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From:
Subject: Re: [Q-R] Miami Co., Ohio, Quaker Ancestors
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2004 19:10:18 EST


In a message dated 01/26/2004 6:28:36 PM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

> The optometrist/jeweler was Charles M. Jenkins (1854-1929). He was
> the son of Evans H. and Emaline (Lewis) Jenkins; Charles had a
> younger brother named Robert, born in 1858. Perhaps they were in
> business together. Evans was the son of Robert Jenkins by his first
> wife Jemima Jones.
>
> A small collection of Charles M. Jenkins's papers is here at Earlham.
> The Wayne County Historical Museum has his optometric
> records--eyeglass specifications for just about every Quaker in
> Richmond, Indiana, ca. 1900.
>
> Tom Hamm


Thanks, Tom. I looked at my copies of the three T. J. Cook letters (also in
the Earlham collection) and it is C. M. Jenkins, in fact, not Robert Jenkins,
proving once again that I should not rely on memory for this stuff. Sorry all.

Cook says in part in a 1904 letter, "C.M.J. is doing me all of the under
handed work that he can. I am also getting a good deal of his work to do over
after him."

But it is clear that, as Tom Hamm says, Jenkins had most of the Richmond
eyeglass business sewn up. Cook had to travel extensively out of his Richmond
office all around Indiana to his customers, portable examination kit in hand (I
have a photo of him with it, and another of him fitting glasses on someone's
front porch). He writes several times of the need to move to a different area,
and in fact eventually did move to St. Joseph, MO, around 1910-12 to seek more
steady business. He died in Missouri while "on the road" visiting customers.

Tom Miller (Thomas Cook Miller)

[snip]

> >This reminds me. There was a Robert Jenkins who ran a jewelry business in
> >Richmond, IN around 1900. He also sold eyeglasses, a fact which
> >seemed to hugely
> >annoy my great grandfather, Thomas J. Cook, who was an optometrist (and
> >struggling). Anyone know which Robert Jenkins this one was and how
> >he was related?
> >He's clearly a "cousin" of Thomas J. Cook's.
>

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