JACOB P. BRUNETT, Meadville, Pennsylvania.
Jacob P. Brunett was born in Meadville, Pennsylvania, March 5, 1868, and is the son of Jacob Brunett, a shoemaker of that city. His education was acquired in the public schools of Meadville, and his first business venture was running a restaurant in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania: He was thus engaged for fourteen months, but tiring of the business, which was not to his liking, he closed out and returned to Meadville, where he worked for the Meadville Natural Gas Company for seven months. He then began his railroad-career in the boiler shops of the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad, where he worked thirteen-months, being advanced to fireman on October 24, 1887. He had at last found an occupation entirely suitable to him, and he applied himself with such energy that after four years on freight and one month on passenger he was promoted to engineer. This was on November 24, 1891, and since that time has run in the through freight service of the Erie.

Mr. Brunett has been in three wrecks, but in each case he was lucky enough to escape injury. The first was a tail end collision at Amasa, Pennsylvania; in the second his engine turned over at Latimer Crossing, Ohio, on June 18, 1893, while the third was a tail-end collision at Cortland, Ohio. Mr. Brunett was held blameless in all these mishaps, and there are no black marks in the company's books against him; in fact he is one of the most popular men running out of Meadville, both with his superiors and fellow engineers.

He was married at Niagara Falls, August 28, 1886, to Miss Julia Guy, daughter of Nicholas Guy, farmer near Meadville. They have no children and so have more time to devote to society affairs, in which both take great interest, as they have a host of friends in the polite circles of the city. Mr. Brunett is a member of Division No. 43, B. of L. E.; P. H. C. of Meadville, and Lodge No. 219, B. P. 0. E., of Meadville.

Excerpted from: "American Locomotive Engineers, Erie Railway Edition," H.R. Romans Editor; Crawford-Adsit Company Publishers, Chicago, IL 1899.

From the October, 1936 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
J.P. Brunett, 69, veteran Erie engineer and Mrs. Brunett, 70, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary August 28th at their home, 636 Washington Street, Meadville, in which they have passed most of their lives. Mr. Brunett has been in Erie service 50 years.

From the July, 1937 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Jacob P. Brunett, 69, veteran Erie engineer of 636 Washhington Street, Meadville, was retired after serving 50 years and eight months, 46 of which as an engineer between Meadville and Kent, OH. Jake Brunett has seen many changes in the railroad game since he began as a fireman.

"We didn't have modern airbrakes and signal systems when I started out," he told the Meadville Tribune Republican. "But now trains are protected by automatic blocks, safety-proof brakes and hundreds of other devices designed to aid the traveling public."

However, the former engineer pointed out, the "human element" still plays an important part in train operation. He said the greatest hazard of passenger engineers is the fear of striking automobiles at grade crossings. "You never know when some driver will try to beat you to the crossing," he said, "but if you keep thinking about it you might as well quit the railroad."

Mr. Brunett said that now that he and his wife have a chance to do what they want to they may travel.