St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1907-09-04

Meantime Mr.. Cunningham had (1847)
moved his business to Fall River 1t
was now tinware, woodenware and
hardware establishment. In 1850, after
leaving Mr.. Cunningham's service, Mr..
Flint bought half interest in the bust
ness, and for five years he was Cunning
hams partner; then he bought him out,
and took in as partners Elihu Grant, a
student for the Methodist ministry, and
LAFAYETTE Nichols, a Methodist layman.
The firm was then entirely Methodistic.
It's title was J. D. Flint & Co. Business
increased rapidly. Mr.. Grant went to
the Civil War as chaplain, and Mr..
Flint bought him out, and on his return
from the field employed him as clerk; he
also took in his brother, Alonzo Flint,
who remained five years; then, as Alonzo
retired he took in Samuel w. Flint, an
other brother, who remained in the firm
"a years. The firm operated two stores
in Fall River and one in Taunton. They
were burnt out at Pleasant street loca-
ton in Fall River, but rallied, and about
1876 built a four story building on
South Main street, known as Flints Ex-
change. adding carpets and furniture to
their stock. They were wholesale and
retail dealers. John D. owned one-half
interest. He and Samuel w. purchased
old buildings, moved them to Fourth
street and there reconstructed them,
forming Centennial block.
The business at Flints Exchange was
issolved in 1889. John then established
himself in the furniture business and like
lines in Centennial Block His office was
ever afterward at that place. He, with
his brothers, Ezra and Henry, estab-
lished in Providence, X. l., the Provi-
dence Furniture Co. They were very
successful in all their enterprises.
| About 1871, Mr. Flint engaged largely in
realestate speculation. He and Dr.. Robert
Davis, afterward a member OF congress,
bought two small farms and sold the
land, year after year, for mill sites and
dwelling house and store sites. Flint Viii
lage, section of Fall River with some
$4,000 people, grew out of this specu-
lation. The spectators became wealthy
thereby.
Mr. Flint erected at least four large
blocks in the city's center, Waterman,
Vermont, Caledonia and Peacham, as
well as Centennial block, and he became
after many years the chief owner of
Granite block, the largest business
structure in the city. He was promi-
nently connected with one of the earliest
banking institutions in Fall River, was
stakeholder in many cotton mills and
in street railways, and was an officer in
several of these instances.
Large as was his interest in secular
matters, it seemed hardly less notable in
religious and reform lines. In both the
spiritual and material affairs of the
| Methodist church he was always active,
and he had some part in every local
move for social betternient, although he
was not always scrupulous in all parti-
culars in his transfers of property. He
was very strict too, in the foreclosures
of most mortgages. As soon as he set
tied in Fall River, he identified himself
with the First Methodist church, and
the First and St. Pauls Methodist
were his two homes, religiously, in the
order named He was interested in Y.
M. c. A. work after 1857.
in 1850, Mr.. Flint married Miss Clay
. issa c. Waterman, and their golde1lwed'
ding was celebrated in 1900. They have
. had four daughters, and Mr.. Flint has
. two sisters. His wife and three daugh
! tiers survive.
| Exceptional shrewdness marked Mr.
4 Flint, and he seemed to have the ability
e to make money at every turn. He leaves
: very large estate. He helped start 2.
r men in business, one of whom told him
e not long ago, that he had acquires
e 81, 200, 900, and had an annual incom
D of $75, 900. He will be greatly niisse
! by many in business and many in beney
a olence. A