Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-09-29
RECORD OF SO YEARS
Edwin F. Brooks One of the Old.
est Railroad Men in the Country
Is Ticket Agent In Gardner. Mass, But
For Years Was Station Agent In Brat

lie Ticket Agent In Gardner, Mass, But
For Years Was Station Agent In Brat
tIeboro.
To have served So years continuously
as railroad man is the distinction at
tanned by Edwin +. Brooks, ticket agent
at Gardner II there is any other person
employed by the Boston & Maine who
has been in the service as long or longer,
Mr.. Brooks would be delighted to meet
him and swap old-time experiences
The thousands OF people who annually
step up to the grated window at the
Gardner station to purchase the bit OF
paSteboard which serves as their pass
port to their destination little realize that
the man inside who hands out the tickets
and makes change with seldom a mistake
has passed the allotted three-score years
and ten. He looks good for many more
years OF active life. Keen, alert, always
in good humor, well posted to answer the
thousand and one diverse questions that
are propounded to him by anxious travel
ers, Mr.. Brooks has come to have an ac-
quaintance from one end OF the Fftchburg
division to the other Early and late
In stormy weather and fair, he is to be
found at his post. Sickness has given
him but little trouble in his long and active
career.
Mr. Brooks was born June H. 1888, in
Westminster, one OF the numerous little
towns in Massachusetts that have steadily
lost in population in the last so years by
sending their sons and daughters out to
become useful citizens in the larger CEN
tiers OF activity Westminster, for in
stance, was the birthplace OF Gen. Miles
Mr.. Brooks was one OF six children born
to Stillman and Eunice Brooks. Four Of
them, three brothers and one sister, are
stu living, and 1t so happens that all
hVNt l,.arv
agents. Edwin F. Brooks has been long
est in the service, giving his whole life
to railroading. Alfred L. Brooks, former
ly OF Gardner, is now living in Fitchburg,
having retired from active work He
served for a number OF years as station
agent at Orange, Baldwinsville, Haywood
and Westminster The sister, Mrs. Abbie
M Pratt, lives in Leominster. In July,
1858, Edwin Brooks secured a position as
agent at the Westminster station OF the
Vermont & Massachusetts railroad, now
the Fitchburg division OF the Boston &
Maine. 1t was not wholly new business
to him, for during his boyhood he carried
tween the post office and the depot, ana
while waiting for trains he had picked
up quite a bit OF knowledge Of the duties.
His thoroughness and eagerness to have
everything well done quickly came to the
attention OF the railroad oficials. and n
was not long before Mr.. Brooks was pro-
NOTED to the position OF station agent at
Gardner. There he remained 1--WE years,
until he was advanced in salary again and
promoted to the then larger office at
Bratueboro. Vt, where he went in 1868.
For S6 years he was stationed at Brat
tleboro, where he not only filled the posi-
ton OF station agent for the Vermont
n Massachusetts railroad, but was also
superintendent OF the Brattleboro &
Whitehall branch OF the New London &
Northern railroad from its opening in
1850 until 1892, when the management
was changed to the headquarters at New
London.
In 1900 Mr. Brooks went TO Worcester
TO work as cashier in the freight once,