Columbus (IN) Daily Times, December 15, 1896, p. 4.
Quite a number of railroad men have visited this city the week past to
inspect and examine the car coupler invented by Phil Brown which has been
placed on exhibition in the vacant room east side Irwin's midway block. It
is said Mr. Brown, the inventor, has recently made some valuable
improvements on it. We hope to see Mr. Brown succeed in developing this
coupler to the extent that it will be adopted by some leading railroad that
will bring it into general use. While it may not yet be quite perfect,
there is no doubt it possesses much merit over some couplers now in use.
The success of this matter for Mr. Brown means much not only for him but for
Columbus as well, as it will likely be manufactured here and this means a
big factory employing hundreds of men. Mr. Brown is backed by Joseph I.
Irwin who, as everyone knows, has the means to develop the scheme.