Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-04-27
al AM YOUR FATHER"
James Brooks Found His Chill
dren After 48 Years

Charles w. Brooks, 5rattleboro Engineer,
Received Visit from Parent Whom He
Supposed Was Dead.
IT suppose 1 am your father" were the
words spoken by an elderly man Friday
afternoon to Charles w. Brooks, engineer
in Holden & Martins factory on Frost
street, and then he went on to tell about
coming East to seek his children after
being separated from them over 4S years.
The feeling which came over Mr.. Brooks
cannot be described in words. He knew
not whether to believe the stranger or to
regard him with incredulity Could Il be
that his father whom he had supposed to
be dead, stood before MIN in the flesh?
He did not remember ever having seen
the man. He knew that he once lived in
Irasburg, that he was So years old and
that relatives had told him about his
father going away from that town when
he, Mr.. Brooks, was between three and
four years old. Further than that he
knew nothing Of his father, his mother
having died when he was yet a child so
long ago that he has but a faint memory
Of her, leaving three small children, one
two years older and one two years
younger than himself. So he said little,
but allowed the stranger to tell his story.
The man said his name was James
Brooks, that his home was In Lisbon,
N. D., and that he would be 20 years
old on July 4, next. He said he left his
home in Irasburg when his children were
small and never returned. He preferred
not to go into details about the past,
but said that one day recently he fell to
rejecting that he was getting to be an old
man, that he was alone in the world and
had some property, that he had children
somewhere, he knew not where and he
made up mis- mind to search them out and
fow oh -lrw1.k
With this end in view he started for
Barton, this state, where he has a sister,
Mrs. Nancy Pocquet. She told MIN that
she had heard that one OF his sons lived
in Putney, so he went to Putney, arriving
there Thursday night Of last week.
Putney people told him about Charles
W. Brooks and directed him to Mr..
Brooks's house. and on Friday morning
he called at the house and told Mrs.
Brooks and ner daughter who he was.
They directed him to Brattleboro and he
came here on the afternoon train.
located Holden & Martins factory and
went in. He inquired of F. z. Perry about
Mr.. Brooks and Mr.. Perry escorted him
to the boiler room.
He first said: where's Edwin"
meaning Mr.. Brooks's brother and was
told that he lived in Pittsfeld. this state.
Then he said: Where's Martha?"
referring to a sister Of the others. and
Windsorville. Conn. do you know mer'
he asked. and on receiving a negative
answer he surprised Mr.. Brooks by say
ing: II suppose I am your father" He
mentioned relatives OF the family and
other persons whom Mr.. Brooks knew.
and satisfied him that he was right in
the claimed relationship.
The elder Mr.. Brooks returned to Put
ney on the evening train and on Saturday
night c. W. Brooks went home to spend
Sunday. During the day many things OF
interest were told. The visitor said ne
enlisted in the civil war in 1861, had been
in California and was the owner OF a
wheat farm of $50 acres in North Dakota
besides other property. He said he in
tended to stay in the East until August
There are three children in the family,
Edwin d. Brooks of Pittsfield, an en-
gineer, Charles w. Brooks and Mrs
Martha ]. Bowers Of Windsorville, Conn
The father and three children will meet
AT Mr.. Brooks's house in Putney Sunday
for a family reunion. Mr.. Brooks has
lived in Putney about 35 years. He for
merly was engineer for the Stowen COM
pany, but came to Brattleboro to be
engineer for Holden & Martin three years
ago.