The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1888-07-06
Brown OF Australia.

It Is surprising how very few a j
are capable of making lasting impress
sions upon acquaintance. We meet
and greet great men, bright men, jolly
men, but straightway they are gone
We forget all about them except as
they may be recalled by some circum-
stance entirely extraneous from our
personal interest in them. But Brown
of Australia, OF whom a writer in the
Phipadelphia Press tells this story,
certainly seems to be one Of the men
not easily forgotten.
A gentleman told me recently OF an
instance of a peculiar unanimity Of
opinion among a lot OF prominent
men on q question where one might
naturally expect to find a wide differ
enc of thought. The point of agree
ment was as to the most brilliant
conversationalist whom the members
OF the gathering had eve heard. My
friend said: 81 was once sitting in the
captains cabin of the steamship In
diana OF the American line, talking.
with Capt. Sergeant OF the many
prominent people he had had under
his charge during his long life on the
sea. 81 have had a great many inter-
esting people cross with me-" said the
captain, STATESMEN, actors, writer's,
professional men of prominence and
men of the world who have seen
every part of it, but the
most entertaining passenger l ever
met was q lawyer from Mel
bourne, Australia, named Brown. He
was, without doubt, the most brilliant
conversationalist | aver listened to-"
My friend said that the distinction
given this unknown lawyer struck him
as somewhat remarkable and caused
him to remember the name. He was
still more surprised, therefore, when a
year later he heard Joseph Jefferson,
at a dinner given him in this city, ex-
press as his opinion that among all
the bright takers he had ever met in
this or any other country the Same
prominent lawyer of Melbourne was
the most brilliant. 1t was not that
he said witty things every now and
again, but that his conversation vas
one continual flow of queer conceits,
bright epigrams and bon mots which
came SO easily and were so free from
bitterness or sting that they had q
charm and freshness seldom found in
the conversation of professional ra-
contours.
Brown OF Melbourne became a dis
tinguished man in the eyes of the gen.
tleman, who had twice heard his prais-
es sung by so able critics, but he was
still to hear of him again. One even
ing several years ago, while dining
with the Savage club in London, when
Byron, author of the comedy of "Our
Boys" w. S. Gilbert and other good
takers were at the table, q battle OF
words took place between Robertson,
the author of School" and Caste"
and another gentleman possessing no
mean powers OF repartee. My friend
was greatly pleased with what he heard
and expressed his admiration of the
brightness of the speakers to a gentle
man sitting next to him. eyes" said
the E~nglishman, 'they talk we'll, but
we had a queer chap here from the
provinces once that made them all
look to their laurels. He was by long
odds the most brilliant fellow l ever
heard talk. His name was Brown and
he came from Melbourne" 1t is not
unnatural for three people ever OF
wide experience to agree on the same
novelist, actor Or singer, but it struck
me that the story was interesting, if
only as a coincidence, and though
Brown of Melbourne has not yet visit
ed this country.