Connecticut western news., 1885-11-25
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Happenings of Interest to All,
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HORACE B. CHAPLIN DEAD.
stricken by ApOpIexy mt n Dinner Party in
 hls FOrdhRm House.

Horace Brigham Clafiin, whose reputation as one of the greatest merchants of New York extended throughout the country and to Flu rope, died of apoplexy at o'clock Saturday afternoon, at his country honse at Fordham. Mir. Clafin was in his 74th year. He was con- scious few moments before his death, and whispered good-by to his wife and children. bis death was painless.
 Mir. CIafln was at his store at Worth and Church streets all day Wednesday, and took one of the late afternoon trains to Fordham. where he has passed the summer and fall for number of ye-rs. Mir. Clatlin and his family were to return to their Plerrepont street home on Thursday, and thought it would bo Q good idea to give little dinner party. During the dinner he turned to Mrs. Fairchild and said:
 "Well, Mrs. Farlady, how is Mir. Fairman, the gentleman on your left, getting along" He had hardly spoken when hs head dropped, and he lost the power of speech, though he was semi-conscious. The dinner party broke up in alarm. Mr. Claflin was assisted to his room and his physician was sent for. MT. Claflin retained his conscious ness, and heard the phys clan inform Mrs. Clafl and his children, who had gathered about his bedside, that he was suffering from an apoplectic stroke.
 He passed an easy night, and on Friday his physician did not consider him in immediate danger He rested very we'll on Friday night, and not until 5 o'clock Saturday morning were serious symptoms noticed. He grew weaker as the day advanced, and died at o'clock. The body will be brought to his late residence ill Brooklyn on Monday, and the funeral ser Ylc1 will be held there at noon Tuesday. Henry Ward Beecher, who is in Chicago, was telegrapht to Saturday night, and requested to telegraph to Mrs. Clat1in at Fordham if he would be able to officiate at the funeral. The burial will be in Greenwood.
 Mir. Clafiin has been familiar figure in New York for over forty years.
 Mir. Claan was born in Milford, Mass, on Dec. Is, 1911. His father kept country store. For years liquor formed one of the chief rev enues of his fathers store. A few months after Horace and his brother Aaron were ad- mittCd to partnership, Horace persuaded his father to discontinue it's sale. At the age of twenty-one Horace had accumulated a little money in his own name. With Aaron he opened small dry goods and general store, in Worcester. Two years later the copartnership was dissolved. Aaron retired, and Horace, with his brother-in-law Samuel Daniels, con- linued the Worcester business. This business was retained until July, 1S43 with consider able success. Horace then decided to come to New York, and iu July of that year he estab- lished the dry goods firm of Bulkley X Clafin, in Cedar street, which was then the dry goods district of the city.
 This firm met with success but was dis solved in July, 1851, MT. Bulkley retiring, and Wm. II. Mellen and two of Mir. Clahin's brightest salesmen forming the firm of Clahin, Mellen & Co.
 In 1857, Edward E. Flames, who is still a partner, became associated with the firm.
 On Jan. 1, 1861, Mir. Mellen retired from the firm with fortune, and the firm of Fl. B. Clatiin X Go. was started. There have been many partners of the firm in the last twenty years. The present partners are John Claflin, son of Horace B., Edward E. Flames, Horace J. Falrchild, William s. Dunn, Dexter N. Force and Daniel Robinson. The immense store is in Worth street. It is notable for its water supply and fire apparatus, which saved the building in the great Worth street fire of few years ago.
 It is unders ood that Mir. Clafin leaves a fortune of several millions. He was always averse to display of any kind, and, although bis two houses were very richly furnished and afforded opportunities for social gatherings, he entertained but little. In politics he was an old line Whig, and of late years supported faithfully the nominees of the Republican party. He was never conspicuous in munich pal affairs.
 For twelve years or more he has been a con- spicuous member of the Plymouth Church So- ciety though not 8 member of the church.
 While he was in business at Worcester MT. Clafln married Agnes, daughter of Col. Calvin and Anna Sanger of Sherburne, Mass, who survives him. Mir. Clahin was named after the son of Dr. Isaac Brigham, and was a god son of the Rev. Amarah Frost, of Milford.