Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-04-14
JOHN BROWNS WIDOW.
She Is Not in Washington, But
Would Not Object 10 u Little
Assistance.
,an FranciscO special GIObe-pemocrat.l

San Francisco Special Globe-Democrat.l
The Chronicle tomorrow morning
will publish a ~two-column special,
giving a full account of the lone and
destitute condition of the aged widow
and two daughters of John Brown,
the hero Of Harper'S Ferry. In a re-
cent dispatch to the Globe Democrat
it was mentioned that the widow was
living near San Jose in extreme pow
erty, and was in actual need Of as
~sistance, as her homestead was heav-
lily mortgaged. This probably led to
the dispatches a few days ago from
Washington stating that John Browns
widow was in Washington seeking
aid from the administration. To set
tie the matter, and also to bring the
woman's case before the people Of
California and the country, the Chron-
icle yesterday sent a special corre-
spondent to the Widow Browns
home, situated three miles from Sar-
atoga Little Mountain, thirteen miles
from San Jose, and about seventy
miles from this city. Riding over a
rough mountain road on a vicious
mustang, the reporter at last came to
a little old two-story frame cottage
house, in the midst of fruit trees.
Mrs. Brown was found at home. She
is a tall, straight woman, apparently
about fifty years old, though really
fifteen years older. Her hair is iron
gray and her-face craven with deep
lines.
When told that a dispatch stated
that she was in Washington Mrs.
Brown said: That's a mistake. l
never have been there, have no friends
there; we came here, my daughter
and l, last February"
1t was learned that Mrs. Brown
came to California sixteen years ago,
and, after living in several places in
the northern part Of the state, finally
removed here. She has a rancho of
100 acres for 1850, but not paid for.
Only $500 has been paid on it
When it was suggested to her that
the widow of old 0ssawatomie Brown
deserved something from the citizens
of this country, and hat it was pro-
posed to raise funds for her relief, she
replied that she would be grateful to
see the rancho cleared from debt, as
she had had a hard struggle to earn a
livelihood and give her children a
suitable education.
At this point the unmarried daugh-
ter of John Brown came in. She
looked exactly like the picture Of her
father, and seemed to have inherited
his spirit, as she disclaimed any desire
to receive money from the public. She
said she could carr her own living,
and it was evident she meant it, for
she walks three miles to Saratoga
every day to teach one music lesson.
Her eyes moistened as she told how
her mother prayed for her father and
sympathized with his anti-slavery
work. She was sitting opposite a
group Of pictures Of John Brown and
his two IONS who fell with him at Har-
per's Ferry. The central one was an
old oil painting representing a large
framed man, with long, bushy white
beard and white hair, brushed back
from his forehead and impaired. The
others were photographs of the two
younger men, with their fathers eyes
and features. After some talk about
her husbands character and DISPOSE
ton, Mrs. Brown showed interesting
relics Of the dead hero; one was a
handsome gold medal, in a case, bear
ing the inscription, French republi-
cans to the widow Of John Brown"
On the medal we're the words, I'm
memory of John Brown, j~udicially
assassinated at Charleston, December
2, 1859, and to that of his sons and
companions, victims of their devotion
to the cause of the liberty of the ne
g%roes." The letter which accompanies
the medal was signed by Victor Hugo,
Louis Blanc, Eugene Pelletier, Chop
in, Arago and others.
Mrs. Brown is living on her ranch
with two daughters and a son-in-laW,
but she is harassed by debt.
The Chronicle editorially will urge
that a subscription be raised for her
beceft