The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-13
Acute Indigestion Develops Into
Heart Failure.
THE END CAME SUDDENLY
IN GOOD SPIRITS EARLY IN THE
DAY.
Had Been a Sufferer From Gastritis
For a Long Time-Was at the
Eastport &c lntry Club When
Stricken-Sketch OF Career of the
Famous Financier.

| II,
Roswell P Flower died tonight at IO:S(
at the Eastport Country club. at East
port, l. l
Mr.. Flo ) taken i'll early in the
0ay with : x ere attack of acute in
digestion. In the afternoon symptoms
of heart failure supervened and he
grew steadily worse until the time OF
his death. The attack of heart failure
was accompanied by a fainting spell
and Mr.. Flowers family in New York
City were quickly notified. Mrs. Flow
er and the former governors nephew
| Frederick 5. Flower accompanied by
DR.. Thomas H. Allen, Mr.. Flowers
physician, left at once on a special
train for Eastport. When they dr.
rived there, Mr. Flower had somewhat
recovered, but tonight the attack o:
heart failure was marked and Mr.
Flower became unconscious an hour OF
more before his death.
AT the club house all the reports
early in the evening regarding MIR.
Flowers serious illness were emphatic
ally denied, although at that time ii
was not believed that he would recover.
Mr.. Flower has been a sufferer from
gastritis for a long time, every now and
| then having an acute attack. For a
month or two past he has been regu-
lar visitor at the Eastport Country
club in the hope that he would find
/ some relief in the case. He was in
robust health yesterday, and this
morning when he arrived at Eastport,
where he intended to remain until
Monday, his health was apparently eX-
cellent. The attack from which he
suffered today came on suddenly and
was of a more severe type at the out
set than any he had previously suffer
ed from.
Frederick S. Flower took charge of
the details after his uncle's death, but
no arrangement for the funeral has
yet been made. The body will probab-
! ly be transferred to Manhattan tomor-
row morning.
! Roswell p. Flower was born in
Theresa, Jefferson county, New York,
Aug. Z. 1885. Roswell was the sixth of
nine children, and when his father died
he was eight years old. He worked
with his brothers on two farms his
mother owned, and spent his time be-
tween school sessions in the hardest
kind of labor. He became deputy
postmaster of Watertown, n. Y, in
1883, and kept his place six years. Then
he became a partner in the leWelry
firm of Hitchcock & Flower, bought
out his partner at the end of two years
and continued in the business until
1869.
Mr.. Flower came to New York in that
year to take charge of the estate of
Henry Keep, whose widow was Mrs.
Flowers sister. Mr.. Keep owned a
great many railroad and other stocks
and during the months before his death
he spent much time in instructing Mr.
Flower about them. Having thus
gained an insight into Wall street and
its methods, Mr.. Flower formed, in
1870, the firm of Benedict. Flower & Co,
in which he joined F. c. Benedict and
II. H. Truman. This firm was dissolved
in 1872. Not long afterward he organ
lied the banking firm of Flower & Co.,
which has since been a power in Wall
street.
Mr.. Flower always was a Democrat
In the early '70's he helped Samuel J.
Tilden to develop the famous organiza
tion which exposed Tweed and enjoyed
many other triumphs.
Mr.. Flower was chosen chairman of
the Democratic state committee in 1877,
and in 1881 he defeated William Wal
dorf Astor for congress. after a hot
campaign, in the Eleventh district His
majority was 3,100, while Levi P. Nor
ton, Republican, had carried it at the
last previous election by more than 1000
votes He refused a denomination. He
WIS eleCleQ governor Oh the state In
1891
Mr.. Flower took up Brooklyn Rapid
Transit less than two years ago, buy
ing from 10000 to 10000 shares at about
%, when the capital stock was only
$4,000, 900. He absorbed many subordi-
nate lines among them the Nassau
Electric company, and increased the
capital stock to $45, ,000,0 and by his
extraordinarily successful manipula-
tion, put the price up to 137. His hold
ings in Brooklyn Rapid Transit alone,
which cost him two years ago little
more than s500000, are worth. at today's
market price more than $4,000, ,0O0
Mr.. Flower was one of the founders
of the Federal Steel Trust, whose stock
already issued is 500, ,737. 500 Good au-
thorities estimate that Mr.. Flowers
profits in the last eighteen months in
Wall street have exceeded 10.OOO 900.
He has become in that time the ac-
knowledged speculative leader in the
financial markets of the United States.
Mr.. Flower married Sarah Woodruff.
a daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Woodruff
of Watertown, in 1859. Three children
were born. of whom only one survives.
Emma Gertrude, who is the wife of
John B. Taylor.