Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/211

 MRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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afterwards for many }cars. and up to his death, the chancellor of the X'anderbilt University. Throuj^hout the long and use- ful life of Mr. P.rown liis thirst for knowl- edge was unabated, anil he remained a stu- dent to the very end. He was admitted to the bar in the early forties, and he prac- ticed his profession in Cuml^erland and other cotnities in A^'irginia, continuing until near the close of his life, actjuiring a reputation for legal ability of a high order, ranking among the leading mcml)ers of his profes- sion. Enjoying tine social connections, and being a man of steady and industrious habits, noted for his thoroughness and pains- taking diligence in all his work, he acquired an extensive practice and the esteem and confidence of his fellowmen. In iSfif) Mr. Brown removed to Lynchliurg and shortly afterwards formed a partnership with Charles L. ^losby. one of the ablest and most accomplished lawyers in the histor}- of the state. Mr. Mosby being considerabh' older than Mr. Brown and always in delicate health, the chief labors of the firm devolved wholly upon Mr. Browni, and during the last ten years of this connection, which con- tinued until the death of Air. Alosby, the senior member of the firm rarely came to the ot^ce, and then only on short visits.

The firm, of which William C. Ivev was a partner for a time, stood very high iii legal and business circles, and took a leading part in the greater part of the important liti- gation of Lynchburg and the surrotinding country. In the comjilex and protracted litigation o\er the will of Samuel Miller, in- volving al)ut a million and a half dollars, and arousing deej) interest throughotit the state, the work of the firm was conspicuous. The contest presented many phases of great difficulty and engaged the talents of lead- ing law^yers in this j)art of the common- wealth, but it is belie\ed that Mr. Brown was as serviceable and influential in that conflict and bore himself with as much honor and ability as the l)est of them. He was concerned in many other cases of im- portance and difficulty, jjarticularly in the court of appeals, where it was said to be his rule to carry e\ery case that was not decided exactly to his liking. That digni- fied and stately forum seemed more con- genial to his predilections than the guerilla contests of the inferior courts.

The most prominent traits of Mr. Brown's

professional style and characteristics w-qtc his thoroughness of preparation, his patient, ])ersistent, tireless work in examining every i:ihase of his cause and every question his mind could suggest as likely to arise. He wanted to read and study the outgiving of e\ery court ir. Euro])e and in America that had gi\en an opinion U])on the matter in liand. It was not unusual for him to visit Washington and Richmond and S])end sev- 'eral days searching the large law libraries of those cities on the hunt for authorities to sustain his contentions, or better, dcnvn the i)osition of his adversary-. His capacity i(ir !al)C)r in his researches was equal to his a]jparent lo\ e of it, and he spared not him- self day or night. Xo drudgery of detail, no forbidding array of facts and figures, no complications of legal principle or conflict- ing testmiony exer dismayed him, or turned him aside from mastering e\erv detail of his cause. This arose largely from his con- scientious loyalty to his client and his j)ro- found conviction of his duty, and he gave himself without stint to the full perform- ance of every trust confided to him. It must not be thought from his searching after authorities that he followed blindly previ- ous opinion of courts or text-writers. On the contrary he was a man of most inde- jjendent judgment and held to his own opin- ions with the utmost tenacity. He was also I'rominently noted for his strong determina- tion and courage in the face of any difficulty or danger, though he never seemed to lose the calm equanimity of his temper.

The long, hard struggle he made for the recovery of his property in the state of Kan- sas which had been confiscated by the I'nited States government during the war, illustrated his prominent characteristics. Finding after the close of the war that his valuable pro})erties there had been confis- cated as belonging to an alien enemy, that they had been taken and sold in the forms of law. but against its equity, and by con- siderable hard and dangerous w^ork he might prove that the proceeds had been appro- priated by corrupt Federal marshals in col- lusic^n with conniving and still more cor- ru])t judges, many of whom still held au- thority and influence, and knowing that the battle must be waged in a forum strongly prejudiced against him. yet with tireless energy and patient persistence he waged for years the unequal contest amid hostile sur-