Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-09-25


were barriers, which seemed insur-
mountable, he just changed his course,
put on more steam and guided by good
judgment and backed by an indom-
liable will, he invariably touched the
goal Of success.
He descended from good old
Connecticut stock. Ebenezer Brown,
his grandfather, was soldier
in the American Revolution and
as a reminder of those trying times
there was preserved as a family relic,
a powder horn carried by Ebenezer
at the siege of Boston. His father
was Thurlow Weed Brown, editor of
the "Cauga Chief at Auburn, N. Y,
in the early fifties. He was united in
marriage to Helen Award and they
came to Jefferson county, Wis, where
the former and his sister, Emma
Brown, commenced the publication of
a temperance paper, called the evils
consin Chief" Thurlow Weed Brown
was not only a forceful writer, but
was also a gifted orator and a great
power in advancing the cause of tenn
perance. Their son, Neal, was born
on farm in Jefferson county, on the
oath of February, 1856, and was wont
to say that there was no work on the
farm which he had not done, or could
not do. Nevertheless, he preferred
mental to manual labor. Securing his
education in the Jefferson, county
schools, he took up the study of law
and was graduated from the law de-
partment of the University of Wis
consin in 1880. He came to Wausau
the same year and entered upon the
practice of his profession in which
he continued, without a partner, for
a year or more. He then became as
ISOLATED with B. j. Pink AS a law
yer, he had his successes and de-
feats, as every lawyer with a large
practice has, but he never lost a
case for lack Of preparation or the
best presentation of his case on his
part, but simply because his clients
case deserved defeat. From the very
outset of his career in Wausau, he
became prominent. His genialty; will
lingness to assist in every civic move
ment; his ability; all contributed to
enlarge his acquaintance and .popu-
larity. He devoted much time in vari-
GUS movements to make Wausau a
better and larger city and to him
its people are indebted for much of
its growth and advancement
The Wausau Law and Land associa-
ton was formed in 1885, and Mr..
Brown became the head of the legal
department of the firm. The firm has
continued down to the present time
Its membership has changed slightly
and at the time of Mr.. Browns DEATH
- "SsO SNAAP OSCu VI Veal DIOWH,
A. Pradt, and Charles S. Gilbert, and
the law firm of the association, Neal
Brown, l.. A. Pradt and F. w. Cen
rich, with the latter as junior part
ner. Charles S. Gilbert was at the
head of the land department and in
later years Mr.. Brown took an active
interest in this part of the business,
and some of the largest real estate
transactions in this section was the
result. These consisted of large
tracts of timber lands in Wisconsin,
Minnesota, the south and far west.
One of the large deals was in railroad
grant lands in the west, which be-
came very valuable, and many
wealthy men were interested They
became involved in litigation and
among the great legal lights who were
engaged was Neal Brown, and to him
was uue no small amount of the credit
for bringing this litigation to a sue
cessful end, and to the great salts
fact1on OF the purchasers. Large real
estate deals in the city and county
were carried through and several adj
ditlons to this city plated and dis
posed of.
Mr.. Brown then turned his mind
10 even greater things. He was one
OF the great moving spirits in the
forming of the Wausau Street Rail-
road company, now known as the
wisconsin Valley Electric eompany.
Great things were contemplated and
they are fast being realized. First
the Wausau Street Railroad COMPANY
was organized and the street railway
punt IN our city; the pavilion erect
60 at Rothschild, and the road ex-
tended to that place. Water powers
were purchased. the Wausau Electric
Light & Power Co.. taken over: later
the water powers of Wausau. Merrill.