The Portland daily press., 1899-05-13
Ex-GOy. FLOWER DEAD.sl
Distinguished Citizen OF New
York Passes Away.
Heart Failure Caused by Indigestion
Produced Death.

New York, May 12.-Former Governor
Roswell P. Flower died tonight at 80
at the Eastport Country club at Passport,
l.. j.
Mr.. Flower was taken i'll early in the
day with a severe attack of acute indiees-
tion.
In the afternoon symptoms Of heart
failure supervened and he grew steadily
worse until the time of his death. Inc
attack of heart failure was accompanied
by fainting spell and Mr.. Flower s
family in New York were quickly noti-
fed. Mira Flower and the former gov
ernor's nephew Frederick Flower, accom-
panied by DR.. Thomas H. A lien, Mr..
Mowers physician, left at once on a
special train for Eastport. When they ar
rived there Mr.. Flo er had somewhat re-
covered. but tonight the attack OF heart
failure was marked and Mr.. Flower be-
came unconscious an hour or more before
his death. At the club house all the re
ports early IN the evening regarding Mr..
Flowers serious fitness We're emphatical-
ly denied, although at that time 1t was
not believed that he would recover. MIR.
Bowler has been a sufferer from gastrit1s
for long time with every now and then
an acute attack. For month or two
past he has been regular visitor at the
Passport Country club in the hope that
he would find some relief in the outing.
He appeared in robust health yesterday
and this morning when he arrived at
Eastport where he intended to remain
until Monday, his health was apparently
excellent The attack from which he
suffered today came on suddenly and was
OF a more severe type at the outset than
any he had previously suffered from.
Frederick 5. Flower took charge of the
details after his unole's death, but no ar
raugement for the funeral has been made.
The body will probably be sferred
to Manhattan tomorrow.
Boswell Pettibone Flower was born in
Theresn, Jefferson county, n. Y, 1885.
His father was born in Greene county,
N. Y, and his ancestors came from Con-
nectiout.
Roswell was the sixth of nine children.
He worked with his brothers on two
farms his mother owned and spent his
time between school sessions in the hard
es kind of labor. He became deputy post
m ster of Watertown, n. Y, in 1858. and
K ,3J his place six years at a salary of $50
MONTH Then he became partner in
blught out his partner at the end of two
years and continued in the business until
1869. Mr.. Flower came to New York that
year TO take charge of the estate of Henry
Keep. whose widow was Mr.. Flowers
sister. MIR. Keep owned great many
rail DAD and other stocks and during tue
months before his death he spent much
time instructing MIR. Flower about them.
Having thus gained an insight into
Wall street and its methods MIR. Flower
formed in 1870 the firm of Benedict,
Flower q Co. in which he Joined K. G.
was dissolved in 1879 when Mr.. Flower
was sick for several months Not long
afterward he organized the banking firm
oil Flower & Company which has since
bsen power in Wall street. Mr.. Flower
always was IA Democrat. In the early
'70s he helped Samuel J. Tilden develop
the famous organization which exposed
Tweed and enjoyed many other triumphs.
MIR. Flower was chosen chairman of the.
Democratic state committee in 1877 and
in 1881 he defeated William Waldorf
a st0r for Congress in the 18th district.
His majority was 300 while Levi p.
Morton, Republican, had carried the
district in the last previous election by
more than 1900 votes. MIR. Flower re-
fused denomination. He was elected
governor of the state in 1891.
In the cholera epidemic in the late sum-
living nom Europe were quarantined on
snipuuar5 down the bay. AS an emer-
genoy measure Gov Flower bought with
his own money the Fire Island hotel III
the name of the state and ordered that
the passengers to sent there.
Mr.. Flower took up Brooklyn Rapid
Transit less than two years ago buying
from 10000 to $4,000 shares at about 20
when the capital stock was only $50, coo,
01D. He abs orbed many suhhordinate lines,
among them thu Nassau Electric company,
ana increased the capital stock to $45, co.,,
000 and ty his successful manipulation
put the price up to 1871 His holdings in
brooklyn Rapid Transit alone which cost
him two years ago little more than
$500 600 are worth at today's market
price more than So, 600, 900.
Mr. Flower was one of the founders of
the Federal Steel Trust whose stock
already issued is 500, 737 800
Good authorities estimate that Mr..
Flowers profits in the last eighteen
months in Wall street have exceeded
81, 900, 0G0. He had become in that Tins
the acknowledged speculative leader in
the financial markets of the United
States.
Mr.. Flower married Sarah NJ. Wood
ruff, a daughter of Morris NJ. Woodruff
Of WATERFOWL, on December %. 1859.
Three children were born of whom only
one survives, Emma Gertrude, the wife
Of John B. Taylor. Mr.. Flower had
been for years one of the wardens of st.
Thomas Episcopal church, in Fifth av-
enue.