Dr. Highwarden was born in the little town of Ai, Portugal, March 1, 1842. He left home at the age of thirteen and went to London, where for eight years, he was office-boy for the famous Sir Astley Cooper, through whose influence, he was then appointed a steward in the Guy Hospital of London. He began the study of medicine at the Royal Medical College of Physicians, in London and after graduating there entered the Royal College of Surgeons at Brighton, graduating at that institution at the age of twenty-seven, when he came to the United States and practiced for a time in Boston and then took a course of lectures in the University of Medicine and Surgery at Philadelphia. In 1861, he returned to his home in Portugal, remaining three years and then a second time came to the United States and after practicing a number of years in Michigan and Ohio, removed to San Francisco, in which place he lived until September, 1879, when he came to Denver to engage in the practice of his profession. He was married in 1876, to Miss Susan B. Turner, of St. Louis. He practices the Eclectic system of medicine and is building up a lucrative practice.

Mr. Hill was born in Mercer County, Penn., in 1829. At the age of seventeen, he engaged in running a canal-boat and such was his industry and economy that before he had attained his majority, he was the captain of his own boat. At twenty-one, he sold out and emigrated to Davenport, Iowa, when that city contained a population of but 1,500. The first seven years, he was successfully engaged in buying and selling stock, after which he followed the livery business for fifteen years and was identified with the growth of the city to a population of 25,000. In 1873, failing health compelled him to visit Colorado, where he derived so much benefit, that he twice returned to his old home in Iowa, confident that his health was sufficiently re-established to admit of his remaining there, but was as often obliged to return to Colorado. He has contributed to the upbuilding of Denver by the erection of several buildings, including the Denver transfer barn. In the spring of 1878, he bought out the Transfer Company and continued to run the transfer and livery business until May, 1879, when he sold out to Marrs & Brown, by whom it is still continued. Since then, Mr. Hill has confined his attention to general business and looking after some real-estate interests, which he has at Leadville. He was married in Davenport, Iowa, in 1854, to Miss Amanda J. Blair, of that city and has three children.

 Nathaniel P. HILL is descended from an old and highly respected family of New York and was born in Orange County, in that State, in 1832. His father, of the same name, was an extensive farmer, owning a large farm a few miles from the banks of the Hudson River. He was a man who possessed in an eminent degree the respect of his fellow-citizens, who manifested their confidence by sending him as their representative in the General Assembly of the State. He also held the office of County Judge for a number of years. He was a Democrat of the old school of Jefferson and Jackson and besides being a thorough gentleman, was possessed of those principles of unwavering integrity which have also marked the business career of his son. At the age of sixteen years, young Hill was left in charge of the paternal estate and in that way acquired an experience in the management of affairs and the control of men, which has been of great value in his subsequent life. He found time during the winter seasons to prepare for college and at the age of twenty-one, became a student in Brown University, at Providence, R.I. Although an apt student in all the branches of study in the college curriculum, the science of chemistry was his especial delight and much of his time was spent in conducting experiments in the chemical laboratory. He acquired such proficiency in this science, that in 1856, he was made a tutor in the chemical department of the university and in 1860, was elected by the Board of Trustees Professor of Chemistry and continued to occupy that chair with credit until 1864. At that time, so great a reputation had he acquired as a scientist and a thoroughly reliable gentleman, that a few wealthy men in Providence and Boston were induced to place at his disposal a sufficient amount of capital for the thorough examination of the Gilpin land grant in Colorado. This visit to the Territory led to a second visit the following year, at which time he made a most complete and exhaustive examination of the mines of Gilpin County. It was during these visits that his attention was drawn to the imperfect methods of treating the ores of that region and he devoted much study to the subject with a view to engaging in his present business. The better to acquaint himself with his subject, he visited the extensive reduction works at Swansea, in Wales, having first resigned his professorship in Brown University. He spent the winter of 1865-66 in studying ore-reduction in Europe and in the summer of 1866, made a second voyage to Europe, taking with him seventy tons of Colorado ore for experimental treatment at Swansea. Returning in the spring of 1867, he organized the Boston & Colorado Smelting Company and at once came to Colorado as a permanent resident. It is not the purpose of this sketch to recount the history of the grand enterprise of which Prof. HILL has since been the head and front and a full account of which will be found in the historical part of this work. We give the following extract from the columns of the Syracuse Courier of January, 1879, written by one who is evidently well acquainted with Prof. HILL and his work in Colorado:

"From time to time he created and organized these works (meaning the Boston and Colorado Smelting Works,) putting in whatever money of his own he had saved and drawing on these Eastern capitalists for such sums as he thought it safe and profitable for them to invest. Of course, his uniform success is due mainly to his splendid attainments in science and practical knowledge of his business, his superior executive abilities and his pluck and perseverance. But all these would have been of little avail if he had yielded to the theories and influences which seemed to take possession of everybody in Colorado during Prof. Hill's earlier life in that region. All the miners, learned and unlearned, were looking for bonanzas; but, till the recent silver discoveries, they were not to be found in Colorado. But promising gold mines and after a few years, still more promising silver mines, were discovered in all the mountainous regions of the then Territory. Still, none of them were rich enough to yield profit in spite of the enormous cost of labor, provisions and fuel, super-added to the proverbial ignorance and extravagance of the mining superintendents; and the consequence was, every mining stock company organized in the East and absorbing fabulous amounts of capital, proved a total or partial failure. From the first, Prof. HILL took in the situation and entertained the true theory. He neither indorsed, nor invested in, any of these speculative projects and yet he had the sagacity to discover that the products of these mines could be purchased at a profit to the producer, when they were worked with fair economy and reduced and separated with still greater profit through his system of smelting. He established his first works at Black Hawk and purchased all the valuable ores brought to his establishment at their true value, according to assay. This arrangement was highly advantageous to the miners, as they could thereby prosecute their business with very little capital. Besides this advantage, it enabled each and all of them more nearly to determine the real value of their claims. The construction of the railroad connecting these mountains with the Eastern States, soon after, gave a great impetus to this smelting business. Several other smelting concerns were established in various parts of the States, although none of them achieved any such success as Prof. Hill's."

The works were removed to Denver during the year 1878 and the thriving suburb of Argo established, where they cover about seven acres of land. The Company started with a paid-up capital of $250,000, which has since increased until they now employ in the business fully $800,000, while the products have increased from less than $300,000 in 1868, to over $2,250,000 during the year 1878. To the information, discretion and energy of Prof. Hill is due the success which the establishment has attained. He continued to devote his entire attention to his important and arduous business affairs, taking no active part in political matters until the spring of 1879, when he was brought forward as a candidate for the position of United States Senator and after one of the most active and able contests in the political history of Colorado, was elected. His Congressional career has been confined to the extra session of Congress, convened in the spring of 1879, to consider the appropriation bills and which, therefore, afforded little opportunity for the introduction of general legislative measures. Senator Hill, however introduced a bill making the branch mint in Denver a coinage mint, with every prospect of success when Congress shall meet in regular session. He also introduced a bill for the encouragement of irrigation, by allowing any person to enter all the Government land that he will irrigate, up to 640 acres. This measure, if successful, cannot fail to result in the reclamation of a large part of the arid lands of the State. On the financial question, which possesses such an interest to the people of Colorado, he is a firm believer in the bi-metallic standard and uses all his efforts to promote that end. Although Mr. Hill has accumulated an ample fortune, he has done so through the steady prosecution of legitimate business enterprise and not by any lucky turn of Fortune's wheel or the exceptionally fortunate issue of any speculative schemes. Cotemporaneous [Sic.] therefore and proportionate to his own success, has been that of others engaged with him in business, as also the prosperity of Colorado's most important industry and a large number of men to whom his vast enterprises have furnished remunerative and steady employment. Whether in business, social or political life, Senator Hill is an example of the refined, courteous and honorable gentleman, resorting to none of the deceptions and intrigues so common in politics and doing what he does from motives of exalted principle.