DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
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PUBLISHED AS AN 
 AFFECTIONATE TRIBUTE 
 
 BY THE 
 
 Edenton Street M. E. Church, South 
 
 AND THE 
 
 Edenton Street Sunday School 
 
 of RALEIGH, N. C. 
 
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 PRESSES OF 
 
 Mitchell Printing Company 
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 Joseph G. Brown 
 
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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2013 
 
 http://archive.org/details/josephgbrown185400rale 
 

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 CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Foreword 9 
 
 Introductory Word 11 
 
 Joseph G. Brown (From the Church Bulletin) 17 
 
 Address of Dr. W. P. Few 23 
 
 Address of Hon. Josephus Daniels 29 
 
 Address of S. Wade Marr 37 
 
 A Tribute to Mr. Brown (By W. M. Upchurch, Jr.) 43 
 
 Address of Mr. John A. Park 49 
 
 Address of Chief Justice W. P. Stacy 53 
 
 Presentation of Mr. Brown's Picture (Cale K. Burgess) 61 
 
 Address of Rev. W. A. Stanbury 65 
 
 Resolutions : 
 
 Adopted by the Board of Stewards 73 
 
 Adopted by First Quarterly Conference 74 
 
 Adopted by Edenton Street Methodist Sunday School 75 
 
 Adopted by the Mothers' Department of the Sunday 
 School 78 
 
 Adopted by the Workers' Council of the Sunday School.... 79 
 
(J o reword 
 
 HOW THIS BOOK CAME TO BE PUBLISHED 
 
 ON SUNDAY, February 6, 1927, Chief Justice W. P. Stacy, 
 in his address to the Baraca-Wesley Class of Edenton Street 
 Sunday School, paid tribute to the life and service of 
 Mr. Joseph G. Brown. A stenographic report of that address 
 was made, so that members of Mr. Brown's family might have an 
 opportunity to read it. 
 
 Before many days the suggestion was made that this address be 
 printed, and a committee from the Baraca-Wesley Class was 
 appointed to have this done. But many other tributes were paid 
 Mr. Brown, and the suggestion followed that all such papers in 
 any way coming from Edenton Street Church and Sunday School 
 should be printed in a single volume, and a committee representing 
 the Baraca-Wesley Class, the Sunday School as a whole, and the 
 Board of Stewards for the entire membership of the Church, was 
 appointed. 
 
 We have collected these papers in as nearly the form in which 
 they were originally given as possible, and in accordance with our 
 request Reverend W. A. Stanbury has written an Introductory 
 Word, giving the facts of Mr. Brown's life in outline. 
 
 To the membership of Edenton Street Church and Sunday 
 
 School, and to the community in general, we present the results 
 
 of our effort in the prayer and hope that this volume may serve 
 
 to fix even more securely the place which the memory of Mr. Brown 
 
 universally holds among us, and to enforce forever the high 
 
 principles of Christian manhood and of faith in God and man by 
 
 which he lived. 
 
 Dan W. Teeey, Chairman 
 
 Miss Blanche Barringek, Secretary 
 
 N". C. JSTewbold 
 
 D. M. Penny 
 
 Jno. A. Pare 
 
 C. C. Cunningham 
 
 W. G. Womble 
 
 Committee. 
 
Introductory c lo) o r d 
 
 THE PAPEKS Printed in this little book are the tributes paid 
 to Mr. Joseph G. Brown by members and organizations of 
 Edenton Street Methodist Church, Raleigh, following his 
 death, January 30, 1927. There is included also the address of 
 Dr. W. P. Few, President of Duke University, delivered at the 
 funeral service held in the Church, Monday, January 31, at 4 
 o'clock. To these have been added a few paragraphs which were 
 printed on the last page of our Sunday Bulletin for February 6, 
 1927, and an address delivered at a memorial service at Duke 
 University, February 23. It will be recalled in this connection 
 that Mr. Brown was for thirty years a trustee and for ten years 
 President of the Board of Trustees of Duke University. Since 
 these collected papers do not give, because their nature does not 
 allow them, any ordered historical account of Mr. Brown's life, a 
 brief summary of the main facts are set down here. 
 
 Joseph Gill Brown was born in Raleigh, November 5, 1854, 
 the son of Henry Jerome and Lydia Lane Brown. He was next to 
 the youngest of a family of fourteen children. His great-grand- 
 father on the maternal side was James Lane, a brother of Joel 
 Lane, the original owner of the site of Raleigh. His mother was 
 born on the farm on which Raleigh now stands. 
 
 He received his early education in private school at Lovejoy 
 Academy. In 1871 he entered Trinity College, then located in 
 Randolph County, there coming under the influence of Dr. Braxton 
 Craven, who was president of that institution. He continued here 
 as a student for two years, and in 1873 became connected with the 
 Citizens National Bank of Raleigh. In 1883 he was elected cashier 
 of the bank, and in 1894 became president, continuing in the latter 
 office until his death. He was also at the time of his death presi- 
 dent of the Raleigh Savings Bank and Trust Company, the oldest 
 savings bank in North Carolina. 
 
 He was identified with public affairs as few men of his genera- 
 tion, serving with distinction in every position for which he was 
 chosen. He was at one time a member of the Board of Aldermen 
 
Introductory c ls) o r d — (3 ontinued 
 
 of the Capital City, and for twenty-eight years he served as City 
 Treasurer. He served as president of the Raleigh Associated 
 Charities, president of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, presi- 
 dent of the Raleigh Clearing House Association, and president 
 of the State Bankers' Association. While the Jefferson Standard 
 Life Insurance Company held its main offices in Raleigh he 
 served as president of that organization. He was for nine years 
 a member of the Executive Council of the American Bankers' 
 Association. He served as vice-president, and at the time of his 
 death was president, of the Atlantic Fire Insurance Company. 
 He was a trustee of the Olivia Rainey Library and trustee and 
 treasurer of the Methodist Orphanage. He was director of the 
 Carolina Southern Railway Company, and served as president of 
 the company until the Government took over the railroads in 
 1917. He was chairman of the State Hospitals Board in charge 
 of the State hospitals for the insane and the Caswell Training 
 School. He was a member of the Columbia group of the Pan- 
 American Financial Conference. He was a member of the Advisory 
 Council of the Federal Reserve System, and during the war was 
 chairman of the local executive committee of the Red Cross and 
 chairman of the State Liberty Loan Committee during all of the 
 five campaigns. He was at one time Grand Master of the Grand 
 Lodge of Odd Fellows in this State. He always stood ready to 
 serve, and in many ways, of which the public did not know, did 
 serve, the State of which he was a native and loyal citizen. The 
 present standing of the government of North Carolina in the 
 financial world is perhaps more due to the influence and work of 
 Mr. Brown than to that of any other private citizen. 
 
 But there was no other connection which he prized so much as 
 that with his Church. For sixty- five years he was a member of 
 the Sunday School of Edenton Street Church. For fifty-eight years 
 he was a member of the Church, and for fifty years' a steward. 
 For twenty-seven years, and for twenty-three years consecutively, 
 he was superintendent of the Sunday School. 
 
 [12] 
 
Introductory c lo) o r d — (3 oncluded 
 
 His last act upon this earth was to make the announcement of 
 the names of two children who were on that Sunday, January 30, 
 being received as Cradle Eoll members of the Sunday School. 
 Immediately after this he was stricken with apoplexy and died the 
 same afternoon at 5 o'clock. 
 
 On November 10, 1881, Mr. Brown was married to Miss Alice 
 Burkhead, daughter of Dr. L. S. Burkhead, an honored member 
 of the North Carolina Conference and for four years pastor of 
 Edenton Street Church. Mrs. Brown survives him, as do their 
 four children: Miss Bessie Brown, Mrs. J. K. Doughton, R. A. 
 Brown, and Frank B. Brown. He is also survived by his sister, 
 Miss Janie Brown, who lives with Mrs. Brown. 
 
 No attempt has been made in these introductory paragraphs to 
 appraise the life and work of Mr. Brown or to analyze the qualities 
 which combined to produce his greatness. In some measure the 
 papers which follow perform this duty, though none of them, nor 
 all of them together, nor any of the words which have been spoken 
 and written elsewhere, give any adequate account of the nobility or 
 power or lovableness of this Christian gentleman and servant of 
 God. 
 
 I rejoice to have been permitted to take part in this labor of love. 
 
 W. A. Stanbury. 
 
 [13] 
 
Joseph G. Brown 
 
 FROM THE BULLETIN 
 
 of 
 
 EDENTON STREET METHODIST CHURCH 
 
 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1927 
 
JOSEPH G. BROWN 
 
 From The Bulletin of Edenton Street Methodist Church for 
 Sunday, February 6, 1927. 
 
 The business world thought of him as head of a great banking 
 institution and as trusted adviser for many corporations. The 
 educational world thought of him as the patron of sound learning, 
 and as president of the Board of Trustees of Duke University. 
 Those intimately acquainted with civic affairs thought of him as 
 a public servant, who in quiet and unrewarded ways brought his 
 great ability and wisdom to the aid of those charged with carrying 
 on the State's business. In social circles everywhere he was looked 
 upon as a gentleman of surpassing charm and worth. 
 
 But we knew him as a part of the life of Edenton Street 
 Church. For sixty-five years he was a member of the Sunday 
 School. For fifty-eight years he was a member of the Church, and 
 for fifty years a Steward. For twenty-seven years, and for 
 twenty-three years continuously, he was Superintendent of the 
 Sunday School. ISTone of us now living have ever known Edenton 
 Street Church or thought of it without him. He was the living 
 personification, as he was the dominating spirit, of our Sunday 
 School. There is no department or phase of our life as a Church 
 which does not bear the touch and in one way or another express 
 the spirit of his life. 
 
 But chiefly we kneAv him as our friend. Probably he had the 
 greatest capacity for friendship of any man whom most of us have 
 known. He was the valued friend of great and learned men ; like- 
 wise many in humble, hidden station reckoned him the best friend 
 they had. Men who handled millions listened eagerly to his advice, 
 and followed it. Widows with only a scrap of savings left after 
 expenses of sickness and burial had been paid, found him with time 
 to aid them, cheer them, and arrange for their protection. Boys 
 and girls that wanted an education found him ready to help them 
 with their problem. Children left without father or mother or 
 
Joseph (y. © r o w n 
 
 home found in him a father who claimed them for his special 
 charge. Two hundred and fifty of them standing at sad attention 
 lined the street as the funeral procession approached the Church. 
 Boys and men that had gone wrong and stumbled in the mire and 
 snares of sin went to him with their discouragement and grief, 
 and found him patient and full of comfort. He was everybody's 
 friend ; even those who knew him but slightly felt intuitively that 
 he was their friend. When we brought his body to the Church 
 last Monday afternoon, men and women of the highest station 
 mingled their tears with the tears of people whom life has struck 
 its hardest blows ; the great throng had lost a friend. 
 
 But he was pre-eminently the friend and companion of young 
 people. For seventy—three years he was young in spirit, open to 
 fresh ideas, in understanding sympathy with the hopes and view- 
 point of youth. He gave them the warmth and radiance of his 
 affection; in turn they gave him their confidence and stood ready 
 to follow him anywhere. Countless hundreds of them through 
 the years have felt the sweetness and power of his soul, and have 
 gone out all over the earth to be stronger, better people because 
 they have known him, and to count their fellowship with him as 
 one of their dearest possessions. He never knew a single day of 
 old age; all of life was for him an ascent, never a decline. He 
 was standing at the highest point he had yet reached when he 
 stepped up into the world above but still so near this. 
 
 And let it be remembered that his life was saturated with the 
 religion of Jesus Christ. There was no interest or concern that 
 was held apart from the transforming influence of this experience 
 and his tolerant but zealous faith. From crowded days he caught 
 time to cultivate the knowledge of God and fellowship with His 
 Son. It was most real to him, but as far removed from boast or 
 pretending as possible. It was his habit of many years to arrive 
 at the Church some time before the Sunday School hour, and, 
 having said good-morning to any who had come early, to go to his 
 pew in the Church and spend a while in Bible reading and 
 
 [18] 
 
Joseph (j. ^B r o w n 
 
 prayer, in preparation for the worship and service of the day. 
 No week-day was begun or ended without the upward look and 
 moments of communion. He never seemed to lack strength or to 
 suffer confusion. 
 
 In the Sunday School building, where he had found his greatest 
 joy in laboring, and where his last act had been to announce the 
 Cradle Roll membership of two newly-born babies, he spent his 
 last conscious moment. Just as the chimes were ringing out their 
 invitation to come and worship, the call came to him. It found 
 him ready. Could he have ordered the manner of his going, it 
 would not have been different. 
 
 [19] 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 of 
 
 Dr. W. P. Few 
 
 PRESIDENT OF DUKE UNIVERSITY 
 
 AT THE FUNERAL 
 JANUARY 31, 1927 
 
ADDRESS OF DR. W. P. FEW AT THE FUNERAL 
 
 January 31, 1927. 
 
 We are a great host gathered as we are here today for the last 
 time about the body of our dear departed friend. We come from 
 all professions and all ranks of life. We represent many varieties 
 of opinion and experience. But we are all of one mind concerning 
 Mr. Brown. He was one man about whom there can be no serious 
 differences of opinion. We have here, too, a community of feeling. 
 This man's death is the one "touch of nature" that makes akin 
 practically the entire City of Raleigh and a large part of North 
 Carolina. 
 
 Why this extraordinary uniformity of opinion and unity of 
 feeling that we see here today? Mr. Brown was a normal man. 
 He had the traits of character that make a universal appeal. We 
 all stand in admiration and reverence before the oneness, the 
 wholeness, the completeness of the man's life and personality and 
 the issues of this harmonious development of the whole man in 
 his activities, his character, and his influence. There were no 
 moral, intellectual, or even physical "insurrections in his kingdom 
 of man." His physical, mental, and spiritual constitution was not 
 a house divided against itself. There was a consolidation of all 
 his resources and a concentration of the last thing that was in him, 
 and all this was always available whenever evoked by the crises 
 of life. Whatever direction he might turn his effort at any given 
 time, he was "all there." He succeeded in many ways, and he 
 achieved success because he himself was success. 
 
 In business he was very successful. Equipped as he was, how 
 could it have been otherwise ? But even in business he worked not 
 primarily for himself — he worked for others; for depositors, for 
 patrons, for shareholders — for the public. Here was a man who 
 spent a lifetime in business, working through approved business 
 methods and achieving business success; and yet he was always 
 concerned more for others than for himself. 
 
^Address of Dr. c lo). (p. ^ew at the funeral 
 
 He gave himself unstintedly to public service in the best sense 
 of those words. Throughout a long life he served his neighbors in 
 countless ways, the city of Raleigh where he was born and where 
 he lived all his life. He served the State many years and in many 
 ways. He served important causes of the National Government, 
 especially during the Great War. Indeed, I think he never 
 recovered from the strain of the load he carried in those hard 
 years. All this was done without expectation of reward. 
 
 He was preeminently a servant of the causes of education. In 
 1871 he entered Trinity College, now a part of Duke University. 
 Prom that day until his death he served the institution through 
 every stage of its development and in every sort of way — as loyal 
 son, as patron, as benefactor, as trustee for thirty-four years, and 
 as President of the Board of Trustees for ten years. He served 
 other institutions. He was educationally minded. He had the 
 spirit of youth and could work at the tasks of education with an 
 understanding heart. He was the kind of man, the only kind of 
 man, that can succeed or even be useful in intimate work with 
 youth. He deserves to live among those who through guidance and 
 inspiration of the young have most effectively served their day 
 and generation. 
 
 He had a deep religious nature and experience. Beginning here 
 at this Church in boyhood, out through the State, and everywhere, 
 he devoted his time, his money, himself to the Church, to the 
 orphans, to charities, to all good works, "for the glory of the 
 Creator and the relief of man's estate." He was earnest, but 
 never narrow; he had intense convictions, but without a trace of 
 bitterness. 
 
 What were the products of all this — of his rich inheritance in a 
 strong body, a good intellect, and right tendencies; of his inner 
 moral adjustment; and of the discipline of years rightly lived? 
 One product was a mind that always ran true to form. He was 
 finely adjusted to life, and this adjustment gave him a sort of 
 moral instinct that carried him to his tasks with something of the 
 inevitableness of the natural instinct that compels the bird to build 
 
 [24] 
 
^Address of <2)r. c lo). Cp. (Jew at the (Juneral 
 
 its nest and to sing its songs. Thinking back, as I have been 
 thinking for the past twenty-four hours, over many years of 
 intimate association with Mr. Brown and others in tasks and 
 problems that have sometimes been intricate and difficult, I have 
 not been able to recall one instance when it seemed to me that he 
 did not think straight and think through to right conclusions. 
 This sort of intuitive wisdom does not come out of the intellect 
 alone, but out of the full, harmonious development of all a man's 
 capacities and powers. As we all well know, Mr. Brown had in 
 an unusual degree this precious gift of unerring wisdom. 
 
 Another product was an all-pervading goodness. He was rightly 
 in tune with the infinite, and it seemed to be more nearly natural 
 for him to do right than for almost any other man I have ever 
 known. He lived here all his life. I dare now to challenge the 
 memory of any of you — and I care not how long you have known 
 him — can you recall many, if any, occasions when you felt that 
 he did wrong? 
 
 It has been said that the beautiful is higher than the good 
 because it includes the good — it is the good made perfect. At any 
 rate, Mr. Brown's inner character flowered also in beauty, a beauty 
 that showed itself even in physical excellence. He had a clean and 
 fine face that none but a good and wise man can ever wear. He 
 had a personal charm and winsomeness. I recently heard a little 
 boy say the men he loved most were his father and Mr. Brown. 
 This is typical of the feeling of children, of youth, of adults. 
 None knew him but to love him. 
 
 The quiet, useful, and happy life of this man is an unanswerable 
 argument of our Christian religion. That sort of living and 
 witness-bearing on the part of Christians and a new emphasis by 
 all our preachers upon the plain teachings of Jesus and upon 
 Jesus himself as the Way of Life, and the Only Way of Life — 
 these are the things for which this troubled age of ours is 
 impatiently waiting, and these, too, are the things that would 
 bring about the greatest revival of essential Christianity the 
 world has ever seen. 
 
 [25] 
 
^Address of <2)r. c ls). (p. ^ew at the funeral 
 
 There's the worth of this man's example, and there's the 
 heritage of his life— sweet, abiding, consoling to all who knew him 
 and who know of him in the after-years, to you his neighbors and 
 friends, and above all to you, his sorrowing loved ones. May the 
 blessed memories and the benedictions of his life go with you to 
 the end ; and may the richest blessings of his God and Father, and 
 yours and ours, be upon you now and always. 
 
 [26] 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 of 
 
 Hon. Josephus Daniels 
 
 AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE IN EDENTON 
 STREET METHODIST CHURCH 
 
 FEBRUARY 13, 1927 
 
 [Note: On February 13, 1927, a Memorial Service was held at Eden- 
 ton Street Church. This service was conducted by the pastor of the 
 church, and addresses were delivered by Hon. Josephus Daniels, 
 S. Wade Marr, and W. M. Upchurch, Jr.] 
 
ADDRESS OF MR. DANIELS AT THE 
 MEMORIAL SERVICE 
 
 You cannot think of the Raleigh of yesterday, today, or 
 tomorrow without thinking of Joseph Gill Brown. Before this city 
 was dreamed of, his forebears lived in the primeval forests, cleared 
 the fields, and hunted along the streams hard by the spot where 
 stands today our stately capitol and this and other temples of 
 religion. It was Joel Lane, his mother's great-uncle, who owned 
 the broad acres where in 1770 the first Wake County courthouse 
 was built on the hill across the way from Joel Lane's home. In 
 1789 the Legislature, tiring of an ambulatory seat of government, 
 directed that "an unalterable seat of government" should be 
 located "as near as possible in the center of the State." On 
 Friday, March 20, 1792, the commissioners bought 1,016 acres of 
 land from Joe Brown's great-uncle, paying therefor $2,756. He 
 could therefore have said of early Raleigh, "of which I was a 
 part." Is it any wonder that Joe Brown had a passionate love 
 for the very trees and soil of his native city? 
 
 It is a matter of history that Willie Jones, friend of Jefferson 
 and friend of Lane, was the dominating leader when Joel Lane's 
 farm was chosen as the site of the State Capital. It is a further 
 matter of history, and may be more than a coincidence in connec- 
 tion with the Church home of Joseph G. Brown, that this same 
 Willie Jones, who procured the purchase of his kinsman's land as 
 the site for the capitol, donated the land upon which this Edenton 
 Street Methodist Church stands. Willie Jones was not a Methodist, 
 not even a professing Christian. It may be — who can tell? — that 
 out of his regard for the Lane family he deeded property to a 
 Church where descendants of this family have worshipped for a 
 hundred years, a Church of which his own daughter was to become 
 a communicant. 
 
 We cannot envision the Raleigh of today without thinking of 
 Joseph G. Brown. Material evidences are all about us — this 
 Church and Sunday School room, the buildings and grounds of 
 
^Address of Stiff. (Daniels at the SY(emorial §>ervice 
 
 the Methodist Orphanage, his home of comfort and hospitality, 
 the Citizens National Bank, soon to be enlarged upon his plans, 
 are some of his constructive works. More enduring than these 
 are the lives into which he carried hope and light and blessing. 
 It is in the lives he touched that tomorrow, though dead, he will 
 still speak. It is, therefore, true that in its conception, in its 
 development, in its future, Raleigh and Raleigh Methodism will 
 owe a lasting debt to this good man. 
 
 It would be a sad privilege if Christian faith, which gives 
 assurance of blessed immortality, did not make it a sacred one, to 
 pay homage to this noble man in this holy place made dear by his 
 devotion. While Mr. Brown moved among us he was called the 
 First Citizen of Raleigh. And so he was. 
 
 This city has furnished not a few men of distinction. Can you 
 recall one to the manner born who served his day so well or who 
 gave it more honor than Joseph G. Brown? By the standard of 
 success in business, or in large civic contribution, or in religious 
 activity, or in garnering the love of his fellows, I can recall no 
 man in all its history who outranks him. More learned men there 
 have been, men more eloquent, men with larger possessions. But 
 in the greatness of goodness, in securing and holding public 
 confidence, in recognition abroad as well as at home, as a construc- 
 tive leader, he was Raleigh's Abou Ben Adhem. And his name 
 led all the rest for a similar reason : he loved his fellowmen. 
 
 It is a proud claim that Raleigh moulded him, not alone to 
 serve his own city, but to lead in the State and National gatherings 
 of bankers, Church assemblies, or fiscal affairs of the great Govern- 
 ment in the World War. Though he was Raleigh to the core, he 
 was more. He never failed to measure up with the leaders in any 
 assembly of which he was a member. 
 
 Joe Brown was the perfection of Raleigh in its best expression. 
 He possessed a rounded character that set him apart in any 
 company. They looked at him twice and saw he was patterned in 
 a lofty mould. Modest and unassuming, he had the merit of 
 conscious power. He incarnated the city's highest ideals and best 
 
 [30] 
 
_y4ddress of J3Y(r. Daniels at the ^Memorial Service 
 
 traditions. If a stranger had asked you, "Show us the finest fruit 
 of the tree of your city?" the answer would be, Joseph G. Brown. 
 
 The deity who presided at his birth showered gifts upon him — - 
 beauty of person, charm of manner, graciousness, and the simple 
 dignity that fitted him like a garment. To physical beauty he added 
 the beauty of character, the expression on his countenance of that 
 inward grace which attracted and held old and young. As the 
 crown of his life there was the abiding quality of sweetness and 
 friendliness which were the fruits of the indwelling Spirit of God. 
 The Christian religion as he lived it was joy and peace. It gave 
 serenity and assurance. It accounted for his consistent course. It 
 was his sheet anchor, sure and steadfast. His religion was deep, 
 his experience genuine, deep, clear, and though not given to 
 speaking of it, upon suitable occasions he was not ashamed to give 
 testimony to the faith that was in him. 
 
 No written profession of what he believed could add to our 
 confidence in his faith. It is comforting, however, to those who 
 loved him, and will hearten others to know that when he looked 
 Death in the face he could do so unafraid, because his faith never 
 faltered. In the Spring of 1923 — on May 23d — following an 
 illness at home, when on a visit to New York, Mr. Brown con- 
 sulted a specialist, who found his condition serious. He returned 
 to his hotel. Feeling that he stood on the portals of the next 
 world, he made his will and wrote a letter to his beloved wife. 
 The letter was never mailed. It was found last week with his will 
 among his valuable papers. It was the most valuable legacy he 
 bequeathed. There was one sentence in the letter, which comes to 
 us as a message from our dead leader, which at my request I am 
 permitted by his sorrowing wife to read to his friends. "I am not 
 uneasy or worried," he wrote, after telling his wife of the doctor's 
 diagnosis. "If the end comes — as come it must before many 
 years — He will be with me, notwithstanding all my unworthiness. 
 I have implicit faith in Him and in His abounding mercy and 
 love." 
 
 [31] 
 
.Address of SY(r. (Daniels at the 3Y(emorial Service 
 
 There may be a nobler profession among those handed down to 
 us from the days of saints and martyrs, but I do not recall one. 
 Compared to the possession of that steadying faith, made in the 
 hour when he thought Death was near neighbor, what heritage of 
 value would he have left his family, his friends, his Church, his 
 city, his country? 
 
 After his religion, which was the mainspring that guided all his 
 actions and which alone explains him, there were two qualities 
 which stood out preeminent. They were Loyalty and Cheerfulness. 
 Loyalty to beliefs, to friends, to duty. He regarded Loyalty as the 
 eleventh commandment. Without Cheerfulness life is a weary 
 grind. Cheerfulness is the twelfth commandment. 
 
 In his life there had come attractive offers to Mr. Brown to 
 make his home in cities with larger opportunity to increase his 
 fortune. He talked with me about one which most men in his 
 position would have accepted immediately. His loyalty to the 
 place of his birth forbade serious consideration. He held this 
 loyalty and devotion as something more than houses and lands. 
 Here his ancestors, his kin, had made their homes. His roots were 
 deep. He could not think of uprooting them. It would have cut 
 some ligaments of Loyalty for him to move. There was another 
 attachment. "I could not," he said as we talked it over in Wash- 
 ington, "be happy away from Edenton Street Church and Sunday 
 School." Queen Mary said, "When I am dead, you will find Calais 
 written upon my heart." She did not long more for Calais than 
 Joe Brown for the welfare of his Church. 
 
 His loyalty to the financial institutions of which he was the head 
 was marked and unselfish. They had grown from small to large 
 proportions. He was the chief asset of the banks he directed, 
 though he was not the largest stockholder. If he had owned every 
 share of stock in these financial institutions, he could not have 
 shepherded the resources or husbanded them more conscientiously 
 and efficiently. He had gone into the Citizens Bank fresh from 
 college. He had been given marked trust by the chief owner. 
 His loyalty held him to lifelong devotion to the trust reposed in 
 
 [32] 
 
^Address of jY(r. Daniels at the JXfemori&l Service 
 
 him, though he would have become a richer man if all his talents 
 and time had been devoted to a financial institution of his own, 
 which he could easily have established. 
 
 His loyalty to his college never weakened. Youth forges strong 
 friendships. Love for the institution that opens doors of knowl- 
 edge is permanent in fine characters. Joseph G. Brown held 
 unbroken the love of college mates and gained their gratitude by 
 his eminent service as Trustee of Trinity and afterwards as Chair- 
 man of the Board of Trustees of Duke University. 
 
 High over all was his loyalty to his Church as the temple of the 
 living God. He had no narrow creed and loved all Christians, but 
 his deepest affections were entwined about this Church and Sunday 
 School. Here he had been born into the Kingdom, here his heart 
 had been strangely warmed as he consecrated himself to Christian 
 service. Here had been given vows when he was crowned with the 
 happiness of a happy marriage for love. Here he had brought his 
 children and solemnly dedicated them to God. Here he had 
 rejoiced to see souls born again. Here for more than half a 
 century he had led in everything that looked for the upbuilding of 
 this Zion. Here for over half a century he had been teacher, 
 officer, and superintendent of the great Sunday School which is 
 today impregnated with his spirit. His loyalty made this house 
 to him a very gate of Heaven. To many the very chimes sound 
 mournful now that he is gone. 
 
 The virtue of cheerfulness is much underestimated. It is a 
 product of the Beatitudes. It is the oil that gladdens hearts and 
 that prevents creaking in the human machinery. There are 
 cloudy days for many and heartaches and disappointments and 
 disillusionment. They need to feel the warmth of cheerfulness. 
 The only balm to weary hearts is in the Christian religion. The 
 only understanding of the value of that religion to most people is 
 when it is seen in the faces and in the lives of those who profess it. 
 The best sermon is a cheerful and clean life. Joseph G. Brown 
 preached that sermon unconsciously every day of his life, alike 
 to the millionaire and other business men who were associated with 
 
 [33] 
 
^Address of 3Y(r. Daniels at the jYfemorial S erv i ce 
 
 him in business and to the youngest child in this Sunday School. 
 "If religion gives the joy and glow Joe Brown radiates, it is the 
 pearl of great price," was the feeling that brought many to 
 embrace the Christian religion in this Church. How greatly we 
 shall miss his sermons of good cheer ! It was given to our friend 
 never to grow old in heart or spirit. He died with the dew of 
 youth on his brow. Perfeet health for three score years made his 
 step elastic. His interest in all things never abated. I could 
 not associate him with feebleness or think of his fearing the things 
 that are high. 
 
 He died as he would have loved to die, welcoming a little child 
 into his Sunday School, and passing without pain into the rest 
 reserved to the people of God. 
 
 It could be truly said of Joseph G. Brown what was said to good 
 Doctor Amboyne, by the young man who was lifted out of despair 
 to hope : "Talking with you is like drinking sunshine." 
 
 The Arabian poet described Joe Brown when he wrote: 
 
 "Sunshine was he 
 In the winter day : 
 And in the midsummer 
 Coolness and shade." 
 
 [34] 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 of 
 
 S. Wade Marr 
 
 AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE IN EDENTON 
 STREET METHODIST CHURCH 
 
 FEBRUARY 13, 1927 
 
ADDRESS OF MR. MARR AT THE 
 MEMORIAL SERVICE 
 
 If for no other reason than that Joe Brown came and went from 
 this altar, I feel that I stand on sacred ground, and in the spirit of 
 humility and under the consciousness of unworthiness, I put forth 
 a feeble effort to express that which is inexpressible. Here we are, 
 a powerful people, nurtured in a sanctuary crowned with a noble 
 inheritance of Christian fellowship and loyalty; but just now we 
 seem to hesitate. The eyes through which we seemed to glimpse 
 heaven are closed. Till now we little reckoned that the way we 
 have come is the way that Joe Brown, a man of God, has led us. 
 For more than a half century he led because a noble people loved 
 to follow his leadership. In this Church he has left a monument 
 to his leadership. JSTothing endures without character. Edenton 
 Street Church and Sunday School shall endure because deeply 
 embedded in the fibre of its character there is a soul — and that soul 
 the spirit of Joe Brown. 
 
 God has given to young men few blessings so rich as the privilege 
 of knowing Joe Brown. In seasons of distrust and in periods of 
 doubt, when all the sacred teachings of a Christian home seemed 
 to be quivering on the edge of chaos, and in the struggle of a soul 
 to find itself, it was not at the altar of any great shrine that it 
 knelt ; it was not the spiritual leadership of any great minister 
 that it sought ; but there was a great beacon, a tower of the Bock 
 of Ages at Edenton Street Sunday School. A plain man of power 
 submerged in meekness and directed by a faith from Galilee. A 
 man powerful in big business, willing to serve. A man, who 
 having merited the faith of his fellowman, stood face to face with 
 countless opportunities to accumulate the things of this world, 
 but with a burning passion for those things which money cannot 
 buy he saw no opportunities of value save in the lives of "the least 
 of these," and to these at Edenton Street Sunday School he showed 
 the way. And to hundreds of young men and women in doubt he 
 has given a new vision of life dominated by a consciousness of 
 
^Address of \jY(r. Sy(arr at the 3Y(emorial Service 
 
 the divine. No man could really know Joe Brown and be possessed 
 with doubt. To come under the gentle influence of his serene faith 
 and to catch a glimpse of his understanding ways was to find God. 
 
 His contribution to mankind is being measured by the yard- 
 stick which he gave. As we think of him and his relations to this 
 community it does seem that towering brick-and-mortar monuments 
 to his business leadership, which was without peer, crumble away 
 in the presence of the veritable thousands who have learned from 
 him the difference in a living and life. Yonder on Fayetteville 
 street is a reminder of his living — here in these walls, which he 
 made sacred for me, is a monument to his life. For nearly thirty 
 years as Superintendent of this Sunday School he has done more 
 to shape the destiny of a Christian people than any man who has 
 passed this way. At the beginning of his life as Sunday School 
 Superintendent this was a comparatively small school made up of 
 young people with only enough older people to provide instruction 
 to youth. But, with a high sense of responsibility toward his task, 
 his personality began to popularize the work of the Sunday School, 
 with the result that this good day has brought us a Sunday School 
 just as attractive to old age as to youth. The bigness of the man 
 came in an infinite capacity to comfort old age and inspire youth. 
 His last official act as Superintendent was Cradle Boll announce- 
 ments, and nothing seemed so close to his heart as the privilege of 
 adding to the Cradle Boll the names of newly-born babes of parents 
 who years before had joined in the same fashion. Mr. Brown 
 found it easy to love babyhood, and counted it one of his highest 
 privileges to have a part in shaping the lives of little children. 
 
 Each succeeding year of his service brought richer fruit, and on 
 the last Sunday of his earthly administration he was fuller of 
 understanding than on the Sunday before. For youth he was an 
 interpreting friend. He, himself, never grew old — ambition to 
 serve was just as keen at the end as it was in the beginning. He 
 thrilled in acts of service to young men and women, in whom he 
 had an abiding faith and of whose problems he had always an 
 immeasurable understanding. 
 
 [38] 
 
^Address of SMj- ^[arr at the Stfemorial Service 
 
 In a Sunday School growing under his leadership from a mem- 
 bership of 350 to over 1,700, there are many young people who 
 find joy in service because they found in Mr. Brown a man who, 
 with the accumulated wisdom and prestige of nearly three-quarters 
 of a century, had kept his heart young, and understood. As I 
 think of all these hundreds of young people today assembled in 
 this Sunday School under the strain of an irreparable loss, I can't 
 repress a consoling thought : how much richer in the vital elements 
 of life are they for even a brief moment with him ! — their leader, 
 because their friend. 
 
 Of course, they are lost in the shadow. I, too, am lost. As 
 sacred as this place may be in memory, yet somehow it's not my 
 place just now. I'm lonesome here. I keep turning to find a face 
 that is pictured in my mind along with that of my own father. 
 But none of us would be worthy of the friendship which he gave if 
 we did not dedicate ourselves to the task of carrying on the work 
 which he distinguished with his loyalty. His place can never be 
 filled, but the light of his character will encourage and the hope 
 of his life will direct. 
 
 The quiet of his manner impressed us with the worthiness of a 
 life lived for God and humanity. Never excited by the whims of 
 mankind, he slipped into our lives to reign as an inspiration and 
 leave an influence like a spark of the divine. Loyal in such a 
 quiet fashion that before Ave knew it his life became a benediction 
 and we loved him — not in a lip service, but in the pulsations of a 
 heart that beat in full appreciation for God's greatest gift to 
 man — a friend. 
 
 A day with Joe Brown was a day close to the Maker and Builder 
 of all. I thank God that I was privileged to know him, and when 
 I shall come to "the end of the trail," if I can know that some- 
 where there is a friend who loves me as I loved him, the end will 
 be sweet, because the way was not in vain. 
 
 [39] 
 
A TRIBUTE 
 
 to 
 
 Mr. Brown— A Friend of the 
 Young People 
 
 W. M. UPCHURCH, JR., AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE 
 
 FEBRUARY 13, 1927 
 
A TRIBUTE TO MR. BROWN— A FRIEND OF THE 
 YOUNG PEOPLE 
 
 For a person ever to be interested in young people, he must be 
 able to get their viewpoint and be able to walk with them in their 
 youthful experiences. Surely there was none that could see with 
 the eyes of youth or walk with the youth of the day, along their 
 pathway of experiences, better than could Mr. Joseph G. Brown. 
 
 A Sunday School teacher of girls once remarked to a worker 
 with boys that she wished that the superintendent of her depart- 
 ment would move a class of boys that had been near her. 
 
 "Those mean boys worry me almost beyond expression !" she 
 said. 
 
 The other worker turned and replied, " 'Mean boys' ? Why, 
 there never was a mean boy !" 
 
 Surely there never was such a boy to Mr. Brown. Oh, yes, there 
 might have been one or two that offered opportunities of service, 
 but as far as being really mean — there were none. Why ? Because 
 Mr. Brown was interested in youth ; he had the viewpoint of youth, 
 and he understood the problems of youth. 
 
 Mr. Brown always saw in young people something that could be 
 used. He was Christlike in many respects. Surely one of the 
 writers of the Gospels might have written a story about him and 
 about his appreciation of the best in people. One is reminded of 
 the story of Zaccheus, who though rich was despised by his fellow- 
 men. He didn't think that even Jesus would care. But Jesus saw 
 in him something that could be used for the Kingdom of God. And 
 His words, "Zaccheus, come down ! I am going to eat dinner with 
 you today," have been passed on to us as an expression of the true 
 spirit of Jesus — the spirit of seeking out the best in people. Such 
 was the spirit of Mr. Brown. Many a time he was the one that 
 rested a helping hand on a drooped shoulder and with a kind, 
 friendly word put life and hope into one that had fallen and sent 
 him out into a new world of happiness. Countless numbers of boys 
 and girls who, to the average man or woman, were just plain John 
 
^A tribute to St(r. <Brown by c (q). 3% Rlpckurch, gr. 
 
 and Mary, with little promise or hope, were to Mr. Brown capable 
 of attempting great things for God and of accomplishing great 
 things for God. 
 
 There never has been a successful worker with young people who 
 was not enthusiastic — yes, even buoyant. Unless you can laugh 
 with young people, unless you can even joke with them, they will 
 not interest you. Many a man of three score years and ten would 
 have lost his enthusiasm and his eagerness to try new ventures. 
 His smile would have faded, and he would have built around 
 himself an impenetrable shell of gloom. But not so with Mr. Brown. 
 As he neared the end of his path of life his enthusiasm doubled, 
 his eagerness grew beyond all bounds, his face became as a mirror 
 reflecting the happiness, joy, and beauty of a Christian life. 
 
 He was the easiest man to get close to that we have ever known. 
 The youngest among us, however radical our ideas and suggestions 
 might have been, were always assured of a patient and interested 
 listener in Mr. Brown. Nor did he stop with listening alone. If 
 there were any virtue in the plan suggested, he was willing to let 
 youth, impetuous as youth sometimes is, launch out and try new 
 ventures. 
 
 But far greater than his enthusiasm, or his keen interest in 
 young people, was his devotion to them. He held them close to 
 his heart ; he was their friend and they were his. 
 
 Some one once asked Mr. Brown, if he were going to make a talk 
 at a certain meeting what would he like best to talk on. His 
 answer was, "I would talk on love." It is easy enough to talk or 
 preach a sermon on love, but few people can live one as did 
 Mr. Brown. His whole life was an evidence of the principles of 
 love and of friendship. There was no horizon to his love. His 
 friendship knew not the bounds of creed or station; but to none 
 did he give so much of his love, devotion, and friendship as did 
 he to youth. In them he saw the fulfillment of his fondest dreams, 
 the living expression of his most cherished ideals. Only he is 
 truly great who, knowing his work cannot much longer be carried 
 on by himself alone, sees in the youth about him the leaders on 
 
 [44] 
 
yi tribute to Jfr(r. (Brown by c (q). 3% ^pchurch, gr. 
 
 whose shoulders he would place the tasks aud the opportunities of 
 service that have been his. It was given to Mr. Brown to see into 
 the future and so to prepare for the days to come that the youth, 
 whom he loved and to whom he gave so much of his time and 
 efforts, should carry on the work to which he dedicated the best 
 of his life. 
 
 The youth will miss Mr. Brown, but we are comforted when we 
 know that he is sleeping the sleep of peace — "the innocent sleep, 
 sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care." We shall miss him 
 because he was our friend — and youth esteem and value nothing so 
 much in this world as a real friend. Such a one is, as it were, 
 another self, to whom we impart our most secret thoughts, who 
 partakes of our joy and comforts us in our afflictions. A friend's 
 company is an everlasting pleasure to us, for a friend may well be 
 reckoned as the masterpiece of nature. "Friendship is love with- 
 out his wings." 
 
 Surely the poet must have been looking down through the ages 
 and thinking of our own beloved Mr. Joseph G. Brown when he 
 wrote : 
 
 "God never loved me 
 
 In so sweet a way before; 
 
 'Tis only He who can such blessings send, 
 
 And when His love would new expression find, 
 
 He brought thee to me and said, 
 
 'Behold ! A friend !" 
 
 [45] 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 of 
 
 John A. Park 
 
 FIRST ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT 
 OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 
 
 FEBRUARY 13, 1927 
 
 [Note: A Memorial Service was held in the Sunday School Sunday, 
 February 13, 1927, at which time the following address was delivered 
 by John A. Park, First Assistant Superintendent.] 
 
THE FOUR-SQUARE MAN 
 
 Although he was a man of diversified activities, the principal 
 points of contact which Joseph G. Brown had with the world were : 
 (1) his home, (2) his business, (3) his community, (4) his 
 religious life. 
 
 As a business man accustomed to dealing with big problems and 
 large financial transactions, Mr. Brown himself had no aspirations 
 to become wealthy. His advice on financial and business matters 
 was always considered sound, and his counsel has been sought by 
 many persons of this community. 
 
 As a loyal citizen of his State and community, Mr. Brown 
 demonstrated his intense loyalty and patriotism during the war 
 period when our land was torn with stress and strife, giving his 
 time and talents to the raising of enormous funds for war purposes. 
 He served throughout the war period as chairman of the Liberty 
 Loan activities in this State. Practically every civic and 
 philanthrophic institution of the city utilized his services at one 
 time or another. 
 
 The modest home where his affections toward a loving family 
 centered is not the home of a banker; it is not an example of 
 extravagance; it is a true home where friendship and happiness 
 have always been in evidence. 
 
 Here at Edenton Street Sunday School I believe Mr. Brown 
 received his deep inspiration, and it was here that he did the finest 
 constructive service that has probably been done by any one man 
 for this Sunday School. 
 
 As active worker, teacher, and superintendent for more than 
 half a century, Mr. Brown's influence, zeal, and accomplishments 
 have placed this institution among the leaders of the entire State. 
 Children who came under Mr. Brown's influence in their early 
 lives, now grown up, are among those to whom his life has been a 
 benediction. Although he was denied the privilege of intensive 
 education, he for a period of ten years presided as head of the 
 board of directors of what is probably destined to be one of the 
 
jsurannssasuraa 
 
 ^he (jfour-Squ&re Sffan by ^folin ^A.. Cp&rk 
 
 greatest educational institutions on this earth. In Sunday School 
 he was always a teacher and always a student — his youthful spirit, 
 never became too old to learn, or to teach. 
 
 His last official act, consummated on this spot two weeks ago, 
 indicated his love for the Sunday School and his interest in 
 children ; when he concluded an announcement of new members in 
 the Cradle Roll Department, on being asked if he had anything 
 else to say, his reply was, "There is nothing else that I have to say." 
 That closed his long, useful career in a quiet, peaceful way that 
 was typical of the man's entire life. 
 
 We are going to miss Joseph G. Brown from this Sunday School. 
 His place will be hard to fill. The heritage which he has passed on 
 to us is an inspiration that will urge us to carry on as he planned 
 in the past. 
 
 [50] 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 of 
 
 Chief Justice W. P. Stacy 
 
 BEFORE THE BARACA-WESLEY CLASS 
 
 SUNDAY MORNING 
 FEBRUARY 6, 1927 
 
ADDRESS OF CHIEF JUSTICE W. P. STACY 
 BEFORE THE BARACA- WESLEY CLASS 
 
 (The International Uniform Sunday School Lesson for the day was 
 The Parable of the Talents.) 
 
 The scene of our lesson is the Mount of Olives. Those present 
 are the disciples and Jesus of Nazareth. St. Matthew records that 
 the disciples came to Him privately. They said to Him (stating 
 it in my own language) : "Master, tell us something more about 
 this doctrine of immortality which you have been teaching us. Is 
 it really true that we shall live hereafter? If you are going away 
 (and you say you are), and you expect to return, what sign shall 
 be given to us of your second coming? What token shall we look 
 for which will denote the end of the world ?" As was His custom, 
 He answered the disciples in parables, first using the parable of 
 the fig tree and then the parable of the ten virgins, and thirdly, 
 the parable of the talents. 
 
 The time is but a short while before His crucifixion. "For the 
 Kingdom of Heaven," He says, "is as a man traveling into a far 
 country" (the word "man" there refers to the Man from Galilee) 
 "who called his own servants and delivered unto them his goods. 
 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another, 
 one ; to every man according to his several ability ; and straightway 
 took his journey. 
 
 "Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with 
 the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise, he that 
 had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had 
 received one, went and digged in the earth, and hid his Lord's 
 money. 
 
 "After a long time, the lord of those servants coineth and 
 reckoneth with them." 
 
 You remember the remainder of the parable with respect to the 
 servants who had been given the five talents and the two talents, 
 and the encomium, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" ; 
 and also with respect to the one who had been given one talent and 
 
^Address of Qhief justice C W. Cp. Stacy 
 
 used it not. I should like for us to get the view and the significance 
 of the words uttered. I think I do no violence to the understanding 
 of some when I say that this passage of scripture has been widely 
 misinterpreted. Mind you, He starts out by saying: "The King- 
 dom of Heaven" — not Heaven, but its kingdom — "is as a man 
 traveling into a far country." (He, Himself, was to take His long 
 journey pretty soon.) And he calls about him his servants and 
 delivers to them certain talents according to their several abilities. 
 And after a long time the lord of those servants cometh and 
 reckoneth with them. You recognize at once that the emphasis 
 here is placed upon the use of the talents, and whether or not the 
 holders of those talents have increased them and added to their 
 worth. You are all familiar, no doubt, with the debate as to 
 whether the Man from Galilee made any contribution to the King- 
 dom of Heaven by His coming to earth, exercising divinity itself, 
 and then returning. In other words, the debate has been as to 
 whether a man, being divine already, could, by the assumption of 
 human form, add anything to his own divinity. 
 
 That question need not trouble us, nor is it difficult of solution. 
 It is not a question of whether He, by assuming finite form, made 
 any contribution to the Kingdom of Heaven, but whether ive shall 
 make any contribution. 
 
 The desire for immortality (and that's the lesson of the talents) 
 is as universal as the race. It furnishes the incentive for every 
 code of morals and the inspiration for every system of religious 
 faith. The Indian longs for his "happy hunting ground" ; the 
 orthodox Jew contemplates restful repose upon Abraham's bosom, 
 and the devout Christian, with ears of faith, listens for the plaudit, 
 "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Without this belief 
 in and desire for immortality men might well question the fruit- 
 fulness of the use of the talents which have been given to them. 
 Take away from men their belief in immortality and you have but 
 a sordid purpose, but a material end to be achieved, and a weak 
 will to serve. Indeed, the will to live itself would be greatly 
 lessened. But a man may by his own efforts, and by the manner 
 
 [54] 
 
^Address of Qhief justice C W. Cp. §)t&cy 
 
 of the use of the talents which have been given to him, determine 
 in a measure the character and the content of his own immortality. 
 The use which he shall make of the talents entrusted to him is the 
 contribution which he shall make to the Kingdom of Righteousness. 
 And above all, no man wants to fail in the responsibility of 
 deserving. 
 
 There is a divine purpose running through the lives of men. 
 And of however little moment my existence or my being here may 
 be to others, I can but think that it is in accord with the purpose 
 of the universe, and every man must render in the end an account- 
 ing of his stewardship. 
 
 To every man upon this earth death comes, soon or late. It is 
 but a part of life itself — it is but a continuation of that which has 
 already begun. The Grim Reaper is no respecter of persons. He 
 calls with equal tread at the cottage gate and the palace door. The 
 high and the low, the young and the old, he visits them all. He 
 presses their eyelids down with dreamless slumber and they sleep 
 with the hush of the generations. 
 
 On last Sunday, in this very building, the Messenger of Death 
 summoned our beloved Superintendent from the work he loved the 
 best and decreed for him that his days here should be no more. 
 But our friend is not dead ; he is only gone to take his place in the 
 schools above, there to mingle with the spirits of just men, made 
 perfect. As long as the spire of this church shall point upward, 
 and as long as men, women, and children shall attend Edenton 
 Street Sunday School, he will ever live in the hearts of his country- 
 men, for even in the kingdom of childhood, and with those who 
 would come to this place that they might know something of the 
 teachings of the Master, as he himself glimpsed bits of the truth 
 and transmitted them to his associates and to his students, he was 
 building a monument more lasting than marble and more enduring 
 than bronze. 
 
 Raleigh is a better place for his having lived in it. Banking in 
 this community is safer because of the use of his talents in that 
 
 [55] 
 
^Address of Qhief justice c [q). (p. ^tacy 
 
 field. Yea, the religious life of this community is richer, and men 
 go about their work, to their places of business, with a feeling of 
 greater security because he labored here. 
 
 There was about him the meed of gentleness and the fruit of 
 strength; the courage of the true and the stamina of the great; 
 the heritage of the meek and the harvest of the bold. Truly, a 
 noble soul! Which element predominated we scarcely know. He 
 gave a helping hand to all sorts and conditions of men. And long 
 may it remain in this mixed world a moot question, or at least a 
 point not easy of decision, which is the more beautiful evidence of 
 the Almighty's goodness, the delicate fingers that are formed for 
 sensitiveness and sympathy of touch and made to minister to pain 
 and grief, or the strong masculine hand that the heart teaches, 
 guides, and softens in a moment. 
 
 Many of you remember him just two weeks ago standing on this 
 platform, speaking to you, preaching the gospel which he had 
 preached for more than a half century in this building, the gospel 
 of simple, right, and honest dealing. The worth of such a man 
 cannot be measured by any yardstick known to us. Words them- 
 selves are but feeble instruments to convey the meaning of a great 
 life — and it is a serious matter when a great life goes out ! Some 
 of you know that in the great financial centers of this country, 
 where men deal in large denominations, the opinion and word of 
 Joseph G. Brown were like current coin, because those men had 
 learned to know that whenever he made a statement, it was true; 
 and the credit of the State of North Carolina has been enhanced 
 by his character and integrity. Not only that, but throughout the 
 length and breadth of this commonwealth and beyond its borders, 
 men and women owe their conception of right to his teaching. You 
 approve or condemn the conduct of your neighbor according to 
 your estimate of right, and your neighbor approves or condemns 
 your conduct according to his estimate of right, the correctness of 
 the judgment in each case depending upon the correctness of the 
 standard by which it is made. As thus understood, human 
 judgment imposes an universal obligation. It is as much a duty 
 
 [56] 
 
^Address of (Bhief justice C W. (p. §>ta,cy 
 
 to see that right judgment is rendered to your neighbor as it is to 
 demand it for yourself, and to fail in either is an immoral act. 
 
 Our friend was a delightful companion and a man wholly 
 without guile. It was good to he in his presence. There is no 
 wealth comparable to that of loyal comradeship. It is the divine 
 gift that makes the poor man rich, and without which the master 
 of a world would be poor indeed. He believed in a gospel of 
 justice, in a religion of morality, and in the efficacy of instant 
 reliance on a Greater Power. This was the real source of his 
 strength and effectiveness. "No man has earned the right to 
 intellectual ambition who has not learned to lay his course by a 
 star which he has never seen, to dig by a divining rod for springs 
 which he may never reach." Four-square to every wind that blew, 
 he was the soul of honor, high-minded, straightforward, clean-cut, 
 and withal a great-hearted fighter for the right. The lives of many 
 have been enriched by the rare charm of his friendship, and in 
 the hearts of those who knew him best his immortality will abide. 
 
 Great is the reward of a life well spent, and its usefulness is not 
 lost in the democracy of death. There is an indescribable essence or 
 something that lives on. It refuses to die in the hour of darkened 
 shades and in the evening of twilight shadows. From the grave, 
 where "Victors' wreaths and monarchs' gems all blend in common 
 dust," it flies away and becomes an asset of priceless measure — the 
 full sheaves of a golden harvest. 
 
 Our friend is dead, but the value of his friendship still lives. 
 His lips are voiceless, but his immortality still speaks. His work 
 on earth is done, but the influence of his life lives on. 
 
 "Death is the veil which 
 Those who live call life; 
 They sleep, and it is lifted." 
 
 Such is the parable of the talents. 
 
 [57] 
 
PRESENTATION 
 
 of 
 
 Mr. BROWN'S Picture 
 
 ADDRESS MADE BY CALE K. BURGESS 
 
 JUNE 19, 1927 
 
 [Note: On June 19, 1927, Mr. and Mrs. James E. Thiem and their 
 son, James Thiem, Jr., presented to the Sunday School a finely finished 
 portrait of Mr. Brown. The address of presentation was made by 
 Cale K. Burgess.] 
 
PRESENTATION OF MR. BROWN'S PICTURE 
 
 It is not our purpose on this occasion to attempt any eulogy of 
 our late Superintendent, for lie needs no eulogy at our hands. His 
 life and his work in the Edenton Street Sunday School established 
 for him a memorial more lasting than either bronze or granite; 
 he built for himself in the hearts of children a memorial that will 
 neither tarnish with the bronze nor crumble with the granite. 
 
 I have been asked to present to this Edenton Street Sunday 
 School a picture of our late Superintendent. The donors of this 
 picture are Mr. and Mrs. James E. Thiem and James Thiem, Jr. 
 Mr. Thiem is one of the nephews of Mr. Brown, and I wish to say 
 for the donors of this picture that it is their hope that it may be 
 a blessing to this Sunday School. 
 
 And, as I look upon this picture, placed at the very entrance to 
 this rostrum, there is something in me that tells me that this gift 
 will be of value to this Sunday School. I feel that it will be a 
 source of inspiration to our present Superintendent and to all those 
 who succeed him in official leadership of this School. As our 
 Superintendent stands on this rostrum from Sunday to Sunday 
 endeavoring to lead in our work in this School I feel that it will 
 be an inspiration to him to know that a likeness of liis distinguished 
 predecessor is standing immediately to his right ready and anxious 
 to aid and support him on all occasions, watching every movement 
 in which he undertakes to lead this School and forever bidding 
 him Godspeed in every undertaking. It will forever be an 
 inspiration and blessing to our Superintendents to know that the 
 eye of their distinguished predecessor is resting upon them and that 
 his blessings and his benediction will forever follow them. 
 
 The presence of this picture within this room will bring even 
 greater blessings to this School. As we assemble in this auditorium 
 from Sunday to Sunday and as we attempt to worship here and 
 carry on the work of this School, we shall be inspired by the 
 presence of this likeness of our beloved leader. When we look into 
 his face we shall be reminded of the faithfulness and the prompt- 
 
(presentation of Jfrfr. brown's (picture 
 
 ness with which he came to this House of Worship, and we shall be 
 reminded of the earnestness and the sincerity that characterized 
 his movements among us. We shall be inspired by the knowledge 
 that though he has passed away yet he abides with us, and that as 
 we endeavor to worship at this shrine his spirit will ever hover 
 about us, and support us, and bid us to carry on this splendid work 
 as God would have us do. 
 
 And finally, just now, as these children from the Primary and 
 Junior Departments Avere marching through these aisles and 
 assembling in the crowded spaces in this room this concluding 
 thought impressed itself upon me; there was never a scene so 
 beautiful in the eyes of our late Superintendent and there was 
 never anything that so pleased his soul and brought light to his 
 countenance as to see these little children marching through these 
 aisles from Sunday to Sunday. Their innocent and gleeful 
 presence always seemed to be the sweetest feast to his eyes and 
 his soul. And I know that his likeness abiding here, near the 
 seat that he always occupied, will forever be an inspiration and 
 a blessing to these children and to their children as they march 
 through these aisles through all the years that come. In fact, 
 it seems to me that this room would look strange to these 
 children if they could not see here the face of their beloved 
 Mr. Brown. If he were living this morning, we know where he 
 would be; but somehow I feel this morning that he is still with 
 us and that as he witnesses this occasion it brings joy to his soul 
 to know that one of his nephews has been thoughtful enough to 
 present this gift to this Sunday School and thereby make it possible 
 for us to have with us forever a symbol of his presence among us. 
 I know that it would please him to abide with us and to know 
 that even his likeness is still near this rostrum; and with his own 
 eye he can continue to look into our faces and continue to follow 
 through these aisles the foot steps of these little children whom he 
 loved so dearly. It is the hope and prayer of the donors of this 
 picture that it may forever be an inspiration and a blessing to 
 this Sunday School and to all those who worship at this place. 
 
 [62] 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 of 
 
 Rev. W. A. Stanbury 
 
 AT A MEMORIAL SERVICE HELD IN THE CHAPEL 
 AT DUKE UNIVERSITY, DURHAM 
 
 FEBRUARY 23, 1927 
 
 [Note : At a Memorial Service held in the chapel at Duke University, 
 Durham, February 23, 1927, one of the addresses was delivered by 
 Rev. W. A. Stanbury, pastor of Edenton Street Church. This address 
 follows :] 
 
A LIFE NOBLY PLANNED 
 
 In a little poem written as a tribute to his wife more than a 
 hundred years ago, William Wordsworth said, giving his concep- 
 tion of a perfect woman : 
 
 "The reason firm, the temperate will, 
 Endurance, foresight, strength, and skill ; 
 A perfect woman, nobly planned 
 To warn, to comfort, and command." 
 
 It has not been our lot to see a man to whom such a description of 
 perfection might have been more fittingly applied than Mr. Joseph 
 G. Brown. His very appearance, his manner, and all his conduct 
 bore witness that he was "nobly planned." He came into the 
 world with a goodly heritage, which heritage he husbanded and 
 added to for seventy-three years, not wasting even the smallest 
 fraction of it. Strong, far-seeing, skilled in the highest arts of 
 life, he commanded without seeming to do so, and brought comfort 
 and assurance to human souls with no apparent effort. In what- 
 ever group he was found, he was easily first. If there was a 
 gathering of bankers — and he was a banker — he was first among 
 them. If he attended a dinner of the Chamber of Commerce, he 
 was easily distinguished above all others present. If he was in a 
 group of educators, while he might not have laid claim to the 
 profound learning and specialization of experts and scientists, in 
 wide understanding of life and in enthusiasm for sound learning 
 and right education he was not excelled by any of them. If he was 
 in a group of religious leaders of his own church or other churches, 
 there was no man who stood above him. 
 
 Through nearly twenty years it was my privilege to know him. 
 And from the first to the last, I was impressed with the soundness 
 and balance of the man. There were no shadows or spots of 
 suspicion in him. Through and through he was what a man ought 
 to be. There was nothing to hide, or of which he ever had cause to 
 be ashamed. 
 
^Address of ^Hev. c l&. yL. Stanbury 
 
 To us all it was a constant marvel how finely balanced were all 
 the powers and concerns of his wide-flung life. Most of us are 
 one-sided, lop-sided beings. But he seemed fully rounded on all 
 sides, with nothing left out or dwarfed, so that every element of 
 his being stood in just relation to all the rest, and did not suffer 
 disturbance or confusion, whatever shock might come to him. No 
 one ever saw him in panic or thrown out of plumb. In complete 
 possession of all his splendid powers, he met every new demand 
 with such calm and sureness as were the amazement of those whose 
 souls had not found the secret which he knew. In such poise and 
 with ever-increasing and never-failing vigor, he moved always 
 forward and stood, when the call to depart came, at the highest 
 level of personal majesty and influence that he had yet reached. 
 
 If the reason for such soundness and sureness of life be asked, it 
 must be acknowledged that none of us can tell why completely. 
 Invisible forces beyond the reach of this narrow life play their 
 part in ways we cannot measure, to produce such worth and such 
 stuff of life. But let it be remembered that Mr. Brown was a man 
 of ideals. He did not boast of them. He did not even speak of 
 them, unless pressed to do so. But no one who knew him even 
 slightly ever doubted that he kept before him as a goal to be striven 
 towards the highest in thought and character and service. He was 
 one 
 
 "Whose high endeavors are an inward light 
 That makes the path before him always bright ; 
 
 ^c tj; :J: ^ :£ 
 
 He labors good on good to fix, and owes 
 To virtue every triumph that he knows." 
 
 When other men were uncertain and flirted with the temptations 
 of compromise, when they yielded to the subtle bids for profit and 
 advantage, he stood for right. He seemed never to have had to 
 debate the question as between right and wrong, justice and 
 injustice. The process of reasoning as between the two, or as to 
 what was right, seemed to have been carried through long before, 
 
 [66] 
 
^Address of ^Rev. c lo). ^A. S^ anoui y 
 
 and decision stood ready at the moment. Quite gentle towards 
 those who might differ, he stood erect with a vigorous sense of 
 right, and in defense of right never hesitated to strike such blows 
 as needed to he struck, which blows were all the more telling 
 because they were backed by love. Without anger, without malice, 
 without fear, he knew at once how to be indignant against wrong 
 and how to win to the side of truth those who were mistaken. 
 Men were never offended or affronted by his insistence upon right 
 and justice and the highest; but no man ever doubted that he 
 cherished the loftiest ideals, or that he had the courage to stand 
 unflinchingly for them. 
 
 And then he kept all the way through the spirit of youth. The 
 idealism, the hopefulness, and the enthusiasm of youth never 
 departed from him. In the years of life when so many men let 
 down below the level of their early ideals, he held up and held 
 true, refusing to be disillusioned or to grow hard and merely 
 practical. His openness of mind and his freshness of view were 
 written upon his face. Young men and women, who by the 
 thousands passed under his care in Sunday School and in other 
 places, found in him one who understood, who was not impatient 
 with the hot impetuousness of young blood, and who sympathized 
 with youthful hope. Through fifty years they came to him, giving 
 him their closest confidence and asking his advice not as one who 
 stood superior and aloof, but as one of their own company. To the 
 last his mind was awake to fresh ideas and new proposals and 
 friendly to all steps of progress. He was ready for adventure, and 
 while always wise and careful, never went upon the assumption 
 that caution is the better part of valor. Among the last things 
 he did were to plan larger things for the banking business with 
 which he had been connected for more than half a century, to map 
 out new things for his Sunday School and Church to do, and to 
 participate in this great adventure of education here, in which Ave 
 all hope to have some little part. The last thing he did was to call 
 
 [67] 
 
^Address of ^Rev. c lo). _A. §)tai%bury 
 
 the names of two new-born babies, enrolled that day in the Sunday 
 School of which for sixty-five years he had been a member, and 
 nearly thirty years Superintendent. 
 
 Another secret of his power was his capacity for friendship. 
 Those who had but slight acquaintance with him felt intuitively 
 that he was their friend. Those who knew him best looked upon 
 him as their best friend. Over and over again as I have walked 
 the streets of Raleigh since his passing, men who come from all 
 walks of life have said to me, "He was the best friend I ever had." 
 When we gathered at the Church under whose tower he had so 
 long worshipped, old men trembling with age and shaken with 
 grief mingled their tears with the tears of mere boys and girls, 
 because they had lost a friend. Men who handled millions, and 
 women who have known only luxury, sat beside those who have 
 known only poverty and pain, and all mourned together because 
 they had lost a friend. Men have always felt and acknowledged 
 the power of those in whose hearts dwell the elements that make 
 them to be friend to other people. I once heard Mr. Brown 
 referred to as the best beloved man in North Carolina. I think 
 the statement was justified. 
 
 Sound and finely balanced, urged on by the highest ideals, 
 seventy-three years old, but always young, broadly gathering into 
 his affections all who wanted a friend, whatever their class, con- 
 dition, or creed, Mr. Brown kept at the very heart and center of 
 life a simple and mighty faith in God. His religion did not obtrude 
 itself. It rather shone. It did not employ many words, but when 
 words were needed, they were not lacking and were spoken with 
 sincerity. Tolerant, broad-minded, kind to all who differed, he yet 
 knew in Whom he believed and did not doubt. More real to him 
 than the gray walls of the bank where he worked so long, more 
 real to him than the trees of Nash Square under whose branches 
 he went to and fro on his journeys to business and back home, 
 more real to him indeed than the Sunday School where each 
 Sunday morning a thousand pupils looked to him for leadership, 
 
 [68] 
 
.Address of ^ev. c lo). yl. ^tanbury 
 
 or the Church whose walls he saw rise in early manhood and whose 
 every moment of history he loved — more real than all of these was 
 his religious experience. 
 
 As trustful as a child, and as strong as a martyr, he followed 
 implicitly in the steps of Jesus of Nazareth. Four years ago when 
 he thought death was near, he wrote to his wife : "I am not 
 uneasy or worried. If the end comes — as come it must before 
 many years — He will be with me. Notwithstanding all my un- 
 worthiness, I have implicit faith in Him and in His abounding 
 mercy and love.'' I remember saying in a conversation with a 
 friend sixteen years ago, "Mr. Joe Brown is the best argument for 
 the Christian religion I know." I have not had occasion to revise 
 that judgment since. There was no activity or contact in all the 
 varied interests of his life which did not feel and transmit the 
 sweetness and power of this beautiful thing which lived in his 
 heart. 
 
 If you could have been a student at old Trinity in 1871, and if 
 you had looked over the roll-books of the old college, you would 
 have found the name of Joseph Gill Brown of Raleigh. It would 
 not have meant much to you then. You would have said, "He is 
 another one who has come to be enrolled in the freshman class." 
 But through the years that name has been gathering influence and 
 beauty in this State and this nation. It was changed by those who 
 knew him and ultimately by everybody to "Joe Brown." And 
 today that name stands as the synonym and summary of what is 
 best in the social, economic, and religious life of this common- 
 wealth, and as the expression in concrete figure of the ideals 
 which we should all like to see this University hold before herself, 
 and perpetuate in the world. To that name wrought into the 
 great spiritual body of this University and of her sons and 
 daughters everywhere, we do honor today. We thank God for 
 the gift of this man to us, and gird ourselves that we may carry on. 
 
 [69] 
 
RESOLUTIONS 
 
 [Note: These resolutions were adopted by the various organizations 
 and official boards of the Church.] 
 
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY 
 
 THE BOARD OF STEWARDS 
 February 8, 1927. 
 
 Resolved, That the Board of Stewards of Edenton Street 
 Methodist Church record with great sorrow the passing of its 
 fellow member, Joseph Gill Brown, identified with the work of 
 the Church for more than three score years. It grieves with the 
 family in the great loss which has come to them and the Church. 
 A man of unusual physical, mental, and soulful personality; quiet 
 in manner, wise in counsel, faithful to every trust, persevering in 
 good works, he, like St. Paul when he faced the Great Beyond, 
 could say : "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, 
 I have kept the faith ; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown 
 of righteousness." 
 
 Further, that it is peculiarly fitting that this Board, with whom 
 he labored for so many years and to whose work he gave so freely of 
 his substance and counsel, should perpetuate on its record a page 
 to his memory, voicing our great love for him and the inspiration 
 and value he has been to us, the Church, and the State. 
 
 Few men possessed such lovable characteristics as were his and 
 rendered such faithful and valuable sendee to his fellowmen: a 
 man, who in letter and spirit followed in the footsteps of the 
 Man of Galilee. In him the great Christian virtues of Faith, 
 Hope, and Charity took root in boyhood, and grew and flowered in 
 the fulness of their beauty in his manhood. 
 
 In his going from our midst there is imposed upon each and 
 every one a greater responsibility, and, to meet it, we hereby 
 reconsecrate and rededicate our lives to greater service in the 
 Master's vineyard in order that there may be no lowering of the 
 high ideals which he held up, not let-up in the forward move of 
 the Church in which he was such an inspiring figure. 
 
 No monument of brass or marble or precious stones is needed to 
 perpetuate his memory. Any inscription that may be chiseled on 
 cold marble or stone to portray his many virtues will be but a 
 faint and imperfect reproduction of the epitaph which he himself 
 has already indelibly written on the hearts of all with whom he 
 came in contact — an epitaph written by the finger of God. 
 
 C. A. Dillon, Chairman. 
 C. C. Cunningham, Secretary. 
 
Resolutions 
 
 RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY 
 
 FIRST QUARTERLY CONFERENCE 
 
 March 8, 1927. 
 
 Whereas Mr. Joseph G. Brown was for fifty years a member of 
 the Board of Stewards of this Church, and, therefore, a member of 
 this Quarterly Conference; and 
 
 Whereas he was for approximately the same length of time a 
 member of the Board of Trustees; and 
 
 Whereas he was for twenty-seven years, and for twenty-three 
 years continuously, Superintendent of this Sunday School; and 
 
 Whereas, throughout this long period of official relationship to 
 our work, he rendered a service quite unparalleled and beyond all 
 words to define or describe ; and 
 
 Whereas, by his personal qualities of friendship, companion- 
 ableness, and unselfish love, he endeared himself to our entire 
 community; and 
 
 Whereas his ripe wisdom, deep devotion, and all other of his 
 unusual powers and qualities were given without stint in the 
 service of this Church and Sunday School : Therefore, 
 
 Be it Resolved, by this Quarterly Conference: 
 
 That in his death, which occurred on January 30, 1927, we have 
 sustained a loss which we cannot put into words ; and 
 
 That while we are stricken with grief which we are unable to 
 express, we thank God for the gift which He made to us 
 individually and as a Christian community in the life and service 
 of Mr. Brown; and 
 
 That we extend assurances of our deep sympathy to all members 
 of his family; and 
 
 That we pledge ourselves afresh to the work of this Church 
 which Mr. Brown served so long and devotedly, and, by the help 
 of God, to those spiritual ideals which were so beautiful and so 
 dominating a force in his life. 
 
 Signed, and respectfully submitted, 
 
 John W. Evans 
 
 W. G. Womble 
 
 J. Martin Fleming. 
 
Resolutions 
 
 RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY 
 
 EDENTON STREET METHODIST SUNDAY SCHOOL 
 
 February 13, 1927. 
 
 (Mr. Josephus Daniels read the following resolutions which were drawn 
 up by a committee composed of Dr. Albert Anderson and Mr. 
 Daniels. ) 
 
 !Not many weeks ago, by official action, Joseph Gill Brown 
 was elected Superintendent of Edenton Street Methodist Sunday 
 School "for life." It was a formal recognition of his long and 
 whole-hearted dedication of himself to the direction of the child 
 life of this Church. It was also an expression of the love that 
 welled up in every heart to our Superintendent and of gratitude 
 for the benediction of fellowship with him. 
 
 Joseph G. Brown's connection with this Sunday School was 
 about co-equal with his life. With that quiet humor and sweet- 
 ness characteristic of him, Mr. Brown once said he was born on 
 Sunday morning about 9 o'clock, hastened to be on time for Sunday 
 School, and had made it a rule ever since never to be late. Cer- 
 tainly there is no member of this Sunday School who can 
 remember when he was not here, giving glad welcome to new- 
 comers and cheerful greeting to old and young, stimulating them 
 to the study of the Word and to making the Bible the light to 
 their pathway. In this more than three score years when he was 
 rarely absent, and never absent when it was possible to be present, 
 he touched the lives of many thousands, young and old. He never 
 touched any life that was not blessed by association with him. 
 
 The sorrow of this company of Bible students cannot be 
 assuaged, but if any reflection could lessen the grief it would be 
 that our Superintendent and friend never grew old. The springs 
 of youth and faith were fed from the Source of Strength in his 
 whole life. He was the comrade of those upon whose heads the 
 snow that never melts had fallen, and his cheerfulness gave them 
 a new zest. He was the coworker of those in active life, and his 
 example gave them the enthusiasm of youth. He was the confidant 
 
 [75] 
 
Resolutions 
 
 and friend of young people, who obtained strength and faith from 
 him. He was the beloved of little children because he followed 
 the example of his Lord, and found delight in their wonderment 
 and never-ending charm. He was made happier by their simple 
 faith. He was more than the beloved friend and leader of all in 
 this Sunday School : he was in a very real way its founder in its 
 larger life. Half a century ago the Sunday School was called 
 "the nursery of the Church" and attendance was confined to chil- 
 dren and a few teachers who shepherded them. Under Mr. Brown's 
 leadership the Sunday School outgrew the Church in membership 
 and became a vital center of religious life. 
 
 His organizing talent was scarcely less than his gift of drawing 
 out the love and devotion of his associates. He found this a place 
 of a few consecrated teachers and a few score children. Under his 
 inspiration and guardianship he made it a vital institution of 
 religious instruction and a dynamo of good works. From the 
 cradle roll to the post graduate course, Mr. Brown lifted the 
 Sunday School to the high plane of a teaching body. He deemed 
 knowledge of the Bible the very mudsill of Christianity and 
 civilization. He kept abreast with the best and most modern 
 methods, introduced them here, and gave himself to making them 
 contribute to both the moral and mental fibre of the membership 
 of this School. His guidance in better methods was only excelled 
 by his example of pure living. He preached brief sermons and 
 gave wise admonition and called children by word to the conse- 
 cration of themselves to the Savior to whom he had early com- 
 mitted himself and all he had or hoped to be; but the sermon that 
 attracted and strengthened and buoyed most was his own beautiful 
 life. Upon his countenance rested the glow of a life unsullied in 
 youth, untainted in manhood, and glorified as he moved toward 
 the sunrise of an assured immortality. 
 
 It is the hall-mark of love when a man's name is shortened. 
 In this Sunday School everybody referred to our Superintendent 
 as "Joe Brown" and children called him Mr. "Joe" Brown. He 
 
 [76] 
 
Resolutions 
 
 invited by his own abounding fellowship the affection which he 
 irradiated. The abounding love he gave came back to him full, 
 heaped up, and running over. 
 
 Young and old instinctively felt that he understood them and 
 their problems. They knew he rejoiced in their joy and sorrowed 
 with them in trouble. More than all, we loved him because he 
 stood among us a loving figure with tenderness and with granite- 
 like strength. He was comfort to the weary, poise to the wavering, 
 support to the weak. He truly "wore the white flower of a 
 blameless life," attesting that he had found the Pearl of Great 
 Price. 
 
 If it had been granted to our beloved Superintendent to choose 
 the manner of his passing, no end of earthly pilgrimage could 
 have been more fitting. As he welcomed the entrance of a new- 
 born babe into the Cradle Roll the summons came, for which 
 he was ready. With the trusting faith of a child, he looked for 
 the last time into the loved faces before him in this Sunday School, 
 and, without pain or struggle, entered into the rest prepared for 
 the people of God. His life was a benediction. His death was in 
 keeping with a life hid with Christ in God. 
 
 Sorrowing that we shall see his face no more in this hallowed 
 place, the membership of this Sunday School places on record its 
 devout thanksgiving to the Heavenly Father for His gift to this 
 School of this royal Christian leader. His life was a blessing 
 while with us, and will be an inspiration as we endeavor to follow 
 him in faith and works as he followed Jesus Christ. 
 
 [77] 
 
Resolutions 
 
 RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY 
 
 THE MOTHERS' DEPARTMENT OF THE 
 SUNDAY SCHOOL 
 
 His was a glorious and triumphant passing into the Home of 
 the blessed — a passing such as only God's angels can plan. 
 
 We cannot estimate our loss. We shall miss his happy face and 
 his cheerful words, hut the memory of his sweet spirit of loyalty 
 and unselfishness, of modesty and optimism, will linger with us 
 always as an inspiration and a benediction. He never found evil 
 in anyone; the good alone filled his own soul. We bless the Lord 
 for giving us the privilege of walking with this man of God. 
 
 And when his summons came, the good which had radiated so 
 gently from him throughout life awoke a universal chord, and all 
 who knew him in every walk of life knew they loved him. He has 
 left us the priceless heritage of a spotless name. 
 
 "Twilight and evening bell, 
 
 And after that the dark, 
 And may there be no sadness of farewell 
 
 When I embark; 
 For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place 
 
 The flood may bear me far, 
 I hope to see my Pilot face to face 
 
 When I have crossed the bar." 
 
 [78] 
 
Cfle s o I u t i o n s 
 
 RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY 
 
 THE WORKERS' COUNCIL OF THE 
 SUNDAY SCHOOL 
 
 February 14, 1927. 
 
 Whereas, in the death of our beloved Superintendent, Mr. Joseph 
 Gc. Brown, who for more than thirty years was our matchless 
 leader and ever willing counsellor; and 
 
 Whereas, in his death we are deeply grieved and feel a loss that 
 is irreparable; and 
 
 Whereas, we shall miss his friendly greeting, his smiling face, 
 his warm handclasp, his sympathetic understanding, his wise 
 counsel and above all his efficient leadership : Therefore, 
 
 Be it Resolved: 
 
 1. That we the members of the "Workers' Council of Edenton 
 Street Sunday School, in love and grateful appreciation of the 
 benediction which his life has been to this Church and community, 
 reconsecrate our lives to the service of God, the Church, and the 
 community, as his life was consecrated. 
 
 2. That we carry on with a new sense of loyalty and devotion 
 the work that was so dear to his heart and for which he labored so 
 wisely and well. 
 
 3. That we spread on our minutes a copy of these resolutions, 
 that a copy be sent to the bereaved family, and that copies be sent 
 to the North Carolina Christian Advocate, the News & Observer, 
 and the Raleigh Evening Times. 
 
 Vara L. Herring 
 Bessie T. Brown 
 Mattie F. Reese 
 Mrs. S. P. Norris 
 
 Committee. 
 
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 L. 13. Cat. 
 
 Mo. !!37 
 
 
923.573 3873 113420 
 
 Benton Sty K.±. Church, 3- 
 Ralei.gh.I-T.C. 
 
 923373 3878 113420