BENJAMIN J. BODINE, Superintendent of the Coumy Poor.
PROMINENT MEN OF STATEN ISLAND, 1893.
BENJAMIN J. BODINE was born Jan. 7th, 1849, a ^ Cas- tleton Corners. His father, Abram Bodine, was one of the 1849 pioneers to the California gold regions.
Mr. Bodine was educated in the schools of Staten Island. When only fourteen years of age he ran away from home and enlisted in the Union Army joining Battery C., 3rd U. S. Artillery, Regulars, then stationed in the Shenandoah Valley, Captain D. R. Ransom com- manding. He served in the Army of the Potomac un- der Gen. Hancock, taking part in many of the impor- tant battles fought along the Potomac and around Richmond. After the close of the war he was sent to the Platte Valley, Neb., where he served in the Indian war until after the surrender of Spotted Tail. He was mustered out in 1866, when he returned to Staten Island.
In 1868, he entered into co-partnership with Mr. John Smith, of Long Island, and carried on a fruit commission business at Norwalk, Conn. In 1872, he dissolved partnership with Mr. Smith and took the po- sition of head salesman for Davis & Mayo, Hoboken, N. J., ship chandlers.
In 1876, he entered into partnership with Geo. W. Thackery, and again engaged in the fruit and vegetable business, running a sloop between New York, Elizabethport and Port Johnson. He remained in this business, doing a thriving trade, for nine years, until the death of Mr. Isaac Van Name, in 1885, made an opening for him to enter upon a prosperous grocery trade in the thriving village of Mariners' Harbor, as the manager of his son and successor, Oscar Van Name, where he remained until his appointment, in 1890, to the office of superintendent of the poor, which posi- tion he still holds.
A visit to this well-kept institution will show that Mr. Bodine's military training in the United States Regular Army has made him a model superintendent for a large institution, such as our county almshouse, and our board of supervisors have set the seal of their approval on his management not only with their "well done good and faithful servant," but have supplement- ed their words of praise by a liberal increase of salary.
There was probably no man better fitted for the position of superintendent of the almshoxise than Mr. Bodine. His long experience in business had made him thoroughly acquainted with the value of provisions and the cost of supplies; and since he has been super- intendent there has been no complaint of favoritism in the purchase of goods either in price or quality, but all the affairs of the almshouse have been managed after careful business methods by an experienced business man.
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His name might also be Benjamin Johia Kinsy Bodine. He was baptized at his parents' house by H. G. Clauder.
From Ronny Bodine (and I assume it applies to this Benjamin Bodine):
Benjamin Bodine was bapt. 21 Oct 1849 at the Moravian Church, Richmond County. In 1863 (age 14) he enlisted in Battary C, 3rd U.S. Artillery, participating in many of the important battles along the Potomac and around Richmond during the Civil War. Afterwards he served with his battary during the Indian war at Platte Valley, Nebraska until being mustered out in 1866. From 1890 to 1897 he served as Superintendent of the Richmond County Alms House. In 1897 he was elected, as a Democrat, to represent the Borough of Richmond in the City Council of Greater New York. See Morris' "Memorial History of Staten Island, New York," II: 502, for a biography and portrait. In 1910, he was serving as Water Department Inspector on Staten Island. He never married.