Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-10-02
by T. NJ. Newson.l

That Buffalo Robe-Brown as n Man
The Good Bye-Dead!
By T. N. Newson.l
MAJOR JOSEPH B. BROWN.
The traveller who passes over the great
plains of Dakota, sees here and there a
sage bush. and sometimes small saplipg,
and then, all of sudden, his vision falls
on great butte, or rock, which rising
right out of the prairie, in huge proper
tons, looms up against the SKY and throws
its shadows for miles in the distance.
What nature presents on our plains is IL
Illustrated in the career of the human race.
The great mass of the people resemble sage
brush, with here and there tree Of q lar
ger growth, but Gaping all, and overlook
ing all and overshadowing all rises
the great man, who, in his
rugged characteristics, resembles natures
land mark, for he stands prominently out
from his fellow men, clearly defined and
clearly eeen. Suoh was Major Joseph R.
Brown, the subject of this sketch. Coming
to Minnesota early, and having been init
mately associated with Mr.. Brown in edit
ing the CID Pioneer for six months, we are,
perhaps as we'll able to speak of his pecu-
liar traits of character as any man living.
We have stated in previous articles that
we landed at the levee at st. Paul in the
year 1858, determined to make this city
our future home, and what more natural
than we should seek place in our own
profession. So we entered the Minnesotian
Office on Third street, and there we met
Owens and Moore, and to our application
lido you want a devil or printer, or
an assistant editor, or an editor-in- chief"
came back the surly answer, "Nop'
We trudged up Third street to the
corner of Wabashaw, where the old Demo-
crdt was then printed; we entered the
Office and there we met David Olmstead,
with his great shaggy eyebrows and big
head, and George W. Armstrong, with his
pleasant face and red hair, and in response
to our question for work, modified and
pleasant answer greeted us, "No." We
crossed over Third street, passed by one
story and half wooden building where
Ingersoll's block now stands, walked down
Bench street short distance, and entered
the Office of the Pioneer. We stood in the
presence of jos. r. Brown. At this time
Mr.. Brown was good sized man, then
about fifty years of age, with sharp Re-
man nose, clear cut features, hair some
what long and gently curling, head tending
to badness, wore an open stand-up collar,
lying loosely about his neck, and
presented u presence which at
once denoted something above the
ordinary man. His chin was prominent
and his lips thin, and when he spoke his
eyes dilated, and when done speaking, he
made a noise between sneeze and a
cough, produced by & catarrhal affection
with which he had long been troubled.
'Mr. Brown" L said, Il called to inquire
if you wished anyone TO assist your" He
turned square around from his writing,
and with a pleasant smile answered: "Well,
by George, think do" 81 guess can
suit you; l have been in the printing bust
ness for myself; know all the ms and outs
of the profession" I remarked, when he
fixed his strong. bright eyes upon us and
asked-"what do you consider your SER
vices WORTH" to which we replied-''fx
your own terms" "Iwsnt man to assist
me here" he remarked; "to take entire
charge of the paper when am gone, and
so you think you can perform the laborw
We told him we certainly thought we could,
when he agreed to pay US $50 per week,
and we were then and there engaged in
the old Pioneer Office, in 1853, or thirty
years ago.
JOSEPH B. BROWN
was born in Maryland in 1905, and had he
lived to this time, he would have been
seventy eight years old. He died in New
York in 1870, or thirteen years ago, aged
sixty five years. His father was an Epls-
eopal minister, and in early years Joseph
was put to learn the printers trade, but
becoming dissatisfied from what he al
leges was cruel treatment, he ran away
and enlisted in the army, and came to Fort
Smelling as a drummer boy in 1919, or
sixty years ago, at which time he was
about fourteen years of age. He left the
army somewhere in the years 1925 or 1928,
and engaged in the numbering and Indian
business. He married a Dakota woman,
and at the time we first met him, had
family Of six or eight children In the
early days, before the existence of Mime
sofa, he was appointed justice of the peace
in Wisconsin; was also elected member
of the legislature of Wisconsin, for three
years; was a prominent member of the
convention which took steps to organize
Minnesota into territory; was secretary
of the territorial council after Minnesota
became territory, during the years 1S49
and 1851; was chief clerk of the house of
representatives in 1858; member Of the
council (or senate) in 1854 and 1855; of
the house in 1857, and territorial printer
in 1853 4; was also an influential member
of the constitutional convention and chair
man of the committee appointed to can
vass the votes on the adoption of the con-
stitution. Before the Sioux outbreak he
was appointed Indian agent, and no man
ever dealt more fairly or honestly with the
red men, than Joseph r. Brown, and had
he been agent there would have been no
outbreak.
At the time we met him he was largely
engaged in the Indian trade; had laid out
Henderson as town site and was running
stage line to it; had purchased the Pho
neer of the estate of James M. Goodhue in
1852, and was conducting the affairs of his
political or rather Democratic party, while
he had already conceived the idea in his
brain of huge steam wagon which was
to traverse the prairies loaded with goods
g.. 4lor e. 1. II L