the city, and runs every thirty minutes. Mr. Strayer is president of the company and its general manager. Since this has been done 200 families have been located on the lands and as many brick cottages have been already contracted for. The location of these lands is at 250 feet elevation, and the park, the city and the Rockies are in full view from any part of them.

The Strayer Investment Company own altogether 480 acres, and have platted 160 of them in blocks and half blocks. The remaining 320 acres will be sold in 40-acre tracts. Mr. Strayer is general agent for the company; he believes that from 300 to 500 per cent. can be made on cash investments here in a single year, but makes a somewhat more conservative proposition to strangers of an absolute guarantee of 8 per cent. and half of all the net proceeds of sale for every investment they make here. He is providing loans and is getting for the use of money, 7 to 9 per cent.

The following gentlemen are associated with him in the Strayer Investment Company: J. G. Benkleman, vice president; J. B. Shepard, secretary; E. R. Barton, treasurer; Z. W. More, A. L. Doud and J. B. Vroom. Three of these-Messrs. Benkleman, Shepard and Barton-have close relation with banks here. Mr. J. W. Strayer is president of this company also. The office of Mr. Strayer and this company is at room 2, Patterson & Thomas block, northwest corner of Seventeenth and Curtis streets.

Mr. Strayer organized his firm and the companies above referred to last fall and has done over two million ($2,000,000) dollars worth of business within that time, eight months. This satisfies him about as well as his Kansas City business did, and he is therefore very enthusiastic over Denver's outlook and great promise for the future.

I.

I. B. PORTER.

B. PORTER, senior member of the firm of Porter, Raymond & Co., was born in Monroe County, Missouri, in 1842, and was educated there for the law. He, however, entered the banking business in Missouri, where he remained until 1875, when he removed to Montana, and practiced law there for eight years. He came to Denver in 1884 and organized the Real Estate and Insurance firm of Porter Raymond & Co.

The first large transaction in real estate attempted by this firm was the purchase of 160 acres of land adjoining Capitol Hill, which they platted and placed on the market under the name of Wyman's addition; the same has been all closed out at a profit of $500,000 to the firm. They now own Rohlfing addition, adjoining Wyman's (now nearly all sold), and Platte Park addition, which lies just North of the river on West Colfax Avenue. They are firm believers in Colfax

avenue property, whether in East or North Denver. Mr. I. B. Porter, Mr. W. W. Porter and Mr. Chas. A. Raymond compose the partnership. They each own a fine residence in Wyman's addition, ranging in cost from $15,000 to $20,000 each.

Mr. I. B. Porter is a public spirited man and is usually found upon the important public committees, not infrequently at the head. The greatest good Denver ever derived from any public committee work, was probably that accomplished by the Committee of Arrangements for the Inter-State Deep Harbor Convention (see appendix for particulars of convention). Mr. Porter was chairman of that committee of arrangements, and worked faithfully to secure its perfect success. That it was a success we need only to refer you to that eminent authority on Denver, John E. Leet, whose article on real estate we publish entire and appears a few pages in advance of this. Mr. Leet says: that convention was worth $10,000,000 to Denver. We believe it; and believe that much of the success of the movement was due to the personal efforts and ingenuity of Mr. Porter. (The author of this book was secretary of that committee of arrangements and knows whereof he speaks.)

I. B. Porter was a candidate for State Senator in the 1888 election on the democratic ticket, and although defeated he received many more votes than any other democratic candidate; an evidence of his personal popularity. He is a liberal contributor to all public enterprises, and has been one of the foremost promoters of the extensive cable system that Denver now enjoys.

COLONEL ARCHIE C. FISK.

R. FISK was born in New York City in Oct., 1836. After leaving M1 school he was engaged as clerk in a store in Elyria, O., until Lincoln's call for troops, when he assisted in raising a company, which was mustered in the 23rd Ohio Infantry. He was commissioned lieutenant June 1st, 1861, and assigned to the staff of Gen. W. S. Rosecrans; early in 1862 was appointed Assistant Commissary of Subsistence for the District of Kanowa; participated in the battles of West Virginia, also second Bull Run, South Mountain and Antietam. In December, 1862, was assigned to the staff of Gen. Hugh Ewing and joined Gen. W. T. Sherman's command January, 1863; was appointed Assistant Adjutant General and assigned to duty with Gen. J. A. J. Lightburn; participated in the operations around Vicksburg, and rendered efficient and conspicuous services during the assaults and siege; was with General Sherman on the Jackson campaign, also at Collierville and through Alabama; was Assistant Adjutant General 2nd Division 15th Corps at the battle of Mission Ridge and the march

Member of the Committee of Arrangements for the Inter-State Deep Harbor Convention, held in Denver Angust, 1888.

Mr. Londoner is Chairman of the Republican State Central Committee, has resided in Colorado for many years, was one of the earliest pioneers. Wolfe Londoner has the largest wholesale and retail grocery establishment in the city, his trade mark is "Let 'er go Gallagher."

In

to Knoxville, remaining with this command until after the fall of Atlanta, and, as Adjutant General of this division, served on the staffs of Generals Ewing, Lightburn, M. L. Smith and W. B. Hazen. October, 1864, was assigned to duty as Adjutant General District of Vicksburg, which position he held until after the close of the war. In addition to his duties as Adjutant General of that department, he was in February, 1864, appointed Commissioner for the Exchange of Prisoners of War, and succeeded in releasing from rebel prisons at Andersonville, Ga., and Cohoba, Ala., about 8,000 captives. These prisoners were taken to the rear of Vicksburg to "Camp Fisk," which was named in his honor. At the surrender he signed the paroles and furnished transportation to their homes for about 75,000 Confederate soldiers from the armies of Generals Dick Taylor, N. B. Forrest and Wirt Adams.

After the close of the war he engaged in mercantile and manufacturing pursuits in Vicksburg, constructing and operating the first cotton seed oil mill in that section. During the reconstruction he took part in politics and published the Republican and afterwards the Daily Times; was a delegate from the state at large to the National Convention that nominated Grant in 1868; was appointed member of the National Executive Committee for the ensuing four years; was Chairman of the State Committee in 1869; was also a candidate for Congress in the Vicksburg District for that year.

In 1873 he removed to Denver with his family, where he has since resided. During the year 1878, '79, and '80, he was clerk of the District Court. During his entire residence in Denver he has been one of the leading real estate operators; in fact he has probably platted more additions, laid out more streets, and planted more trees than any other citizen Denver has ever had. He has organized several large Companies for operating in real estate and building up the city. Among them The Denver Land and Improvement Co., the Circle Railroad and Real Estate Companies, and The American Trust Co. He first conceived the idea of building cheap homes for the working classes allowing them to pay for them at $15 per month, accomplishing a double purpose, that of making them tax payers and feeling an interest in the welfare of the city, and enabling them to work at moderate wages, which made it possible for manufacturers to engage in business and to this fact Denver owes much of her prosperity. Col. Fisk has certainly left his impress upon the City which he has seen grow from a mere village. He is one of the most active members of the Real Estate Exchange, and Chamber of Commerce, is ever alive to every enterprise looking to the advancement of Denver. In doing so much for Denver he has not been entirely unmindful of his own interests. He is to-day one of the largest real estate owners in Colorado, owning additions to Denver, inside business property, town property,