The Washington herald., 1914-11-28
HISTORY BUILDERS.
Gov. Flower at Niagara Falls.
Cwniten Expressly for The Herald.J
by DIR. r.. J. EDWARDS.

Roswell 7. Flower was sometimes
spoken OF as in all respects the most
democratic. from the social and personal
point Of view, OF all those who served
as governors of New York. He was ut
terly without any assumption of sham
dignity. He was fond OF mixing with the
crowd. assuming to himself no superiority
by reason either OF his wealth or of his
position as governor OF the State. In
the great region OF the St. Lawrence
Valley, in which his bOyhOOd and early
manhood were spent. his relations with
those whom he had known when a young
man were as cordial as familiar. and as
completely social as they were at a time
when he drove tn COWS home from pas
ture, as he once told me.
There was one thing, however. in which
the innate and deeper qualities which
characterized Gov. Flower were brought
to the surface Whenever the occasion
justified II. he revealed himself as a man
intensely absorbed in material activities.
especially any that Were consequent upon
the mastery Of science over the forces Of
nature and the triumphs Of invention.
This quality was especially noticeable
in the spring OF lN92, when Gov. Flower
accompanied a large number of men OF
science, chief among whom was George
Westinghouse. TO Niagara Falls for the
purpose OF inspecting the progress Of the
work which afterwards made it possible
to capture a considerable part OF the
power that is IN the Niagara River and
transform II into electrical energy.
On the way from Albany to Niagara
Gov. Flower had been especially jolly.
There was nothing in his manner to in
dicate that he was conscious OF the fact
that he was governor Of New York. He
told stories and he gave vivid descrip-
tions OF some Of the men whose quaint
and peculiar characters interested him
when he was a boy. But when he stood
with that group Of men OF science near
the bank OF the Niagara River. taking
heed OF the colossal apparatus by means
of which the power of Niagara was con-
verted into electric energy. then his Coun-
tenance assumed an expression of some
thing like awe, and he made IL evident
that he realized that he stood in the pres
enCe OF ma jestic power. The whole at
titude and superficial characteristics OF
the governor were changed He stood in
the presence Of great intelleCts which
had accomplished this wonderful thing as
one who appreciated and acknowledged
in full all that they had done and as one
who himself possessed intellectual power.
The governors appearance and changed
manner greatly impressed some OF those
who had gone from Albany with him
That was particularly true of George
Westinghouse. who told me that he had
discovered a new man in Roswell p.
Flower that day. As we were walking
away from the electric plant Gov. Flower
turned to me and said: This is the be-
GenninE OF a material revolution which
by and by will work wonders in this Coun-
try of ours. Some of those who are now
young will live to see almost all the
power and energy OF our country created
by the conversion OF water power into
electrical energy. 1t is wonderful, and
shall think about it for many DAYS"
Copyright. 1914. by Z. J. Edwards. All nights 70
SerTedD