Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/146

 FLOWER

FLOYD

tlien tauglit a country school. In 1833 he became a clerk in a store at Theresa, and then went to Philadelphia, N.Y., where he was a clerk for a short time. The firm failed and he returned to Theresa. He was appointed assistant postmas- ter of Watertown, N.Y., in 1854, remaining in the office for six j-ears and saving out of a salary of SGOO per year the capital with which he jiui'chased a half interest in a .jew- elry store. In two years lie bought out his partner. In 1859 his brother-in-law, Henry Keep, pi'esi- dent of the Chicago & Northwestern rail- road, then in fail- ing health, entiaisted ^ y to young Flower f^aa^i^e^"^/^.^^^ the care of his vast property, and he removed to New York city. His management of this trust kept the property together and increased its value. Mr. Flower soon after formed the banking firm of Benedict, Flower & Co., and afterward admitted two of his brothers as partners. In 1881 he was nominated by the Democratic party, with which he had always acted, re^jresentative in congi-ess from the 11th district of New York, his opponent on the Republican ticket being WiUiam Waldorf Astor. The election was a special one to fill a vacancy in the 47th congress, caused by the resig- nation of Levi P. Morton, appointed by President Garfield, U.S. minister to France. He was elected by a majority of 3100 votes, a change of 7100 votes, and he served throughout the 47th congress. He declined renomination in 1882, and was a candidate before the Democratic state con- vention for governor of the state, receiving on the first ballot 134 votes to 134 for Gen. H. W. Slocum and 61 for Grover Cleveland, who was finally nominated. In 1885 he was nominated as lieutenant-governor, with David B. Hill for gov- ernor, but declined to run. He was president of the New York electric subway commission, 1886. In the Democratic national convention of 1888 his name was mentioned as an available presi- dential nominee and he had a large following, including one -half the delegation from New Y''ork state, but the inevitable happened in the renomi- nation of Mr. Cleveland. He was a representative from the 12th district in the 51st congress, 1889- 91, where he served on the committee on ways and means and on the committee on the Colum- bian exposition of 1893. He was re-elected to the 52.1 conf^ress in 1890. and governor of New Y''ork

in 1891 by a plurality of 47,937 votes, resigning his seat in congress on the day he was nominated at Saratoga. He served as governor until Jan. 1, 1895. His action in suppressing a panic result- ing from the appearance of a few cases of cholera in New Y'ork harbor, and in suppressing the rail- road riots at Butt'alo, N.Y'., were noteworthj' incidents in his gubernatorial administration. He was elected president of the Columbia trust company, 1895-97, and was honorary vice-presi- dent, 1897-99. He was married in 1859 to Sarah M., daughter of Norris M. Woodruff' of Water- tovTO. He gave §50,000 in 1881 for the con- structing of St. Thomas' home in connection with St. Thomas' church, of which he was a vestryman, a memorial to his son. He also built a hospital for the use of the students of the Homoeopathic college, Trinity church. Water- town, N.Y. ; and St. James church, Theresa, N.Y., in memory of his mother. He died at Eastport, L.I,, N.Y'., May 12, 1899.

FLOY, James, clergyman, was born in New Y''ork city, Aug. 20, 1806. He studied at Colum- bia college and for tliree years in London, Eng- land. He was a minister in the Methodist EpiscojKil cliurch, 1835-56, and held pastorates at Middletown and New Haven, Conn., Brooklyn, N.Y'., and New Y'ork city. In 1848 he served on the committee on versions of the American Bible society, was made presiding elder of the New Y'ork district of the east conference of New Y'ork in 1854, and became editor of Tlte X<Uional ilaija- zine and corresponding .secretary of the American tract society in 1856. He also was editor of Good Neios and of the works of the Rev. Dr. Stephen Olin. He received the degree of A.M. from Dickinson in 1841, and that of D.D. from Wes- leyan in 1847. He published: Old Testament Char- acters; and Guide to the Orchard and Fruit-Garden (1860). He died in New Y^ork city, Oct. 14, 1863.

FLOYD, John, rei^resentative, was born in Beaufort, S.C. Oct. 3, 1769; son of Col. Charles Floyd. He removed to Camden county, Georgia, in 1791, and with his father and brothers engaged in boat building on tlie Satilla river. He was made brigadier-general of Georgia militia in 1813, and in the war against the Creeks was in com- mand of the militia and 400 friendly Creeks under Mcintosh at the capture of the Indian towns of Anlo.ssee and Tallassee, Ala., Nov. 29, 1813, where he was wounded, 400 houses burned, and 20O Indians killed, including the tvi-o Indian kings of the towns. At Camp Defiance, Jan. 27, 1814, he again encountered and defeated the Creeks. He was in the Georgia legislature, 1820-27, and while residing at Jefferson, Ga., represented his district in the 20th congress, 1837-29. He was suljse- quently major-general of militia. He died in Camden county, Ga., June 24, 1839.