Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-18
KNEW OLD SETTLER
FELIX DICKSON REMEMBERS
TIMOTHY BROWN.
Lived in Same County in Indiana and
Attended the Same church-Both
Came to Iowa, but Never Met in
This State.

Felix Dickson, who resides at 219
North Court street in this city knew
Timothy Brown, the revolutionary
soldier who lies buried in a pasture in
Washington county near the little city
of Washington, concerning whom there
was complete article in the Courier
Tuesday. Mr.. Dickson was born in
Virginia in 1924. In 1881 when Z
years of age his family moved to Bar
tholomew county, Indiana, and it was
here that he saw and became acquaint-
ed with Timothy Brown. For several
years they both attended the same
church at Huntsville. Ind.
Mr.. Dickson remembers Timothy
Brown well. Brown was an old man
at that time and walked with a cane
One of his hips seemed apparently
higher than the other and this caused
a decided limp in his walking. There
was also bad running sore upon one
of his legs which was caused from
scaling the walls of some fort during
the revolutionary war
A Turkey Story.
Brown was great story teller. Ev-
cry Sunday before and after meeting
the boys and men would gather around
him and listen to his never ending
fund of stories of revolutionary times.
One story Mr.. Dickson remembers
to have often heard was that of steal
ing turkey from tory. Brown and
two companions were out on forag-
ing expedition and came to the log
house where lived a famous tory In
front OF the fire place there hung a
nice fat turkey which Brown and his
companions determined to secure.
They got their heads together and
formed their plot. They all returned
to the house and entered again. One
OF their number pretended to be talk.
en- suddenly i'll and fell upon the floor,
writing about as if in the greatest
pain. Brown busted himself between
pretending to care for the sick man
and keeping the attention of the tory.
The third man of the party ran out
side, climbed up the logs which form
ed the sides of the cabin, scaled the
roof and dropped a long rope down
the rough chimney to the fireplace.
The sick man watched his opportunity
and fastened the rope to the turkey
When the tory's back was turned the
turkey was drawn up the chimney and
the man on the outside made off with
it. When the man with the turkey was
safely gone the SICK man got well and
he and Brown with the most profuse
expressions of thankfulness to the tory
for his kindness, rode away.
Brown was not only a great story
teller but he was an expert at strop-
ping razors Ills reputation in this
line was well known all over the COM
munity. On Sunday the farmers round
about all brought their razors and
gave them to Brown. On the next Sun
day Brown would return them to their
owners and get his pay.
Passed Through Otutnnwa.
In 1916 Mr.. Dickson came to Iowa
passing through Ottumwa which was
then a little hamlet of seven or eight
houses, and going to the little village
called Comstock. Comstock later had
its name changed and is now the lit
tie town of Kirkville. Brown also came
to Iowa in 1876 but the two men never
met after removing to this state. Mr..
Dickson moved to Davis county after
a few weeks in Comstock and contin-
ued to reside there until 1892 when he
moved to Ottumwa.
Levi Dickson, brother of Felix,
was married to a Miss Love- relative
of Browns. Mr. Dickson remembers
the old revolutionary hero quite dis
tinctly as an interesting and qraint
old character full of stories and anec-
dotes Of the great war of the independ-
ence.