DENVER CHURCHES.

DENVER'S Churches surpass any city in America of 135,000 population-66 in number, of all denominations, range in cost from $10,000 to $250,000, and ranging in membership from 50 to 1,200.

The Trinity M. E. Church, just completed, is the largest church in the city; cost, exclusive of organ, $210,000. The organ cost $40,000, and was mainly the gift of that munificent, public spirited citizen, Isaac E. Blake, President of the Continental Oil Company, who gave almost as good a one to a church in San Francisco. The organ is pronounced by noted English authority to be the best and finest organ in the world. The Easter offering at this church last spring amounted to $65,000, a sum said to never have been realized by one offering by any other Protestant church in the world. The Methodists have just completed the Evans Memorial Church, at a cost of $100,000. The seating capacity of all the churches in Denver is said to be about 40,000.

The Denver church roster is now an encouragingly long one for a city of 130,000 people. It shows:

Seven Baptist Churches-The First Calvary, Broadway, West Denver, Bethany, Galilee, the Swedish Antioch and the Zion African.

Six Catholic Churches-St. Mary's Cathedral, the Sacred Heart, St. Elizabeth, St. Patrick's, St. Joseph's and St. Ann's.

Eight Congregational Churches-the First, Second, West Denver, Boulevard, Pilgrim, Olivette, Park Avenue and People's Tabernacle.

Five Episcopal Churches-St. John's Cathedral, Trinity Memorial Chapel, All Saints Mission, Emanuel and St. Marks.

Two Jewish Synagogues-Temple Emanuel and Ohava Imuna (orthodox Jewish congregation).

Five Lutheran Churches-English Evangelist, German Evangelist, First German Evangelist, Swedish Evangelist and Scandinavian Trinity.

Seventeen Methodist Churches-California Street, Evans Memorial, Fifth Avenue, First German, German, St. John's, St. James', St. Paul's, Trinity, West Denver German, North Denver, Argo, Southern Methodist, Swedish Free Methodist, Simpson Chapel Morrison Chapel.

Seven Presbyterian Churches-the Central, Fourteenth Avenue, Twenty-third Avenue, Highland, Westminster, United Presbyterian, Welch Presbyterian.

Three United Brethren Churches-Twenty-sixth Avenue, Smith Chapel and Mission Chapel.

Besides these there are the Central Christian Church, the German Reformed Church, Unity Church, New Jerusalem Church, the Railroad Mission Sunday School, the Blake Street Mission, and several other minor missions.

Its

An active and powerful and growing religious organization outside of the church is the Young Men's Christian Association. sustaining membership is 311, active 401, and associate 300, making a total of 1,012. Its rooms are on Arapahoe street, between Sixteenth and Seventeenth. The reading room is provided with 106 papers and periodicals, including the best in the country, and is furnished with stationery free for members and visitors.

A movement is on foot to erect a new Y. M. C. A. block, to cost $150,000, Hon. H. B. Chamberlin heading the list with a $25,000 subscription.

D

ARAPAHOE COUNTY,

ENVER is the county seat of Arapahoe County, and represents three-fourths of the wealth of the county. From the January, 1889, report of the County Clerk we give the assets and liabilities of

the county:

(Signed) JOSEPH SMITH, County Clerk. The exhibit is gratifying, and shows the financial condition of the county to be first class, with a bonded indebtedness of less than $200,000. The valuations of realty owned by the county are far below the present selling prices of real estate near that owned by the county. Twice the amount that appears in the Clerk's report would be nearer, the present cash value.

The Board of County Commissioners of Arapahoe County is composed of good substantial business men, and the affairs of the county are by them managed in an economical manner.

Hon. J. M. Brown, the chairman of the board, is an old resident of Arapahoe county and for many years a farmer near Littleton,

where he lived until recently. His time being entirely occupied with county affairs, he has moved to Denver, the county seat. Mr. Brown was a member of the board for one term of two years several years ago. He was elected in the fall of 1888 for two years, and upon the organization of the board was chosen chairman. He makes a good presiding officer, and is deservedly popular with the board and the people.

Hon. John G. Lilley lives at Littleton; is largely interested in that suburban city; runs a flour mill there, and is interested in other lines of business. He is a man of good business ability, highly regarded by his constituents, and a worthy associate of the members of this board.

Hon. W. M. Robertson resides in Denver, and was for several years City Health Commissioner. He is a gentleman of high social, political and business standing; a man of sterling integrity, and one who interests himself largely in county affairs. He owns considerable Denver realty, and is regarded one of Denver's most substantial citizens.

Hon. John C. Conway lives at Brighton, a Denver suburb, where he is engaged in the mercantile business on quite an extensive scale. He was for a long time at the head of the famous Brighton Creamery. Mr. Conway is a highly respected citizen, an excellent business man and a model County Commissioner.

Hon. E. R. Barton is a resident of Denver, for a long time prom-. inently connected with the Continental Oil Company. He was chairman of the Board of County Commissioners for two years just ended, and is now treasurer of the Strayer Investment Company. Mr. Barton is a very prominent dealer in Denver real estate, and has accumulated a comfortable fortune by his strict attention to business. He is a gentleman of strict integrity and of great personal popularity. He was a candidate for Mayor of Denver in the spring of 1889 on the Democratic ticket, and, notwithstanding the city is Republican by more than 3,000 majority, Mr. Barton came within 200 or 300 votes of being elected; not satisfied with the result, he has entered a contest for the office, and the same is now (May 15th) before the courts.

Earl M. Cranston, the County Attorney, is a young man only 26 years of age, a native of Ohio. He had a university education and afterwards attended the Cincinnati Law School and graduated with honors. He has resided in Colorado about eleven years; was elected to the Colorado Legislature in the fall of 1888; served during the last session of that body with credit to himself and constituents. Mr. Cranston was appointed County Attorney by the present Board of Commissioners while he was sitting in the late session of the General Assembly. His advice is highly regarded by the members of the board, and, by his excellent legal ability, he has succeeded in building up a good private practice.