The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-11-09
(From the Ledger.)
T n CO O p E r.
By NJ PAXTON.


with q hat store. in front, kept by q
person who was sometimes styled by
his neighbors Captain Cooper. He
had indeed served in the Revolutions
ny war; had taken part In some noted
operations, and at the conclusion o.
peace, had retired from the service
with the rank of Captain. He wa:
not formed to achieve succes in civil
life, for he lacked perseverance. He
was better at forming a scheme than
at carrying it out and the consequence
was that after a struggle of ten years
he was still but a poor halter in Wa
Der street, with a large and rapidly
increasing family.
Like many other amiable, inefficient
men, he had the luck to marry a wo-
man singularly fitted to be the main
stay of a family having an incompe-
tent head. The daughter of a former
Mayor of New York, who had served
in important positions during the
Revolution, she had been reared and
educated among the Moravians in
Pennsylvania, who had go nourished
and strengthened her moral nature as
to render her a rare blending of sweet
ness and fire, of efficiency and tender
Mesa lovely, noble creature, who
has transmitted a vivid tradition of
her excellent qualities to the third
generation of her descendants.
Seven sons and two daughters were
born to this couple. Their fifth child
was Peter Cooper, who has for 30
many years past. of all the inhabit-
ants of Manhattan island, the one
most honored and beloved. He was
born in 1901.
The fathers necessities compelling
him to employ his children in his bu-
siness, the earliest recollection of this
SON of his pulling and picking wool
for hat bodies. He was kept at work,
assisting his father, all his boyhood
except that during one year he attend
ed 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 Peekskill, and
set up a brewery, he learned every
branch of that business also: for,
from childhood, he wa quick to learn
dextrous in handling tools, and much
given to inventing improved methods
and implements.
At seventeen, not relishing the
idea Of spending his life in brewing
beer, he came, with his fathers con
sent, to New York, intending to put
himself apprentice to any trade that
he should fancy, after looking about
among the workshops of the CITY,
after wandering for some days with
out finding a shop that he liked, and
that also wanted a boy. he went into
a carriage factory, nea the corner of
Chambers street and Broadway, and
asked one of the partners if he had
room for an apprentice.
"Do you know anything about the
business?" asked the master.
He did not.
tHaye you been brought up to
work ?".
He had most decidedly he had
learned to make hats and brew beer.
"Is your father wiling you should
learn this trade"
He has given me my choice of
trade"
"If I take you, will you stay with
and work your time out
He promised to do go. The bar
gain was struck: -four years service
at twenty-five dollars a year and his
In those cheap, simple times,
. careful boy, with a little help
from his mother or sisters, could
clothe himself for twenty-five dollars
year, and have a pretty good suit
of clothes for Sunday. In busy sea-
sons, this apprentice. by working over
time, earned extra wages, most of
which he sent to his father, but a
part of which he kept for another
purpose.
BE painfully felt his ignorance
had an energetic, -inquisitive in
yentiye mind, which crayed knowl-
edge rs a hungry man Graves food.
bought some books, but a lad un-
accustomed to handle books is apt at
first to be more perplexed than assist
ed by them; and so he looked about
him for some kind of evening school
teacher. In all New York there was
then no such thing There yer no
free schools of any kind, and no
means of instruction for lads who,
ike himself, had to work all day for
their livelihood. He hired a teacher,
for a while to help him in the even
ing, and he thus increased his knowl-
edge of arithmetic, and gained a lit
tie insight into other branches.
1T was then, when he was a poor