The Washington times., 1920-08-24
BrolUnloW Came Out
OfHiNs Self Taught;
Cub Reporter At IS

District Commissioner Louis Brown
low was a barefoot country boy. The
son OF a country editor and school
teacher. Brownlow. strange to say, Is
Felf-taught. having spent but four
months In school.
His amazing mental fests today In
Clude remembering every telephons
number he hnds necessary to recall,
and these run up In hundreds; read
ing the Encyclopedia Britannica
several times for mental recreation;
historic events In their Chronological
and a complete grasp of leading
order.
Possessed with a mind stored with
the results OF years OF sociological
research, Commissioner Brownlow
has put this knowledge to mighty
good use since he became one OF the
three men in charge OF the admin
istrative work OF the District Govern
ment
Louis Brownlow began life in
little sleepy village slowed away In
the Ozark Mountsins, where a stage
coach service. still running, was the
only means OF communication with
the railroads miles away.
Buffalo, Mo. his birthplace, with
population OF 500, gave him all the
excitement OF his youth. which was
marked by an attack OF nervousness
that began when he was seven years
old and had spent but two months in
school.
KNEW ALPHABET BACKWARD.
But before he had reached his
fourth birthday Brownlow knew his
alphabet backward, self-taught. He
could read upside down any book
the nurse read to him and learned
10 do 1t by watching opposite her as
she pointed letter by letter each word
she pronounced.
When thirteen years old he had two
more months of schooling and so far
as the work of the school teacher
could affect his mental development.
he had finished his studies. Had his
family's wishes governed the mental
activity and work that marked his
early years the District Commission
er would today probably be an ex-
pert angler able to swap all sort OF
fishing stories instead of District
Commit ssioner.
Telling OF his youth, Commissioner
Brownlow the other day laughed
heartily as he recalled how he out
witted his parents, who feared the ef-
feet reading would have upon his
nervous condition.
They hid every book they thought
could tug away or would be inter-
ested in. but that only forced me to
carry off bulky volumes and directed
my mind to like Gibbons Rome.
Humes England, mad Macauley's
works. These books | hid near the
place where | was supposed TO go
fishing While mother and nurse
felt | was enjoying mental relaxation
fish. | sat under a favorite !
tree enjoying one of these historic
works" he said.
Louis Brownlow is now forty years
old. He has served the District of
Columbia two terms.
CUB REPORTER At 1T.
He is trained newspaper man,
with capacity for hard work that !
marked his career from the time he
started az a cub reporter on weekly !
in the Ozark country at the age of I
thirteen. His father was the editor |
of Buffalo Record, and the discussions !
Of public questions at meals really |
began the education of Brownlow.
At the age of twenty he got his |
first job on a daily newspaper-the |
Nashville Banner. Later he worked |
for the Louisville Courier Journal
became city editor of the Times, the |
a afternoon edition of that paper.
In 1904 Brownlow came to Wash |
ington as correspondent for the /
Nashville Banner. and the Louisville |
Post taking the place of Albert Hal |
stead. A year later Irwin c. Cobb, the |
writer. then editor of the |
News-Democrat,q quit as edi- |
tor and Brownow became his sue
cessor. But Washington's charms |
were too strong to resist, and Brown
low returned in 1906.
Brownlow is a globc-trotter. He
visited tho orient twice. He toured |
South America several times. and |
went to Europe on four occasions to |
study civic and social questions.
Commissioner Brownlow and Miss
Sims. daughter of Congress
man Sims OF Tennessee, were mar
ried in 1909.
Some time ago Commi ssioner 4
Brownlow listened to II. L. Richard |
son. mental expert. who. following |
unusual tests of memory performed
before several hundred policemen,
was informed by the late Major Pull |
man that Brownlow had a system of |
telephone numbers.
NOVEL MEMORY SYSTEM.
How do you do it, asked the cK-
pert.
by associatinC them with historic
dates" he replied.
What did YOU mean by that
asked The Times Representative |
How would you remember the telc-
phone number OF The Washington
Main
"Oh. everybody remembers that
laughed the Commissioner. But II !