Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

ternal and maternal sides. His grand
father was native Of Danvers. Mass, and
performed temporary military service at
the time Castine was occupied by the Brit
ish In the war of 1912.
Samuel Peters Brown, father of Austin
P. Brown, was born in North Bluehill, De-
cember 0, 1916. He represented the Orland
district in the Maine legislature and came
to Washington in 1860, and held several i'm
portant official positions here. Mr.. Browns
maternal great-grandfather, Thomas Mason.
was a revolutionary patriot and served at
the battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill.
Austin P. Brown began his school life
early, attended several schools of repute
and graduated from Eastmans Business
College, Poughkeepsie, N Y, which stands
at the head of the business colleges Of the
world. During the battle of the Wilder
ness he went to Fredericksburg with the
Maine state agency, and was constantly
among the sick and wounded. At the close
Of the war he associated himself in bust
ness with his father, which was success
fully carried on for several years, until
financial embarrassment followed. Mr..
Brown then said in his quiet but deter
mined way, II will bury those debts or
they shall bury me-" He has kept his
word, making it the principal object OF his
life to liquidate every dollar.
Mr.. Brown has been twice married and
has two children by his first wife. Before
her marriage his present wife was Cornelia
Carr Brown, daughter Of the late Warren
Brown Of Brooklyn, N. Y. formerly Of
Portland Me. To this union have been
born four children, two Of whom are living,
Clifford Hudson and Gladys Austin Brown.
During his busy life Mr.. Brown has fur
nished the government with millions Of
dollars worth Of supplies. He became &C
lively interested in real estate in 1885. He
lived on the beautiful and historical old
place known as "Cliffbourne" the house
having been built by Postmaster General
Hobby. In this fine old mansion MI. Brown
entertained diplomats, statesmen and
friends with lavish hospitality.
Mr.. Brown has always had control Of
large estates and interested himself in rail-
roads and steamboat lines. He is men,
Der Of the Washington Board Of Trade, the
Brightwood Citizens Association, and was
recently elected president of the Petworth
Citizens Association, or which ne was one
Of the organizers.
PICTURESQUE Petworth covers an area OF
from 400 to 500 acres which were developed
and improved under the direction OF Mr..
Brown, through an expenditure OF S3oo'Ooo
by the company he represented. The nee
essary land for streets parks and alleys
was donated to the District Of Columbia by
this company.
Mr. Brown has always favored the extern
sion Of the electric lighting system to the
suburban places Of Washington.
The originality and novelty In Mr.
Browns nature were illustrated by the
erection by him at Petworth Of "the con-
crete house" the walls of the building
being constructed Of the durable material
from which the house takes its name. 1t Is
said there are several others In the United
States in which concrete was similarly en-
ployed in their constructfon-the Ponce de
Leon Hotel, Florida; the Stanford Univer-
sity, at Palo Alto. Cal. and several others:
by quiet but persistent energy and rare
display on all occasions of excellent Judg-
ment He is one Of the best types Of Wash
ington's self made men.