Indians, which was signed on the site of the present city of Utica. He was for sixteen years first judge of Dutchess co., and at the time of his death an officer of the customs.—His son, James Gordon, author, b. in Claverack, N. Y., 3 Sept., 1801; d. in Albany, N. Y., 20 Feb., 1841, was graduated at Union in 1819, and studied law in Poughkeepsie, but was never in active practice. While there he published, under the signature of "Florio," a few poems which attracted much attention. Removing to New York city, in 1823, Mr. Brooks became the literary editor of the "Minerva," and in 1825 established the "Literary Gazette," which, after a few months, was united with the "Athenæum." He was connected with this paper about two years, and then with the "Morning Courier " for about the same period. In all these journals he published poems, which were much admired. In 1828 Mr. Brooks married Miss Mary Elizabeth Aiken, who had written many poems over the signature of "Noma." They pubished, together, a volume entitled "The Rivals of Este, and other Poems" (New York, 1829), the piece that gave the book its title being by Mrs. Brooks. Among Mr. Brooks's contributions to this volume was a poem on "Genius," delivered before the Yale Phi Beta Kappa society in 1827. In 1830 Mr. and Mrs. Brooks removed to Winchester, Va., where the former edited a newspaper, in 1838 to Rochester, N. Y., and afterward to Albany. Mrs. Brooks, in addition to her talent as a writer, was a skilful designer. The plates in the "Natural History of the State of New York," by her brother-in-law, Mr. James Hall, are from drawings made by her from nature.
BROOKS, Edward, educator, b. in Stony Point, Rockland co., N. Y., 10 Jan., 1831. When fifteen
years old lie removed, with his father, to Sullivan co., N. Y., where he learned a trade, but occupied his leisure moments in study. At this time he formed the habit of noting down and classifying important facts or thoughts, in which way he not
only mastered the common-school branches, but
many of the higher ones, becoming also expert in
composition. His career as a teacher began with
a singing-school held in a barn. He afterward
taught a common school for six months, studied
for one session in the normal institute at Liberty,
N. Y., and then entered the University of Northern Pennsylvania, but was not graduated. He was
teacher there in 1852-'3, taught mathematics in
the Monticello, N. Y., academy, in 1854, and in
1855 accepted the professorship of mathematics in
the State normal school at Millersville, Pa., of
which he was principal from 1866 to 1886. Prof.
Brooks is the author of a series of mathematical text-books (Philadelphia, 1858-77); "Philosophy of Arithmetic" (1876); "Normal Methods of Teaching" (Lancaster, Pa., 1879); " Elocution and Reading" (Philadelphia, 1882); and "Mental Science and Culture" (1SS3).
BROOKS, Edward Toole, Canadian member of parliament, b. in Sherbrooke about 1828. He
was graduated at Dartmouth in 1850, admitted to the bar of Lower Canada in 1854, first returned to parliament as a conservative for Sherbrooke in 1872, re-elected by acclamation in 1874, and again at the last general election in 1878. He is vice-president of the International railway, and also of the Waterloo and Magog railway, and is one of the trustees of Bishop's college, and president of the Sherbrooke rifle association.
BROOKS, Eleazer, soldier, b. in Concord, Mass., 10 Sept., 1727; d. in Lincoln, Mass., 9 Nov.,
1806. Without schooling he acquired a valuable
fund of knowledge, his practice being to read the
best books, and then talk about them to intelligent
men. He became captain of militia in 1773, and
took a prominent part in the war for independence,
rising to the rank of brigadier-general. At the
battle of White Plains he commanded a regiment
and distinguished himself by his bravery. Entering
the general court in 1774, he had a public
career of thirty-seven years, becoming successively a
representative, a member of the senate, and a
councillor. In 1801 he withdrew from public life.
BROOKS, James, journalist, b. in Portland, Me., 10 Nov., 1810 ; d. in Washington, D. C., 30 April, 1873. His father, a sea-captain, was lost at sea while James was yet a child, and the family were left destitute. He was sent to a public school in Portland, and at eleven years of age became a clerk in Lewiston, Me., then a frontier town. His employer, observing the eagerness of the boy for learning, offered to release him from his apprenticeship and to aid him in obtaining an education. He at once entered the academy at Monmouth, taught school at ten dollars a month and board, and was graduated at Waterville in. 1831. Returning to Portland, he began to study law, teaching meanwhile a Latin school in that city. He contributed to the Portland " Advertiser," and in 1832 went to Washington as its correspondent, thus introducing the fashion of regular Washington letters. After that he travelled through the south, writing letters from the Creek, Cherokee, and Choctaw country in Georgia and Alabama, at the time when those tribes were compelled to move west. His correspondence at this period was a revelation in journalism. In 1835 he was a member of the Maine legislature, and introduced the first proposition for a railroad from Portland to Montreal and Quebec. After the adjournment he sailed for Europe, and travelled on foot over Great Britain and the continent, writing letters descriptive of his travels. In 1836 he came to New York and established the " Express," of which, for a time, both a morning and an evening edition were published, and. although he met with discouragements at first, the paper soon became a success. Mr. Brooks made political speeches in Indiana for Harrison in 1840. In 1841 he married Mrs. Mary Randolph, a widow, of Richmond, Va., whom he required to manumit three or four slaves before the wedding. In 1847 he was elected to the New York legislature, and two years later to congress, where he remained two terms, 1849-'53. He took ground in 1850 in favor of the compromise measures, in 1854 became identified with the American party, and after 1861 with the democratic party. He was elected to congress again in 1865, and, by repeated re-elections, served till 1873. He made two later trips to Europe, and acquired four languages. In 1867 he was a member of the state constitutional convention, and in 1869 was one of the government directors of the Union Pacific railway. In February, 1873, the house censured Mr. Brooks "for the use of his position of government director of the Union Pacific railroad, and a member of this house, to procure the assignment to himself or family of stock in the Credit Mobilier." Mr. Brooks believed that this was undeserved, and the mortification it caused him probably hastened his death. In 1871-'2 Mr Brooks, in pursuit of health, made a voyage around the world, and gave the results of his observations first in letters to the " Express," and afterward in "A Seven Months' Run, Up and Down and Around the World" (New York, 1872). His valuable library was sold at auction in New York in June, 1886.—His brother,.
