Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-11-23
PETER COOPER.
BY JAMES PARTON.

hats with a hat store in front, kept
bX a perSOn who was sometimes styled
by his neighbOrs Captain Cooper. he
had indeed served in the Revolution
ary war; had taken part in some
noted operations, and at the conclu-
sion of peace, had retired from the
service with the rank OF CAPTAIN. lie
was not formed to achieve success ID
civil life. for he lacked perseverance.
He was better at forming a scheme /
than al carving it out; and the con-
sequence was, that after struggle OF |
ten wears. he was still but a poor nat,
ter in Water street, with a large anu
rapidly increasing family. .as
Like many other amiable, lheHl
cient men, he had the luck 20 marry
a woman siugularly fitted TO be the
mainsIay of a family having an IN
competent head. The daughter OF
former Mayor Of New York, who had
served i'm important positions during
the Revolution. she had been reared
and educated among the MOravians
i'm Pennsylvania, who had so nOurish-
ed and strengthened her moral nature
as to render her a rare blending OF
sweetness and fire, Of efficiency and
tenderness-a lovely, noble creature,
who has transmitted a vivid tradition
of her excellent qualities to the third
generation Of her defendants.
Seven sons and two daughters were
horn 10 this couple. Their fifth child
was Peter Cooper, who has been for
20 many years past, OF all the iuhabi-
tants Of ManhattaB island, the one
most hOnOred and beloved. He was
born i'm 1871.
The fathers necessities compelling
him to employ his children in his
/ business, the earliest recollection OF
/ this son is Of pulling and picking
wool for hat bodies. He was kept al
/ work, assisting his father, all his boy
hood, except that during one year he
attended school half Of every day,
when he learned reading, writing, and
a little arithmetic. Before his father
left the hat business, Peter learned TO
make a hat throughout; and when
afterward his father removed to Peek
skill, and set up a brewery, he learned
every branch of that business also F;
for, from childhood, he was quick to
learn, dexterous in handling tools,
and much given to Oinventing imprOv-
ed methods and implements.
| At seventeen, not Ielishing the idea
of spending his life in brewing beer,
he came, with his fathers consent, "a
New York, intending to put himself
apprentice to any trade that he should
fancy, after looking about among the
workshops of the city. After wander
ing for some days without finding g
shol that he liked, and that alsC
wanted boy, he went into carriage
factory, near the corner Of Chamber
street and Broadway, and asked one
of the partners If he had room for Al
apprentice. ~
"Do you know anything about the
business 2" asked the master.
|. He did not.
Have you been brought up t.
work ?n
He had, most decidedly; he haC
learned to make hats and to brew
beer.
"Is your father willing you SHOULD
: learn this trade ?"
He has given me my choice o
, trades"
"If I take you, will you stay will
me and work out your time ?"
: He promised so to do. The bargail
was struck four years service a
, twenty-five dollars a year and hi
board. In those cheap, simple times
a careful boy, with little help from
. his mother and sisters, could cloth
himself for twenty-five dollars ayeaI
} and have a pretty good suit Of clothe
, for Sunday. In busy seasons, thi
= apprentice by working overtime
earned extra wages, most Of which h
? sent to his father, but a part Of whicl
+ he kept for another purpose.
! He painfully felt his Ignorance. HI
J had an energetic. inquisitive, inven
, tive mind, which craved knOwledg
: as a hungry man Graves food. H
, bought some books, but a lad unac
, custoIned to handle books is apt a
) first to be more perplexed than a.
: sisted by them; and so he lOOkeu
about him for some kind Of evening
: school wherp he could have the hel
of the living teacher. In all NeV
York there was then no such ching
There were no free schools Of an,
, kind, and no means Of instruction
= for lads who, like himself, had {
work all day for their livelihood. H
t hired a teacher for a while to hel
, him in the evening, and he thus in
creased his knowledge of arithmetic
! and gained little insight into Othe
2 branches.
! Ii was then, when he was a poo
: apprentice-bOy, thirsting for knOwl
edge and unable to obtain il, that b
formed a memorable resolution.
: "If" said he TO himself, 81 eve
prospeTin business, and acquire NOR
. property than l need, will try {
E found an institution in the city Q
. New York, wherein apprentiee-bOy
r and young mechanics shall have
2 chance to get knowledge in the even
, ing"
] This purpose was distinctly fOrme
: in his mind before he was Of age, an
l he kept it steadily in view for fort
! years, before he was able TO accom-
1 Dlish it.
: When he was out Of his time, hi
= employers offered to help him int
J business for himself, but he decline
: the offer from the natural dread whic
such men have Of getting into deb
= And fortunate il was for him that II
! did decline il; for few months aftel
p the war of 1872 broke out, whic
r would certainly have proved ruinou
: TO the business of young carriage
E maker without capital. The wal
: however, was the beginning Of his fol
: tune. The supply of foreign mel
e chandise being cut off, great impuls
n was given to manufactures. ClOtl
i for example, rose to such an eXtrav;
: CANT price that cloth factories spran
e up everywhere, and there was SUE
y den demand for every description
;, clOth-making machinery. Pete
) Cooper, who possessed a fine geniJ
!. for Invention, invented a machine fC
h shearing the nap from the surface
] cloth. 1t answered its purpose wei
q and he sold il without delay to goo
b advantage. Then ne made another
d and rs often as he had one done, b
{ would 90 to some cloth mill, explai
d its merits, and sell it. He soon had
a thriving shop, where he emplOye
e several men, and he sold his machine
d faster than he could made them.
d In 1914, before the war ended, /
e contracted that exquisite marriag
{ which gavs. him flfty-five yearsOf d'
d nestle happines, as complete, as III
!, allOyed, as mOrtals eau ever hope
5 enjoy. tits believed by members Of b
d family that during that long period
d time, there was never an act done or
IS word spoken by either Of them whie
gave pain to the other. They bega
y their married life on a humble sea
: indeed. When a cradle became ne
t essary, and he was called upon TO roc