Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/226

 CIST

CLAFLIX

drawings. This work was published by another after the death of Mr. Cist without proper credit being given him. He died at Wilkes Barre, Pa., Dec. 30. 1825.

CIST, Lewis Jacob, poet, was born in Har- mony, Pa., Nov. 20, 1818; son of Charles and Janet (White) Cist. Here moved with his paren ts to Cincinnati, Ohio. After studying in Hanover college he obtained a position in the commercial bank of Cincinnati, and afterward was teller in the Ohio life and trust company. He was en- gaged in banking in St. Louis, 1850-70. He was afterward in the service of the government and was secretary of the zoological society in Cin- cinnati, Ohio. He published Trijfes in Verse, and the Souvenir, an annual, besides contributing to the periodicals of the day. He was a famous collector of autographs and old portraits. He died at College Hill, near Cincinnati, Ohio, March 31, 1885.

CLAFLIN, Horace Brigham, merchant, was born at Milford, Mass., Dec. 13, 1811; son of John and Lydia (Mellen) Claflin; grandson of John Claflin; and only brother of Aaron Claflin (1807- 1890). His first American ancestor, Robert Claflin, settled near Milford, Mass., in 1661. He received an academical education and entered his fath- er's store as a clerk. In 1831 he succeeded to the business in partner.ship with his brother Aaron and his brotherin-law, Samuel Daniels. In 1832 the firm estab- lished another store at Worcester, to which he devoted himself exclusively, disposing of his Mil- ford store to his brother. In 1843 he removed to New York and entered into partnership with WiUiam F. Bulkley in the dry-goods jobbing business. In 1851 the firm name was changed to Claflin, Mellen & Co., and later Mr. Claflin erected the Trinity building. In 1861 they built extensive warehouses on Worth street. At the outbreak of the war the firm faded and Mr. Claflin offered his creditors a comi^romise of seventy cents on a dollar. In a short time the seventy cents was paid and then thirty cents additional with interest in full was paid. In 1864 Mr. Mellen retired from the firm and the style of it was changed to H. B. Claflin & Co. The business of the house continued to grow, its sales in a smgle day reaching §1,500,000, and in a

single year $72,000,000. Mr. Claflin was an aboli- tionist and active in liis support of the anti- slaverj' party. He was always a Republican, although in 1884 he supported Mr. Cleveland as candidate for the presidency. He was prominent in many Brooklyn charities. He died at Ford- ham, N.Y., Nov. 4, 1885.

CLAFLSN, John, merchant, was born in Brook- lyn, N.Y., July 24, 1850; son of Horace Brigham and Agnes (Sanger) Claflin. He was educated in the schools of New York and Brooklyn and was graduated at the College of the city of Xew York in 1869. He entered a mercantile career as a clerk with H. B. Claflin & Co., becoming a part- ner three years later. Besides giv- ing close attention to the business which he inherited on the death of his father in 1885, Mr. Claflin actively

interested himself as his father's successor in many of the charitable institutions in Brooklyn, and served on various executive boards as trustee or director. Being an enthusiastic trav- eller and explorer he gratified his inclination during his vacations, visiting every i^ortion of the United States and travelling extensively in Mexico, South America, Europe, and the East. In 1877, accompanied by a single white com- panion, he entered the South American continent at Peru and made his way to the mouth of the Amazon. In 1893 the business of the firm, having outgrown the conservative management incident of a jjartnership, was incorporated as the H. B. Claflin Company and the common stock placed on sale for a limited time, preference being given to the 1100 employees of the firm, many of whom became stockholders. Mr. Claflin became presi- dent of the corporation.

CLAFLIN, Lee, philanthropist, was born in Hopkiuton, Mass., Nov. 19, 1791. He was a tanner and afterward a manufacturer of boot? and shoes in Boston. He amassed a fortune, a portion of which he distributed among various institutions of learning, giving large endowments to Wesleyan academy; to AVesleyan university, of which he was a trustee, 1849-71 ; tf Wilbra- ham academy, and to the Boston theological seminary, afterward Boston university, of which he was an incorporator, and a trustee and benfr-