The Tucson citizen., 1902-04-03


Grace Church, and His Name
Adorns Tablet ON Its Walls.
1t used to be said that stranger who
was visiting New York fer the first
time aud asked his hotel clerk for adj
vice as 10 what he should 10 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 ana 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,
| II was estimated, was greater than
/ Il at Of any man In the cloth and whose
| i yer in society was even more feared
tA9n That of any bishop.
He received his appointment as sex
| ton from the 1tey. DR. Thomas House
Taylor and, while DR.. Taylor has been
| long forgotten, Sexton Brown is still
| almost us much remembered jn the
| great city rs Jim Fisk. 4 T. Stewart or
| Charles Delmouico.
/ Brown would cultivate the acguant-
/ ance at head walters ami cooks. sef-ur-
/ Ing the latest information as to the
social plass II theiNmasters and mis-
! treSscS. al.. " henever he learned that
! Il party or & blll WAS under considefa-
| tion be would offer his services 10 de-
| liver the Invitations or look after the
n
| their arrival and departure In their
carriages. HeGinnlng In this humble
way, II was nof long before he gained
the good VIII OF distinguished patrons.
His authoritative manner, too. WAS
admirahie'fo such occasions. Indeed
the host himself could hardly issue a
command to his menlals with the
suayely peremptory emphasis which
Brown employed Such was his de
pertinent ana such HIS trustworthy
zeal that ii was said that no one in
Grace church could be properly feasted
or buried or could even say his prayers
without the assistance Of Brown. and
eventually ii became something like
dictum In large portion of society
York III truly first class style uniess
browns presence blessed the bridal
party.
Nor did any detail that might lie
wanting for the personal comfort OF
tie congregation escape his vig4lah'
eye. II was Il habit OF old Peter Stuy
vesant, for example. 10 Keep in his pew
thermometer. rs soon as he had 1ak
en- his seat he would consult IT, 98e
winter nlarnlng when the temperature
was extremely low tie furnaces OF fAe
church got cat OF order. and Browns
assistants were able tn force thrangb
item only enough heat 10 lessen tie
chill little. II occurred 10 brown tlot
the condition uf tlle atmosphere wonla
not he conducive 10 either The plety 81
the comfort of the aged Stuyyesant
When the old gentleman arrived With.
in the porch OF the church. he was
shivering with the cold. hut without
attracting his attention Brown. who
knew that the first thing lie would DO
would be to step into his pew and ex
anime the thermometer slipped III
ahead. pressed one of his fat ilngaas to
the l.t-'e glass bulb and ciuckled as he
saw the AerturY ascend to -. WHEN
Stuyyesaut reached the pew. he con
suited ibe thermometer as usual. loolS
cd around wonderinglr, bnt evidently
concluded that the church must bc
warm enough and that therefore ii
must be himself who was cold.
Browns funeral was marked by
much of the nomp aud circumstance
which be himself had so often provided
for the rich and the great. The wits
said that IL was the first in forty years
that had been perfectly correct per-
formanee without his individual guild
ance. He had died iii the little town of
Brandford one August night in 1eSo
There he had been in the habit of TAX
ing his summer rest. lie had been
overcome by the heat while attending
IA wedding Mt Brandford. and that sum.
mer he complained, probably for The
tirSt time IN his life, of i'll health. One
of his orders was that his body should
be placed in a casilet OF polished Span
isll cedar
A more ponderous casket had never
been carried up the aisle OF Grace
church It 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 it lay their cooked hats with way
ing ostrich plumes. Within the ehausel
stood -four Of the clergy, In the reWs
were the representatives of some OF lie
pFoudeSt families of the city. and u
long line OF men and women liled into
the church showing MI the signs OF sor-
row for an old friend and neighbor.
On the left hand side OF Grace church
rs one turns after entering the porch
under the bell tower and near where
Brown was wont for mere than gen
Grafton TO take his station every sun
day is shining brass tablet. II was
there placed by members Of the congre-
cation in token of him who is described