this interesting trio, Miss Emily Maria Roe, is
now living in Newburgh at an advanced age, surrounded by a large
connection and beloved by everyone.

One of the most prominent families in Newburgh in years gone by was that
of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Powell, from whom the celebrated river boats were
named. Mrs. Powell's maiden name was Mary Ludlow, and she belonged to a
well-known New York family. Her brother, Lieutenant Augustus C. Ludlow,
who was second in command on board the _Chesapeake_, under Captain James
Lawrence of "Don't give up the ship" fame, is buried by the latter's
side in old Trinity church-yard in New York. Mrs. Powell took great
pride and pleasure in the boat named in her honor, the _Mary Powell_,
and I have frequently seen her upon my trips up the Hudson, sitting upon
the deck of her namesake and chatting pleasantly with those around her.

Newburgh was also the home of Andrew Jackson Downing, the author of
"Landscape Gardening," "Cottage Residences," and other similar works. I
received my first knowledge of horticulture from a visit I made to his
beautiful residence, which was surrounded by several acres. It was my
earliest view of nature assisted by art, and to my untutored eye his
lawn was a veritable Paradise. Some years later, when I was visiting the
Scotts in Washington, Mr. Downing called and during our conversation
told me that he had come to the Capital, upon the invitation of the
government, to lay out the Smithsonian grounds. His wife was Miss
Caroline De Wint of Fishkill, New York, a granddaughter of Mrs. Henry
William Smith (Abigail Adams), the only daughter of President John Adams
who reached maturity. After spending some months in Washington, Mr.
Downing was returning to his Newburgh home when the _Henry Clay_, a
Hudson River steamboat upon which he had taken passage, was destroyed
by fire and he perished while attempting to rescue some of the
passengers. This was in 1852.

There are some persons still living who will readily recall, in
connection with social functions, the not uncommon name of Brown. The
particular Brown to whom I refer was the sexton of Grace Episcopal
Church, on the corner of Broadway and Tenth Street, where many of the
_soi-disant creme de la creme_ worshiped. He must have possessed a
christian name, but if so I never heard it for he was only plain Brown,
and Brown he was called. He was born before the days when spurious
genealogical charts are thrust at one, _nolens v