, under the style of Apple & Hamilton.

Mr. Apple is a director in the Real Estate Exchange and an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, being the foremost in advocating public improvements. Through his efforts the council have lately added two steamers to the equipments of the fire department. He was also a member of the Chamber of Commerce committee which reported upon the prospects of natural gas within a short distance of Denver, as well as on the Committee of Arrangements for the late Inter-State Deep Harbor Convention.

HON. WM. G. SMITH,

LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR OF COLORADO.

R. SMITH was born in Newton, New Jersey, in 1857.

Ilis

MR family soon moved to Birmingham, Michigan, where he

graduated from the High School. He came to Colorado in 1872 with his father, mother, brother and sister. Soon after reaching Colorado, his father died, leaving him, his mother, sister and younger brother to be supported by his own exertions. He engaged in various pursuits, but soon became an expert lather and plasterer, which afforded him sufficient income to support the family, and lay up a little for a rainy day. During the winter season he taught school, although not yet 17 years of age, having passed a creditable examination before the Denver school board.

He had saved up some money, and in November, 1874, he purchased the Golden Globe, a weekly newspaper published at Golden, in Jefferson County, and has been editor and proprietor of the same ever since. He served four years as Superintendent of Public Schools of Jefferson County; he served two years as private secretary of Gov. F. W. Pitkin; and for four years was a member of the Board of Trustees of the State Reform School. In the fall of 1888 he was elected Lieutenant-Governor of the state, and during the late session of the legislature, showed his great ability as a parliamentarian. During Gov. Cooper's absence from the state for nearly a month, Mr. Smith was acting as Governor, performing the duties of the first office in the state, to the entire satisfaction of Governor Cooper and the state in general, and with great credit to himself.

Governor Smith is in every sense of the word a self-made man, and has attained a place in politics rarely reached by a man of his years, he being only 31 years of age when elected.