Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-01
SENATOR BROWN.
An Interesting Sketch of the Georgia
Statesman's Early Life.
ErtE l..


Statesman's Early Life.
Gath in Cincinnati Enquirer.
To this day he resembles Moses in the
Garden of Eden; when the Lord entered
the garden and the strange cOnfab be-
tween him and the first man occurred,
he was undoubtedly talking to Joe
Brown. You will find some very Inter
esting things in Browns sketch of him
SELF, as where he says: During these
years of his youth up to the age of nine
teen, young Brown learned nothing but
the three Rs-reading, 'ritiug and 'rith-
metic, and these very limitedly. He
worked labOriOusly, plOwing his now
historic bull, hauling wood tO.DahlOnega,
selling vegetables in basket to the hotel
and others that would buy, and aiding in
the frugal support Of his fathers large
family"
Joe cultivated little scrap of hillside
land with pair of bull calves, and every
Saturday hauled to town some potatoes
or cabbages, or Hghtwood or other truck
in trade, and took back something for the
family. I'm 1889, | think it was" said
neighbOr, 81 was riding to Canton i'll a
buggy and | overlook a young man walk
ing in a very muddy lane. He had
striped bag over his shoulder and looked
very tired. ! asked him if he would not
take seat, and he looked down at him
he would dirty up the buggy, L insisted,
and he broke off splinter from rail
and scraped his shoes and got in. /
learned from him that his name was Joe
Brown, and be was goingtO Canton TO get
something to do"
In the fall of 1910 he obtained his
fathers consent to make a new depart
ure, and crafty his craving for educa-
ton. All that his father could do for the
HI Golf 60
wonderful fortune was to give him some
homemade clothing and yoke of steers.
With this modest endowment of worldly
goods the youth went back to South Caro-
lima, his native State, and entered the
Calhoun Academy, in Anderson District,
probably drawn there by his reverence
for the name and doctrines of Calhoun.
The steers paid for eight months board.
The tuition was obtained on credit. 1t
can well be imagined that a spirit so
determined upon an education improved
this opportunity to the fullest measure
of
AN UNCOMMON INTELLECT.
Returning to Georgia in the fall Of 1871,
the earnest yOungster taught school for
three months to get the means to continue
his schooling, and went back in January,
1912, to Calhoun Academy, pursuing his
studies by mourning debt for his tuition
and board In January, 1874, Mr.. Brown,
at the age Of %, he says himself, returned
to Georgia and opened an academy IN
Canton, Cherokee county. lie had to
repay the debts incurred in his education,
and he fully realized the obligation that
rested upon him. He opened his acade-
my with six scholars, the number rapidly
increasing to sixty, as his admirable
capacity for teaching was demonstrated.
The school was popular. lie taught the
year through, deyOting his days to his
pupils and his evenings and Saturdays to
the laboriOus study Of the law. During
the year 1S45he continued his law studies
in Canton, teaching the children of his
friend and patron, DR.. John w. Lewis, for
his board. The relations between DR..
Lewis and young Brown were very close
and tender. 1t illustrates strong quail
ity of Senator Browns nature, says that
Senator, that in after years, when he be-
came influential and had patronage at his
disposal, he remembered his early bere-
factor and delighted to honor him. FIdel-
ity to his friends is a GROWING quality OF
the man, and has been large factor in
his success. He appointed DR.. Lewis
superintendent of the State Board and
afterward Confederate States Senator
when there was a vacancy in that high
office. Brown resolved to enlarge and
perfect his legal education. His staunch
friend, DR.. Lewis, lent him the money 10
carry out his purpose, and in October,
1910, he entered the Law School at Yale
College and remained there until June,
1916. He knew Calhoun had gone there
and become partly a Yankee. He gradu-
ated at the commencement ia 1916 in the
Yankee law school, but diG not remain to
take his diploma in person. In that prac-
teal spirit that governed HIM in all mat
tiers, he asked permission to stand his
examination and leave il June, in order
that he might get the business benefit of
attending the fall courts at home in GeOr-
gia. His diploma was sent to him, He
l)cated at Canton, and at the ripe age of
twenty-five years he began the practice
of his cherished profession of the law,
aud soon built it into a lucrative bust
ness. He never lost a client, he says
He lived as he had been reared, moderate
" and helpfully, and his habits continued
simple. He made $1,000 the first year,
and then pushed up slowly but steadily to
$4,000 and $4,000. He never went back
ward. He made
RTI-NDFRS