The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-17
EDWARD H, BROWN

detailed account
| Captain Brown has always been
prominently and actively identified
with the religious and masonic life
OF this. his native city. 1T was per-
haps, due more to his foresight and
| energy that the beautiful Park Place
| Methodist Episcopal Church was or
4 gani2ed, and by the munitccnce Of
Mr.. James b. Pace. WHO paid foc tire
4 entire building, erected at its present
! commanding location. For twenty
4 years Captain Brown was the superin-
| tendcnt of tile Sunday school of this
4 church, He is thirty-tlird degree
Mason and u past eminent commander
of the knights Tempar In the
church and In Masonry he has filled
and now fills many positions o. honor
and trust, being chairman OF the ed,i-
Home director Of the Methodist and
Presbyterian Richmond Homo for
Ladies, director of the Methodist Home,
where lie has equipped with his own
funds splendid dispensary. In the
business world he Is also prominent,
being the vicc-president OF the AM
herst Pulp Manufacturing Company.
director Of the Real Estate Security
Company, and connected with many
local financial, religious, masonic and
charitable institutions.
Foreseeing in 1875 the panic that
soon came OH. he thought best to buy
out his bencfactOr while able, return-
ing him four for ono on his original
, capital. Tho dark days of 1S75-76
, were successfully weathered by him,
and each year added to his clientage
and constant successes.
IN 1881, In appreciation OF faithful
\ service, he admitted his brother. Mr..
4 Lelioy H., Brown, to a olle-fourth In
terest IN the concern, as well as anoth-
er, who We're clerks at the time. A
1 rev years thereafter, MI Leroy u.
Brown was admitted 10 a fun partner
l snip; and these two constltutcS the
present firm.
1t Is safe to say that no concern has
| done more for the material welfare
ana progress OF this city than j,
Thompson Brown g. Company. They
seem 10 nave a special tact and talent
Y lor locating here industries and manu-.
factories OF various kinds. and they
point with pride to many such now in
successful operation
Their greatest achievement per.
naps' was the planning and organiz-
!ns ana Introducing into Rclmnnt
tho first trolley railway OF its kim
IN the world The Richmond Unor
Passenger Railway Company" Tho
parents OF the great trolley lines nov
the pride OF this city. They not onl,
brought the capitalists here for tn,
i N'""N'NSNiS'' VI tHIS pant, "DuI luli
out the entire route for the road
which Was afterwards adopted by tn
y electrical engineers. Mr. j, Thompson
= Brown was it's first president. and SO
cured Its charter only after one o
a the bitterest and most stupendo,l
municipal fights ever known in thi
| old Commonwealth, batterins dow
| the prcjudices Of the old timer,
| against the new tangled IDEAS" TIL
great influence Of the owners OF tn
~ il,,.y, .
two political parties then battling fo
III municipal controls not to mention tn
antipathy of old fogios' and man
OF the fair sex. who wrote bitter lie,
ters that bottled lightning" woul
"kill the people, burn up the town
generally" The same BULLDOG" te
nacity Of purpose displayed In III
enterprise is applied to all this fir
undertaken. and while not despisin
small transactions. they have bee
unusually successful in big ones,
Among these may be mentioned u
sale OF the Mayo Fridge property az
islands for sle5,ooo; the Pace Bloc
tor $4,000; the Virginia l'yrit'
Mines, sloo.oeo; the Manchester , gle
to o, H. Berry for $4,000; the Hon
Brewing Company, s45,O0O the BE,
ford Pulp Mil 100000 the warehou
to DrewrS Hughes Company, $500
and very recently the FAR iroun
site $4,000; the Berry sale, $1,000
and many others from $4,000 down
Mr.. Leroy u, Brown, the juni'
member Of tho ilrm, has boon wi
the firm for thirty years. working Il
way UP from collector through I
M various departments, ana Is tho
oughly acquainted with all the d
tails While Mr., j, Thompson Bros
is the executive head OF the Arm, I
junior member is the outdoor m
and salesman, and much of their ~
cess Us due TO his close Applicant
and pushing energy. He commcnc
his business career at the tender u
Of fifteen as n clerk for Police Just
j. j, Crutchhcldt and later ON for II
years with Mr.. Charles l., Todd
his bookkeepcr, who ~ that time &C
Quoted the largest and most surce