The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-24
ICLAFLIN, EX-KING OF
 DRY GOODS, GA TO-DAY


 John Claflin, the dethroned king of the dry goods trade" whose gigan- tic business was recently placed un- der a receivership, will be sixty-four years old to-day When the H. B. Claf1in Company fell, the crash was felt in cities all over the United States and Canada so vast was the commer- ciaI structure built up by John Clahin, who succeeded his father as head of the f1rn1 in 1885.
 MT CIafin was born in Brooklyn on July 24, 1850, and was educated in the public schools and in the Col- Iege of the City of New York. He was graduated at the age of 19, and then spent a year travelling abroad. On his return he at once entered the office of the H. B. Clahin Company, and in a year or two was made a part ner. At the beginning of his business | career America was in the midst of a panic but the Claf1in firm weathered the storm In this crisis young Claf- lin showed his ability and his initia- | tive, and as the time went on he was l able to relieve his father, H. B. Claflin of more and more responsibility. So it fell out that when his father died, on Nov. IA, 1885, he assumed the con- 1 trol of the firm, naturally and easily. A hard worker, he took equally stren- uous vacations For two months ev- l cry year when young man he would l leave the city and seek relaxation in some out-of-the-way part of the earth. The Rocky Mountains were a favorite haunt of his, and he has travelled ex- | tensively in Mexico, Europe, and Asia. But his more adventurous trip was ! across the South American continent in the region of Peru in 1877. Ac- companied by only one companion he followed a route seldom or never be-. | fore taken by white man. He made his way to the Madeira River, and thence to the mouth of the Amazon. sometimes journeying on foot some times on muleback, and again in ca noes. He had to pass through the territory of many savage Indian tribes, but he escaped without injury
 Like many other great concerns, the house of Claf1in had a humble origin. Its foundation was laid at Milford, Mass, where in 1911 Horace Bingham Cladin was born. In 1888 he succeed ed to his fathers business, and with his brother-in-law two years later he opened a branch at Worcester, Mass. The enterprise prospered from the outset, and in 1S43 MT. CIaf1in remov- ed to New York and organized the wholesale dry goods house of BulkIey & Clafin, which became H. B. Clafiin
 & Go, in 1868.
 Some years ago MT. C1ahin joined with other capitalists in the organiza- ton of two great chains of retail stores, the Associated Merchants company ana, the OlLGQ Ory dOOuS l Company. with big establishments in New. ork, Buffalo, Baltimore, New ark, Minneapolis, Louisville, Cincin- natl. Denver, Toledo, Altoona, Hannil ton, Ont, Butte. Seattle, Kansas City and other cities. MT. Claf1in has al- | ways been interested in currency re- form. He was President of the New York State Branch of the National Citizens League for the Promotion of a Sound Banking System. It was started in 1911 and declared itself against a central bank, but in favor of 8. National Reserve Association. So I it was natural that he should be sum moned last Fall before the Senate name should have been mentioned as under consideration for membership
 of the National Reserve Board. As soon as the report was published, however, MT. Claf1in denied it.