Transcript:Indiana, United States. Biographical and Genealogical History of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin Counties/B/Brooks, James E.

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James E. Brooks (p 746)

A score of years ago James E. Brooks became a resident of Cambridge City, Wayne County, where he stands high in the estimation of all his fellow townsmen. He is a native of Piqua, Miami County, Ohio, his birth having occurred October 4, 1848. His parents, Hiram and Catherine (Atkinson) Brooks, were long honored and esteemed citizens of the Buckeye State and were called to their reward years ago.

Such education as fell to the share of our subject was obtained in the public schools of his native town, and at the age of eighteen he commenced the study of telegraphy. Having mastered the business, he accepted a position as operator at Milford Center, Ohio, in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Within the course of a few months he was transferred to the more responsible post at Piqua, Ohio, where he remained for a period of eight years, giving thorough satisfaction to the company and to the public in general. His next position was in Richmond, Indiana, where he acted in the capacity of train dispatcher for two years. At the expiration of that time, in 1879, he came to Cambridge City, where, in addition to having control of the wires of the Pennsylvania Company, he has charge of those of the Western Union, likewise. He is well and favorably esteemed in Masonic circles having been worshipful master of Cambridge Lodge from 1891 to 1897. Politically he is a zealous Democrat, and during President Cleveland's two administrations he was chairman of the Cambridge City Democratic committee. At the convention of the party which assembled in Cambridge City in 1895 he was nominated for the state senatorship, made several strong and effective speeches in the ensuing campaign, and though not elected ran ahead of the ticket, his popularity thus being amply tested.

The marriage of Mr. Brooks and Miss Jennie Kiser, a daughter of Henry and Mary Kiser, of Piqua, Ohio, was solemnized in September, 1872. They have four children, a son and three daughters. Nellie is the wife of Rudolph Miller, of Connersville, Indiana, and Bessie and Lillie, twins, are at home. The only son, Robert C., is a young man of remarkable scholarship and promise. He was graduated in the Cambridge City high school when sixteen years of age, then served as a telegraph operator for the Pennsylvania Company for three years, and later was the private secretary of Trainmaster Grennan. He resigned his position in order to enter upon a course of collegiate training, and, matriculating in the Indiana State University, at Bloomington, he completed the four years course in three years. In his second year in the university he won the first place in the oratorical contest and was chosen to represent the institution in the inter-collegiate debate, at Greencastle, Indiana, making the closing address for his own college. The following year he was sent as a representative of his university to the citizens' meeting, held in Tomlinson's Hall, in Indianapolis, and at the time of his graduation, in the summer of 1896, enjoyed the honor of being the valedictorian of his class. Then, for some fourteen months, he held the position of secretary of the New York Reform Club, in the meantime being appointed to compile a bibliography on municipal reform. Having been elected to receive President White's fellowship in Cornell University, he pursued a post-graduate course in that institution, and was then favored with a traveling fellowship. This trip included Berlin and many others of the noted placed of learning on the continent, and the fortunate young man is now in Halle, Germany, investigating the educational methods of that portion of the great empire.