The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-10-07

Settled in New York
Mountains to Assist
Negroes--His Plan d
Fdilure---Region Too
Cod for the Black
Man---MaRy Moved
Away X ~ X

country for miles around that withfA
that little iron rallied Enclosure is sacred
ground.

country for miles around that within
that little iron rallied Enclosure is sacred
ground.
How He Came to the Adirondacks.
John Browns history needs not to be
repeated, but the manner In which he
came to make home for himself in the
Adirondack wilderness is not familiar to
all. No man living knows this part Of
the hero's life better than Reuben Law
renee. Gray haired and bowed with
years, he looks himself not unlike the
man whose former home he now occu-
pies. He takes genuine pride in show
ing visitors about the place and in
pointing out the many little things that
sweep dry historical records aside and
bring the visitor face to face with the
real John Brown: that make one feel -
II he or she were actually In the midst
of that historic family circle Of years
ago.
The Study.
The study is in the house, Of course,
the principal point of interest to visit
ors. This is said to be just as John
Brown left it. A little box-like room,
with its entrance opening directly OF
the long piazza running about the side
of the house, it would be accounted q
poor apology for library, or study,
even in the cheapest of modern houses.
Yet there the visitor is told Brown pom
dered and prayed over many of the
weighty problems that presented them
selves to him. There he decided the
course to be pursued by him In his
eventful career. There the visitor Is
shown the chair he used, his writing
cabinet, the bayonet from his old mus
ket, the mirror into which a picture of
himself has been fitted, and other minor
relics. One picture is pointed out, as
declared by his widow, to have been the
best ever made of him. It is framed In
natural wood with the bark on, and
around the edge of the frame is painted,
II have fought good fight; 1 have fn-
ished my course; have kept the faith"
His Scheme a Failure.
John Browns idea in settling in such
an OUT of the-way place as North Elba,
in the very heart of the Adirondack
Mountains, was simply part of his in
born desire to assist the down-trodde1
negroes To a number of free colored
people had been given farms in this To-.
cality from Gerrit Smith, and Brown,
believing he could help them, also ac-
cepted the gift of a tract from Mr.. Smith
and moved to North Elba in 1849. But
his scheme was failure. The region
proved too cold for the colored settlers,
and many Of them moved away.
His Life Happy.
But 1t is certain that Brown at no
time in his career led happier, more
contented life than he led during the
years he lived in the Adirondacks- That
he was a man of much resource and ex-
ecutive ability is demonstrated by the
farm ITSELF Although at the time they
were built there were few of the aids
to building that exist today, the build
ings were planned and constructed on a
scale generously large for those days.
And that they were built on honor is
demonstrated by the fact that up to tas
present time few repairs have been nee
essary upon them. Now, however, the
time appears to have come when, as
Mr.. Lawrence says, il the historic old
buildings are to be preserved in their
entirety for years to come, something
must be done"