Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-05-17
ROSWELL p. FLOWER DEAD.
The Famous New York Financier and Dem
ocratic Politician Expires Suddenly of
Indigestion and Heart Trouble.

New York, Nav 14.-EX-Gov. Ros-
well p. Flower died Friday night at 1890
at the Eastport Country club at East
port. L. l. Mr.. Flower was taken ill
early in the day with severe attack
of acute indigestion. In the afternoon
symptoms of heart failure supervened
and he grew steadily worse until the
time of his death.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEAD MAN.
Roswell p. Flower was born in Theresa JEFF
ferson county, N. Y, August 4 1885, His father
was born at Oak Hill, Greene county, N. ",
where his ancestors went from Connecticut.
Roswell was the sixth of nine children and when
his father died he was eight years old He
worked with his brothers two farms his
mother owned, and spent his time between
school sessions in the hardest kind Of labor
He became deputy postmaster of Watertown. n.
Y, in 1853 and kept his place six years. Then
ae became partner in the jewelry firm of
Hitchcock & Flower, bought out his partner at
he end OF two years and continued in the buSi-
less until 1862 He came to New York in that
iear to take charge Of the estate of Henry Keep.
Shose widow was Mr.. Flowers sister. Mr.. Keep
owned great many railroad and other stocks,
and during the months before his death he spent
much time instructing Mr.. Flower about them.
Not long afterward he organized the banking
firm OF Flower & Co., which has since been
power in Wall street.
Mr.. Flower was chosen chairman of the demo-
cratic state committee in 1877 and in 1881 he de-
feated William Waldorf Astor for congress after
d hot campaign in the Eleventh district. His
majority was 3,100, while Levi p. Morton, re-
publican, had carried it at the last previous
election by more than 1000 votes He refused
denomination He was elected governor of the
state in 1891. In the cholera epidemic in the
late summer Of 1892 thousands of passengers ar
irving from Europe were quarantined on ship
board down the bay. As an emergency measure
Fire Island hotel, in the name of the state and
ordered that the passengers be sent there.
Mr. Flower took up Brooklyn Rapid Transit
less than two years ago. buying from 10000 to
10000 shares at about %, when the capital stock
was only S25 900, 600 He absorbed many subor-
dinate lines, among them the Nassau Electric
company. and increased the capital stock to
S45 100000 by his extraordinary successful manip-
ulation and put the price up to $137 His hold
ings in Brooklyn Rapid Transit alone, which
cost him two years ago little more than $780,
| 0o0 are worth, at to-day'S market price, more
| than So, 600 900.
Mr. Flower was one of the founders of the
steel trust whose stock already issued Is S99,-
| 737, 800. Good authorities estimate that Mr..
Flowers profits in the last 1s months in Wall
street have exceeded $4,000, ,OO0 He had be-
come in that time the acknowledged specula-
| tive leader in the financial markets of the
United States.
Mr.. Flower married Sarah Woodruff, a
| daughter of Morris NJ. Woodruff of Water
| town, in 1889. Three children were born, Of
| whom only one survives, Emma Gertrude. who
| is the wife Of John B. Taylor. Mr.. Flower had
| been for years one of the wardens of St. Thomas
| Episcopal church on Fifth avenue.