The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-19
BARBARIAN" BROWN
THESTORY Of A NAME
WELL KNOWN ENGINEER
Career on Two Continents
Heirs Press Claim Against
British Government
WELL KNOWN ENGINEER
MoNG THE many interesting


~ characters who have contrib
uted to the gayety of life il
the Occur d'Alenes "Barbar.
ian" Brown stands out in memory as
a distinct type of which we shall not
see his like again. Readers of the
Miner who were here as far back as
1890 and a few years later will re-
member him well and will be interest
ed in a story by the Washington cor
respondent of the Engineering and
Mining Journal Press published in
the issue of April z, which tells of the
present status of the long pending
claim instituted by Brown against the
British government and which is still
being pushed by his heirs, the claim
amounting to S1SOO,OOO. 1t is this in
ternational controversy that recalls
the career of Brown in the Occur
d'Alene district and how he became
known as Barbarian
Located in Wardner in 1890.
1t must have been in 1890 that r.
=. Brown, mining engineer, and John
r. Stevens, civil engineer, establihsed
an office in Wardner. What mysterious
bond of sympathy drew these men in
to congenial partnership was never
explained, for they were oppOsites in
habits and temperament, Brown al
ways seeking the limelight and Steph-
ems equally inclined to seclusion. Both
were highly educated not merely in
the technic of their professions, but in
that broader field commonly referred
to as the classics. And herein was
perhaps the common ground upon
which they met in close companion
ship. Mr.. Stephens was chief engin-
eer for the Northern Pacific Railway
company and in that capacity located |
and supervised construction of the |
line across the Idaho Montana divide, |
on what was then called the NILSSON |
Ia cutoff" an engineering feat that
ranks among the most remarkable in
railroad construction in the west
Brown Makes Name for Himself.
While Stephens was engaged in saw
ing the Northern Pacific the expense
of driving a long tunnel by locating a
feasible route over a high mountain
pass Brown was surveying mining
claims, projecting underground work.
ings, and in off hours joining congen-
ial and convivial spirits in some one
of the numerous refreshment resorts
which were an outstanding feature of
life in the Occur d'Alenes in those
good OLD days before the Volstead act
robbed the citizen of his sacred per-
sonal liberty But with all this Brown
still had time to spare, and he con-
ceived the idea of issuing what might
be called a house bulletin, presumably
intended to advertise the engineering
firm of Brown & Stephens, but in fact
to provide an outlet for the wit, satire =
and serious stuff with which his real
ly brilliant mind was overlooking. +
This bulletin, four pages Sx10, he call d
ed 1.-THE Barbarian" and it was print u
ed in the office of the Occur dAlene j.
Miner, a newspaper published in Wal .
lace by the writer and his brother. "
II was a literary gem, for Brown was .
a master of English and was possessed
of keen wit and cutting sarcasm. "The Z
Barbarian" was issued at irregular in Il
tervals and the limited edition was in -
great demand. It is probable that u
copies are still in existence, preserved
by those who delight in souvenirs of -
the early days. Following the labor
strike in 1892, which resulted in divid-
warning factions, Brown took over the W
News and changed the name C
% 'The Occur d'Alene Barbarian" He 81
devoted its columns mainly to the ad-
rocacy of the mine owners side of the re
abor controversy. By this time the L
lame Barbarian" Brown had become re
nseparably attached to him. His con- NJ
lection with the Wardner paper did IN
.ot last long, and he transferred his &C
EDITORIAL efforts to Wallace. where he IT.
ook over the Press and for short
ime published it as 1.-THE Occur pr
fAlene American" w
Goes to South Africa. re
In the meantime the gold mines of tn
south Africa were attracting Ameri- 70
an, engineers. among whom were to
ohm Hays Hammond, upon whose re- ed
ort the Bunker Hill & Sullivan mine
ad been purchased, and Victor NJ. GO
'lement resident manager of the of
bunker Hill & Sullivan. Barbarian" to
'rown, in whom the spirit of adven- tn
ure was strong, followed the crowd. wi
fter a thrilling experience endeavor- ka
lg to secure mining property of great gil
alue, the stroy of which is told be- We
wv. as well as having his life in jeop-
rdy during the Boer war, "Barbar
IN" Brown returned to the United
tates broken in health, victim OF =
ADei S"ioSis' anu uiSu III ->ii@ON an