Charles Ranlett Flint.
The personality of Charles R. Flint does not suggest the strenuous nature of his life, past and present; yet but few men in this country have shouldered or for that matter are shouldering so many business responsibilities as he is doing—and of large caliber at that. Mr. Flint’s successes on the lines indicated are due to system, and system only. With him there is a place for each responsibility and each responsibility occupies its place in the total scheme of his business existence. He was born at Thomaston, Maine, January 24, 1850, graduated from the Polytechnic institute, Brooklyn, in 1868, and in 1883 married E. Kate, daughter of Joseph F. Simmons, of Troy, N. Y. To catalogue the industries and enterprises which Mr. Flint has organized or is connected with would be an undertaking in itself. Suffice it that he is prominently identified with the rubber and lumber industries, is interested in street railways in New York state, is a director in several banks, has organized iron and steel, steamship, starch, caramel and general export companies, has acted as United States consul in Central American countries, in 1893 fitted out a fleet of war vessels for the Brazilian republic, bought for and delivered to Japan a cruiser during the China-Japan war, and, in 1898, was the confidential agent of the United States in negotiating for the purchase of war vessels.