".f' . »^ ^'«. ■ '•'■ ■ • * 



JUNs 22, 1916. 



The Florists' Review 



19 



ful in his wholesale business, which he 

 operated individually from 1895 until 

 about five years ago, when it was in- 

 corporated under the name of Wm. F, 

 Kasting Co. W. N. Eiss, secretary, and 

 E. C. Brucker, treasurer, were Mr. 

 Kasting 's associates in the corporation, 

 which has its headquarters at 383 to 387 

 Ellicott street. In December, 1914, Mr. 

 Kasting purchased the Newmann green- 

 houses, at Akron, N. Y., and he also 

 had interests in several other trade es- 

 tablishments, including the Erie Floral 

 Co., of Erie, Pa. He also had many 

 other business interests, being president . 

 of two local insurance companies when 

 he died. It is said his estate will in- 

 clude $70,000 of life insurance, $20,000 

 of which was taken out only a few 

 weeks "ago. 



The pinnacle of Mr. Kasting 's career 

 was reached in January, 1914, when he 

 was appointed postmaster of Buffalo by 

 President Wilson, at a salary of $6,00b 

 per year, undoubtedly as a reward for 

 his share of the work in bringing the 

 Democracy to victory at the polls in 

 the last presidential election. When he 

 took oflSce he was given an ovation by 

 his numerous friends. 



Mr. Kasting 's tenure of office as post- 

 master, of which he was the incumbent 

 at the time of his death, was marked 

 by the reorganization of the postoffice 

 department of Buffalo. The position of 

 assistant postmaster was abolished and 

 the local department was shaped into 

 two divisions, namely, the division of 

 finance and the division of mails. 

 Under Mr. Kasting 's supervision, the 

 postoffice at Buffalo boasted of greatly 

 increased business. The postal receipts, 

 money order business, postal savings 

 and other branches showed great gains. 

 Several branch postoffices and numer- 

 ous substations were established as a 

 direct result of the economy of the new 

 system, supplying a much-felt want in 

 various sections of the city. 



Fraternally Mr. Kasting was promi- 

 nent. In number of years as an offi- 

 cer of the Society of American Florists 

 he has served longer than any other 

 present office-holder. He was elected 

 president of the national body at its 

 twenty-first annual meeting, at Wash- 

 ington, D. C, August 15 to 18, 1905. 

 In 1910 he was .appointed treasurer of 

 the S. A. F. to succeed H. B. Beatty 

 and at each succeeding convention he 

 was reelected treasurer. He was a 

 member of nearly all the special flower 

 societies and active in their councils. 

 He was president of the New York 

 State Federation of Floral Clubs, had 

 served as president of the Buffalo Flo- 

 rists' Club and was a member of many 

 local florists' clubs in other cities, in- 

 cluding New York, Chicago and San 

 Francisco. He was a member of all the 

 Masonic bodies, Odd Fellows, Elks, 

 Maccabees, Red Men and Heptasophs. 

 While postmaster he became a member 

 of the Rotary Club, and he was one of 

 the best known and best liked members 

 of that large organization. He had 

 been president of the Orpheus and be- 

 longed to other German singing so- 

 cieties. 



The funeral was held from the fam- 

 ily home, 700 Ellicott street, Sunday 

 afternoon, June 18, with interment at 

 Forest Lawn cemetery, and was one of 

 the most remarkable demonstrations of 

 friendship and respect ever seen " in 

 Buffalo. The attendance so far ex- 

 ceeded the capacity of the home that 

 a large tent was erected on the lawn 



William F. Kasting. 



for the reception of notables and friends 

 from out of town. It was estimated 

 that 2,000 persons were grouped about 

 the house during the brief service there 

 and that 3,000 were at Forest Lawn 

 when the funeral cortege arrived. In 

 both instances automobiles were parked 

 for blocks around. 



The services were Masonic. The pall- 

 bearers were seven Masonic florists: 

 S. A. Anderson, W. J. Palmer, Felix 

 Alberts, Joseph Sangster, Charles 

 Schoenhut and J. B. Wiese, of Buffalo, 

 and Charles T. Guenther, of Hamburg. 

 The Florists' Club attended in a body, 

 as did each of the other organizations 

 of which he was a member. There were 

 300 mail carriers in uniform and 200 

 non-uniformed postoffice employees. 

 The mayor and leading men of the city 

 and state acted as honorary pallbearers 

 and to this list was added the name of 

 each out-of-town florist who made his 

 presence known. Among them were: 



AsmuB, Georire, Chicago. 

 Barker, M., Chicago. 

 Bate, Herbert, Cleveland, O. 

 Beal, Prof. A. C, Ithaca, N. Y. 

 Boucher, George T., Rochester, N. Y. 

 Brown, Fred C. W.. Cleveland. O. 

 Bryfogle, H. O., Akron, N. Y. 

 Bryfogle, "W. C, Akron, N. Y. 

 Burt, A. H., Syracuse. N. Y. 

 Geraghty, George M., Toronto, Ont. 

 Graham, Adam. Cleveland, O. 

 Hart, George, Rochester, N. Y. 

 Hart, Herman, Cleveland, O. 

 Hermann, Fred. Erie, Pa. 

 Keller, J. M.. Rochester, N. Y. 

 Kelmel, W. J., Elmhnrst, 111. 

 Klrchner, George E., Erie, Pa. 

 Klrchner, John, Cleveland, O. 

 Kriimer, Philip. Erie, Pa. 

 Miller, Fred, Toronto, Ont. 

 Ringler, Arnold. Chicago. 

 Salter. R. G., Ro<he8ter, N. Y. 

 Schlagel, Fred. Rochester. N. Y. 

 Vlck, Charles H., Rochester, N. Y. 

 White, Prof. E. A.. Ithaca, N. Y. 

 Yoimg, John, New York. 



Five auto trucks were required to 

 carry the flowers from house to ceme- 

 tery, there being over 200 prieces, from 

 trade societies, lodges, business houses 

 and individuals. The florists of Buf- 



falo, instead of sending flowers indi- 

 vidually, got together and sent per- 

 haps the handsomest blanket ever made. 

 There were wreaths from the S. A. F., 

 the State Federation of Floral Clubs, 

 and from the florists' clubs of New 

 York, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Washington, 

 Denver, Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, 

 San Francisco and other cities. 



Rarely has a florist had so many 

 friends as had this one and rarely has 

 a man, from so humble a beginning, 

 risen so far in the respect of his busi- 

 ness associates and in the esteem of 

 his neighbors. 



Julian T. Duquette. 



Julian T. Duquette, of Albion, N. Y., 

 died June 18, while eating supper. 



Mr. Duquette had been in failing 

 health for some time and was sitting 

 up in bed while his nurse was feeding 

 him. He declared to the nurse that 

 he was suddenly stricken blind, then as 

 he completed his meal fell over dead. 



Mr. Duquette was born at Clarkson, 

 N. Y., and was 72 years old. When a 

 young man Mr. Duquette went to Lock- 

 port, where he resided until about 

 twenty years ago, when he moved to 

 Albion to take up the florists' busi- 

 ness of his father at the latter 's death. 

 He was recognized throughout the state 

 as an expert and for several years was 

 superintendent of flowers at the Syra- 

 cuse state fair. 



Mr. Duquette was a veteran of the 

 Civil war. He was a member of Curtis- 

 Bates post, G. A. R.. No. 114, and the 

 Masonic and Odd Fellow fraternities. 

 He was a Presbyterian. He leaves his 

 wife, Mrs. Margaret Duquette. 



Allentown, Pa. — The store of Ernest 

 Ashley, which was badly damaged by 

 fire last month, has been redecorated 

 and repaired. Mr. Ashley has an ex- 

 tensive range at East Allentown. 



