After an accident involving a horse-drawn sleigh in which Brown nearly drowned in the Don River, Brown took William Peyton Hubbard under his wing and encouraged his political career. Popular legend has it that Brown was rescued by Hubbard, but Hubbard stated that he was not present and that he had agreed to work for Brown only as a favour to his brother, who operated the livery service. Hubbard went on to 13 straight years as alderman for the elite Ward 4, sitting on the powerful Board of Control and becoming Toronto's first black deputy mayor; he functioned as acting mayor on several occasions.