The evening times., 1898-12-17
q ARD IN THE L0BBIES.

! tician and wealthy real estate owner OF
! Chicago. is at the Raleigh. pr. Brown is
the inventor of new steamboat, which
he claims will revolutionize river navlga-
zion on such waters as the Mississippi
River, where the tide is strong. on canals
and in shallow waters. The. invention is
one upon which he has been working for
a number Of years and. having completed
his model and given it q successful trial
he is here to attend 10 the patent rights
which We're applied for some time ago.
Dr. Brown was the Worlds Fair super
intendent of the insane asylum and poor
house at Huntington, H., and ii is stated
that few men have ever filed a public
Office in Cook County. Ill, with a more
! honorable record than he. He was chosen
at time when there was a disgracefui
wrangle in a mixed county board over the
question of patronage. Dr. Brown did not
seek the office. but the office sought the
man. He had large business interests
and naturally was not desirous of obtain
ing the superintendency, but his friends
insisted that he was the right man for the
place and he accepted. When he assumed
control he found the institution lacking
in discipline and every employe depending
upon the pull of some commissioner.
Every purchase of supplies was accom-
panied by corruption and Doodle controlled
the supply contracts. With a rigid en-
forcement of discipline DIR. Brown en-
tered upon his duties at the asylum, and
every day rejected whole car loads of sup
plies which failed to meet the require
.j,n ha
employees rebelled and contractors who
were crooked in their methods failed to
fbribe him. Those commissioners who were
corrupt even made war upon the doctor
and endeavored to oust him from Office.
He would not be bluffed and continued 10
hold out for honesty and discipline. The
newspa perS and grand juries supported
the doctor unanimously. and when he re-
signed in disgust after six months serv-
Ice the institutions were in better condi-
tfon than they had been for ten years.
DR.. Brown is a man of determination. Tnls
is manifest in his full, square face and his
soldly built frame His motto is con-
tained in the advice of Davy Crockett,
BE sure you're right then go ahead.
He was born in Maryland and can trace
his ancestry back to Peter Brown, one
of the Mayfiower passengers, He received
the benefit of an excellent education,
finishing his studies at Georgetown Col
lege and also graduating from Dick Col
lege, at Edinburgh, Scotland. After his
college life, he traveied extensively in
Europe. For years past he has been
engaged in the proprietary medical busi-
ness in Chicago and has an excellent
standing in commercial circles iii the
thriving mart of the West.
Some years ago he welded Mrs. Gala
CHER, widow of Judge Gallagher, Of De-
catur. Ill. Most of his time is at present
taken up in managing the affairs of his
large estate, which, besides choice busi-
ness blocks in Decatur, consists of twelve
of the finest farms in Central Illinois.
The invention which DR.. Brown comes
to Washington to have patented is in
tended for shallow bodies of water and
rivers and will, he claims, make faster
time than any river boat that has ever
been used. THE old boats used on the
Mississippi River he said at the hotel
last evening ARE propelled by a stern
wheel. The new boat is constructed so
that the bow and stern stand above the
water. The middle part of the boat is
lower than the bow and stern and rests
in the water. Instead of being propelled
by wheel, the boat is moved by an end
less chain, to which are attached pad
dies. The chain runs under the bottom
of the boat, through the water and then
goes up through the upper part of the
steamer, just under the upper deck. The
paddles are twelve inches in depth and
extend from one side of the boat to the
other, and are set short distance apart.
AS the boat moves up stream, against
the current. the resistance of the water
is met by the paddles, which cut through
and carry the vessel along. The endless
chain is ball-bearing and is operated by
an engine in the rear of the boat. 1t Is
made up of little wheels which run on a
track
I'm old-style boats there is great re-
sistance from the water. The new boat
does away with all resistance of the
water, as the stern and bow set above
the water line and the craft gides over
the water against the current. There is
move faster than any boat which has yet
been constructed. My model, which is
seven feet long, has been a success, and
developed wonderful speed. 1 believe
such steamer would be able to make
nearly sixty miles an hour
DIR. Brown has received an offer from
Western boat builder, but is comforting
with number of other builders with the
intention Of having the vessel constructed
himself He says the invention is the
result of years Of thought and study and
he thinks 1t will revolutionize river traffic.
The Hon. Marcus A. Smith, delegate at
large from Arizona, arrived In the city
Is staying at the wellington.