Weekly journal-miner., 1910-06-08

penSeS ot admlnlStratl0n, !" ana eA- penses in defending law suit, as set forth in former accounts and settle ments, and the present accounting and distribution, amounts to the sun, of $4,559.94 in cash, besides one acre of land and improvements set over to Bessie Brooks Edgar, in ae- cordance with contract made by the deceased, in his lifetime. and the mining claims.
 Upon Judge Brooks rests the honor of having been the first Probate Judge in Yavapai county, he nav ing been appointed to that position by Governor John H. Goodwin in September, 1864. At that time the counties of Coeonino, Apache, Navajo and Maricopa were included in the boundaries of Yavapai He served seven years The records show forty eight estates entered during his term of office. Among them appear the names of Pauline Weaver, John P. Burke, Isaac Wamsley, c. H. Noble, E. 4. Van Bibler, Leary Jay, Robert Short, John Simmons, Robert Mccoy, Dr. Charles Leib (whose widow Judge Brooks married), J. H. Summers and Fred Meggers and many other prom inent men who figured in their day as among the foremost residents.
 Judge Brooks, as he was familirly known throughout Arizona, accom- panied the gubernatorial party from his home in Ohio, and participated in the organization of Arizona at Maya io Springs, on December %, 1863. He was an intimate friend of John A. Gurley, whom President Lincoln appointed as the first governor of Arizona, and whose home was near Cleveland, Ohio. The death of Gov ernor Gurley, shortly after his con frmation by the Senate, and a few days prior to his departure for the West, did not. however, change the plan of Judge Brooks, and he en- rolled himself as one of the party in the long westward journey, nold- ing a clerkship with Governor Good win, the new appointee. A short time after reaching Prescott, the first permanent capital of Arizona, Judge Brooks retired to civil life, and began his career as useful eiti- zen, which he upheld to the day of his death. He filled many important offices, and when Prescott was laid out as a city, he, with Van C. Smith and Robert W. Groom, were the three commissioners appointed for that purpose.
 As the first Probate Judge of any county in Arizona, his official records on file in that office, in this city, re- veal an intensely interesting eondi- tion of the peeuniary value attached to estates in that day. A good wagon was appraised as of more value than several lots in the best part of the city are worth today. Powder, caps and bullets ran neck and neck in wealth, while horses, saddles and brides were of immense consideration. Let the reader of this generation pause and consider, and look down the dark lane of this city's early life, and behold Pro bate Judge settling up an estate in which real estate was unknown, but where harness, gold dust, so many pounds of bacon and beans, boots and shoes and even the clothing on his back were listed as of value and which went into the effects of the deceased. Through these official chan nels Judge Brooks performed faith ful and conscientious service to the people, and in all the walks of life thereafter he was regarded as the soul of honor and integrity.