The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1902-04-02
BURIED BY BROWN.
EccENTRlcITlES OF NEW Works.
MOST NOTED SEXTON.

For Many Years lie MInistered TO
the Aristocracy OF the City Mt
Grace Church, and His Name
Adorns a Tablet ON Its Walls.
1t used to be said that stranger who
was visiting New York for the first
time and asked his hotel clerk for ad-
vice as to what he should do on Sun.
day morning would find his doubts
quickly reduced to the alternative, Go
over to Brooklyn and hear Beecher' or
Go to Grace church and see Brown"
No prelate of the Episcopal church was
SO widely known either In or beyond his
New York diocese as this valiant
guardian of old Grace, whose income.
1t was estimated, was greater than
that OF any man In the cloth and whose
power in society was even more feared
than that of any bishop.
He received his appointment as SEX
ton from the Rev. DR.. Thomas House
Taylor, and, while DR.. Taylor has been
long forgotten, Sexton Brown Is still
almost as much remembered In the
great city as Jim Fisk, A. 4. Stewart or
Charles Delmonico.
Brown would cultivate the acuuaint.
ance of head walters and cooks, secur-
ing the latest information as to the
social plans of their masters and mis-
tresses, and whenever he learned that
party or a ball was under considera-
ton he would offer his services to de-
liver the invitations or look after the
comfort of the guests or superintend
their arrival and departure In their
carriages. Beginning In this humble
way, 1t was not long before he gained
the good will of distinguished patrons.
His authoritative manner, too, was
admirable for such occasions. Indeed
the host himself could hardly issue n
command TO his menials with the
suayely peremptory emphasis which
Brown employed. Such was his de.
pertinent and such his trustworthy
zeal that 1t was said that no one in
Grace church could be properly Toasted
or buried or could even say his prayers
without the assistance of Brown, and
eventually 1t became something like q
dietum in q large portion of society
that nobody could be married In New
York In truly first class style unless
Browns presence blessed the brida
party.
Nor did any detail that might bt
wanting for the personal comfort Of
the congregation escape his vlgilan
eye. 1t was habit of old Peter Stuy
vesant, for example, to keep in his pew
q thermometer. AS soon as he had tax
en- his seat he would consult 1t. On
winter morning when the temperatur
was extremely low the furnaces of til
church got out of ORDER and Brown
assistants were able to force throug
them only enough heat to lessen tn
chill little. 1t occurred to Brown tha
the condition of the atmosphere woul
not be conducive to either the piety G
the comfort of the aged Stuyvesan
When the old gentleman arrived will
In the porch of the church, he wa
shiyering with the cold, but withou
attracting his attention Brown, VIII
knew that the first thing he would d
would be to step into his pew and ex
anime the thermometer, slipped II
ahead, pressed one Of his fat fingers t
the little glass bulb and chuckled as h,
saw the mercury ascend to r. WheI
Stuyvesant reached the pew, he con
suited the thermometer as usual, look
ed around wonderingly, but evidently
concluded that the church must be
warm enough and that therefore il
must be himself who was cold
Browns funeral was marked by
much of the pomp and circumstance
which he himself had so often provided
for the rich and the great. The wits
said that 1t was the first In forty years
that had been n perfectly correct per-
| Torrance without his individual guild
ance. He had died In the little town of
| Bradford one August night In 1890
There be had been In the habit of TAX
ing his summer rest. He had been
overcome by the heat while attending
wedding Mt Brandford. and that sum-
mer he complained. probably for the
first time in his life, of Ill health. One
OF his orders was that his body should
be placed In casket of polished Span
ish cedar
A more ponderous casket had never
been carried up the aisle OF Grace
church. 1t was rich with silver and
velvet. 1t was so heavy--its interior
being large enough for two ordinary
corpses-that the eight knights Tenn
plars who bore It into the church al
most staggered with their burden
Upon 1t lay their cooked hats with wav-
Ing ostrich plumes. Within the chancel
stood four Of the clergy, in the pews
were the representatives of some of the
proudest families of the city. and a
long line OF men and women filed into
the church showing all the signs OF sor-
row for an old friend and neighbor.
On the left hand side OF Grace church
as one turns after entering the porch
under the bell tower and near where
Brown was wont for more than q gen.
GRAFTON to take his station every Sun
day is shining brass tablet. 1t was
| there placed by members OF the congre-
CATION in token of him who Is described
upon 1t as "rhe Faithful Sexton" and
whom they GLADLY recall for his fideli-
ty, his generosity and his stainless in
tegrity." 1t Is next to the bas-relief
which commentaries the virtues of the
illustrious Cadwallader ID. Golden, once
mayor OF New York--what greater
posthumous glory would Brown have
craved ?-and is not less conspicuous
than the old tablet on the opposite side
which was erected to the memory of
Henry Brevoort, whose family wsg de.
rived In "unbroken descent from the
colonists Of New Netherlands. Ladies'
Home Journal.