The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-25

p prar;. ua"I lille village few miles north
of New Haven. Conn. He had been lead
inc foure In Metropolitan society for nearly
half 4 century. having had charge oil most
OF the fashionable weddings ana many oI
the funerals Of noted personages among the
Knickerbocker families.
Many humorous anecdotes are told OF Mr.
Brown In connection with bis business.
On one occasion he was IN charge OF re-
ception TO Baron Rotbschild during The VISIT
Of the latter 20 this country. The AFFAIR
took place In Eighteenth street. Mr. Brown
also had charge OF another reception on tue
same night Immediately opposite the house
where the Baron was being entertained.
The latter desired to attend the second
recention. but when he reached the curb
stone there were no carriages 10 be hau.
Mr.. Rrown took the nobleinan on bis back
and carried him in safety across the muddy
street. The late Peter Stuyyesant was
an attendant at Grace church, and had
thermometer hanging Immediately over us
new. One cold morning Mr.. StuyyesanV
arrived at the church-porch. Inc neater
did not work properly, ana the ola gentle-
man shivered with cold. Mr. Brown knew
that Mr.. Stuyvesant would consult tne tner-
mometer az soon az he reached MS pew,
and. unobserved. cunningly put his niger
ron the bulb of the thermometer ana sent
the mercury up to about S0o' hen MI.
Stuyyesant reached his pew he looked al
the thermometer, and concluding the
church must be warm enough, sat down
without making any remarks.
Mr.. Browns portly figure and slow ana
solemn
PONPOSITY
~ stem have furnished the theme OF more
sa,iricaI doggerel, probably, than ever fell
| TO the lot OF mortal man before. One OF the
cleyerest of these squibs, by William Allen
Butler. in his witty Nothing-to-W wear d"
style. recalls the thermometer incident WIN
lau0bable truth to nature. Mr.. brown
figures in the ballad as Diggory Pink, pink
M perfection, and the owner OF the ther-
mometer as Doldrum. There is Mr.. Fol
drum in the story, but his identity is an open
question. The good-natured Doldrum ten
dered Direory Pink dollar one day, and
when Pink asked him what it was for ne
was pood.humoredly told that it was for
raising the mercury 900. There are other
verses not so respectful in the corners OF
old newspapers, and even George William
| Curtis has executed his picture in the
Potiphar Papers," which exhibit New
York society somewhat as it was when, IN
certain circles at least, Mr.. Browns word
as 10 what was en- regie in the conduct OF
| avoiding
or an entertainment was about rs absolute
as that OF Worth in matters OF costume.
I'm the period when so many large for
times were made suddenly there were hosts
OF new people who wished to get into socl-
ety OF some sort or other, and for the fash
Ionable crush invented about this period
Mr.. Brown, probably more th4n any Otrer
man. was responsible. His office was be-
siened by acknowledgement women, with
whom 10 get Mr.. Brown to manage an affair
was to be sure OF "crush," done In the
latest style. TO meet the emergency, sne
popular sexton effected the organization OF
a CORPS OF handsome young fellows, clerks
| i'm wholesale h0uses-sOmelmes styled
" Browns Brigade" and sometimes
:. Browns Five Hundred" They were
bound TO dress fashionably. Good dane
ing was necessity. and there were
certain rules that had to be observed.
They were not, for instance, to pre-
sumo upon an acquaintance formed
az party TO which the invitation
had come through Mr.. Brown, and must
not lift their bats TO ladies on the stree
merely because they had waltzed or fllrted
with them little the evening before. Inc
arrangement was perfectly understood, and
when Brown could be induced to under
take an affair the lady was sure OF an array OF
| HANDSOME YOUNG FELLOWS
that would make her "crush" the envy OF
her next neiehbor. But abuses bnally crept
in. undesirable acquaintanceS were formed,
and the brigade was disbanded. OF course
the members Of the brigade were never by
| Oh 6raWlnO-
rooms OF the old families. For the new
people Mr.. Brown would not undertake an
affair save on his own conditions. and no
man could snub suppliant in velvet more
gorgeously than he.
But he never snubbed blood; his reye-
renee for "family" was unbounded. IL
was boast OF his in old days that no
| pIebeian could deceive him on that score.
| IL was something TO see him years ago en-
counter Livingston, for instance, and
mark the courtly grace with when he
bowed almost TO the earth, and TO hear the
respectful salutatiOn uttered In tone so
elevated that every bystander distinctly
caught The name. He was discreet, too, in
announcing the names Of arrivals al party
or reception, and while distinguished guests
were sure TO be trumpeted in tones that
could be heard to the furthest corner OF the
drawlng-room,
THE 0BSCURlTIEs
were allowed to slip in without undue pub
licity. At one time, before fashion deserted
the district south OF Union Square, the SEX
ton Of Grace church was reputed to have
amassed large fortune; and 1t is certain
that in those early times he was often paid
fabulous prices to manage an entertainment.
| He did kindly things, however, particularly
to the equality" in difficulties Years ago
there appeared in this city a handsome
Young Partisan, Edmond Andrade, a
nephew OF NJ. Perelre, the financier, seek
ING pupils in music. He had passion for
the art, and had left France on account OF
quarrel with his uncle. Mr.. Brown as
sisted the young fellow to obtain pupils, and
he remained in this country several years.
Finally he married an American girl and
returned to Paris. Mr.. Browns list OF fu-
nerals was scarcely smaller than his wedding
list, and many
CURIOUS ANECDOTES
are told Of hi. mingled shrewdness and So
lemnity. He had set formula OF sympa-
thy, in which the social standing, splendid
physique, and many virtues Of the deceased
were enumerated. While he took the mea-
surement, he now and then, in undertone,
suggested double plated trimmings, extra
diamond screws, &C., as though he regretted
extremely TO descend TO these trivial details.
Thus mingling his euogy with practical
suggestions in parenthesis, he took his or
ders without appearing to come down TO
prose at all. lie was the very ideal OF a
master Of ceremonies at funeral, with his
ample dress coat, solemn breadth, and
heayness of countenance, and slow and
measured movement.