The Portland daily press., 1881-01-13

cial streets, although it would be more prope
perhaps, to say York street, since the building
is located directly on that avenue) Messrs
Greeley & Guild of Boston, and Mr.. Brown
were the movers in this enterprise Messrs
Greeley & Guild were large West India mer
chants in Boston, importing immense quaint
ties of sugar and molasses. Mr.. Mclean, ou
consul at Trinidad, Cuba, and Mr.. Horatit
Fox, of the we'll known firm of Eaton, Stafford
& Fox, of that city, suggested to these gentle
men that fortune could be made by turning
the molasses into sugar. For time the specu
lation hung in the balance, Greeley " Guile
failed, and Mr.. Brown had to bear the weigh
of the whole speculation. For brief periot
he was losing money fast. But his courage
never for a moment failed him. With thu
assistance of his brother-in-law, Mr.. d. I'll
Kurdish, the two eliminated the problem o.
manufacturing sugar from molasses. In 1855
charter was procured, incorporating the Port
land Sugar Company, of which j. B. Brown
Dependence III. Kurdish, Philip ii. Brown
and others were the incorporators, and j. B
Brown and Philip FL. Brown, under the name
of j. B. Brown & Son, were the managing
agents. In the year 1859, the second son Jane!
Olcott Brown, was taken into the firm
This corporation proved highly successful
engaging a capital of almost half million dol
lars, employing, directly and indirectly, up
tothe time of the great fire, 1000 people and
turning out 25O barrels of sugar day. When
the great fire of 1866 consumed these works
Mr.. Brown rebuilt them but ran them only a
little while, as the condition of trade had al.
most entirely taken away the pr Jfit from the
manufacture of sugar from molasses on a
large SCALE
Several years before Mr. Brown and his sons
had been partners in West Indian firm under
the firm name of Churchill, Browns & Manson,
(Mr. John Marshall Brown having been adj
mitted in 1851 which firm, for various reas-
ons, had but short existence. In the mean
time the original firm was still continuing the
commission business which gradually became
more and more of a banking business until
1876 when the present banking house was es-
tablished, doing business on Exchange street
from whence they afterwards removed to
their present quarters under the Falmouth
Hotel.
One OF Mr.. Browns great enterprises was
the purchases of the land known as the old
Vaughan Estate, that of Joseph Mobiles
and others, and embracing a great por
ton OF the present seventh ward, ly-
ing around and about Bramhall Thirty years
ago the land was a deep, sandy soil, swampy
covered with juniper bushes and savin, with
only tree here and there in the Vaughan
Burial Ground and few one-storied shanties
scattered about Here on the eminence, with
view of mountain, river and peaceful vii
lage that can scarcely, if at all, be surpassed
in New England, he erected his magnificent
villa, with its acres of Conservatives, shrub
berry, and ornamental grounds, and trans.
formed the surrounding lands, by covering
them with elegant residences, and the trophies
of the landscape gardeners skill, into the most
beautiful portion of the city, thus adding to
Its taxable wealth, and increasing his own i'm
mense fortune.
Another OF his enterprises was the erection
Of the Falmouth Hotel. Portland had been
suffering severely from the lack of a first-class
of half a million, constructed this house which
is the equal of any hotel east of New York.
containing 240 rooms, and provided with all
the modern conveniences.
When the Atlantic & St. Lawrence Railroad
was incorporated Mr. Brown was one Of the
corporators. To him Judge Preble, Mr.. Little,
Mr.. st. John Smith and Mr.. Hersey Mr.. John
A. Poor unfolded his great scheme in Smith &
Jerseys counting room, and Mr.. Brown
worked for It's success with all his might. He
was the president of the road at the time of
his injury. He was the first president of the
Board of Trade and continued SO for nine
years. He gave largely to the Maine General
Hospital and was its president when he
died. He was one of the largest owners
in the Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad
and formerly director; once director of
the Erie Railroad Company; president of the
Portland Savings Bank; director in the Port
land Company, Maine Central and Portland,
Saco & Portsmouth roads land had been in the
Eastern Railroad), Rolling Mills, Kerosene
Oil Company and Maine Steamship Comp any,
In fact there has hardly an enterprise started
for the advancement of Portland in which
MI. Brown did not take an interest pecuniarily
He was great friend of Bowdoin College and
had been large donor to that institution of
learning, which honored him by electing him
a trustee. He was also founder of the Brown
Fund, giving medals each year to the most
proficient graduates, male and female, in our
High school. He was manager of the Port
land Benevolent Society and on Thursday
evening last the annual supper took place at
lie 1,+
one.
Mr.. Brown was formerly Wig, but had
been Republican from the foundation of that
party. He had served the city in both branches
of the City Council, and had represented her
in the upper branch of the Legislature in
1867. .lt.,e
In 1880 Mr.. Brown married Ann Matilda!Gree-
ly. daughter of Philip Greedy, Esq, an honored
merchant, and niece of Hon. Elipha-
let Greedy. Byi her he had five children:
Matilda, Philip, James, John and Ellen. Ma.
tilda died in childhood. Philip-as did the
other brothers graduated at Bowdoin College
and went into business with his father. James
was great loss to the city and State when he
died, some fifteen years ago, for he possessed a
most lovable disposition, rare cultureand was q
true poet. John studied law but went into the
army, fought gallantly through the war, re-
ceived a breyet of general, and is now in the
firm. Ellen married w. II. Clifford, son of
Judge Clifford Of the u S. Supreme Court.
Mr.. Brown also has three sisters-Mrs.
Chapman, of Bethel, Mrs. Brooks: of Norway,
and Mrs. Purinton, of Andover.
Mr.. Brown was man of keen, clear percep-
tions and a brilliant schemer. But, unlike
most schemers, his castles were substantial
ones. He seemed to comprehend at once
whether project had money in it. This was
exemplifed in the Bramhall Hill purchase.
His first partner, Mr.. Smith, was, on the other
hand, a man who wanted to work everything
out automatically land two such men together
could not fail to succeed. So enterr rising was
Mr.. Brown in former years that people got an
idea into their heads that he ought to do every
thing. If hotel was wanted, or theatre,
or a horse railroad, it was Mr.. Brown who
should build it. They seemed to forget there
were other rich men in Portland as we'll as he,
By his investments in real estate in Portland
he improved many sections of the city, and
even up to the day he was stricken down he vas
engaged in devising plans that would help
Portland, not the least of which was the es-
tablishment here of a new elevator and wharf
property by the Grand Trunk. IT is a nota-