The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1898-03-24
Hon. Joseph D. Brown.

Memorial exercises were held recently
by Piscataquis bar In honor Of Hon.
Joseph ID. Brown, who for about 10
years, 1868 to 1868, was resident Of
Skowhegan and II law partner with his
brother the late, Vim. N. +. Brown. ESQ.
From the remarks of J. r. Sprague, Esq,
upon this occasion we make the follow
ing extracts
Joseph Darling Brown WAS born in
the town of Buxton. ia the State of
Maine, January II, 1923, (his father,
Samuel Brown, having emigrated there
from H0pkinton, n. H., In the year
1904, and died in Dover, January 81,
1898 His mothers maiden name WAS
Darling and she WAS relative
of the Cilley family of Rockland,
land, Maine, and also connection of the
late Gen. Benz. f. Butler of Lowell,
Mass His parents moved from Buxton
to Guilford in this county and were
among the early settlers of that town.
Joseph and his brother, VIM. NJ. Z.
Brown, were educated at the FoxcroIt I
Academy generally walking in their at
tendance to this school distance OF
four miles from their home. After grad
uating at this school, and while himself
a school teacher he pursued the study OF
languages under private tutor aud be-
came a proficient French and Latin
scholar, reading Victor Hugo and other
favorite authors in the original as easily
| as in English.
He was admitted to the bar in Piscata
| quis county, June %, 1916. and imme
oiately entered upon the practice of hi:
profession in Foxcroft. Ia 1928 he
was member of the board of county
commissioners, was for time post
! master of Foxcroft and also held Other
| positions of trust in that town. In 1855
he formed law partnership with his
brother VIM. in Skowhegan, Me, wher,
they continued in the practice of the Law
until the year 1868. About this time h.
went to the State of Illinois, where ht
was also engaged liz the law practice un
| til his return to Maine about the veal
| 1878.
During the latter period of his life ht
was not in active practice although bt
preserved his connection with our bar
always attended its meetings and wal
ever deeply interested 10 all matters per
tanning to our association and in every
| thing that concerned its welfare. SO h,
seemed to me as much an active member
of the bar as though he had at our term
of court attended regularly to the bust
ness of the courts.
His filling the position of Judge of tn,
| Dover municipal court for four year,
/ brought him in close contact with al
of the members of the bar in this count,
and in towns adjoining this county. II,
had earlier in life served the citizens o
| Foxcroft as their postmaster and of Pts
cataquis as one of their county commits
sioners, always discharging his offcia
duties with ability and fidelity.
For five years he WAS one of tn,
editors of the Piscauaquis Observer ant
was also writer for other Maine news
papers and public journals. He was on,
of the most authentic local historian
that we have ever had and he took grea
interest in such subjects.
| Politically his convictions were suci
that he was usually identified with min
GRITTY organizations and was for many
years prominent,in the Democratic par
| ty. Yet at different times in his life hi
abilities have been recognized and he ha
receiXed honors at the hands of his fel
lowmen, besides receiving many nomi
nations for office by the minority.
He was broad minded, catholic and in
dependent in his views and in his late
years was not much of partisan, really
belonging to no political party. Natur
ally reformer he was perhaps too Otter
allured by new faiths pretending to re
form. He was man of scholarly at
tainments, well versed in the principle
of the law and possessing a protount
love for books and literary taste of 1
high order.