The New York herald., 1874-12-10
OBITUARY..
EZRA Cornell.

after long illness. Mr.. Cornell was born az
Westchester Landing, in wcstchester county,
January II. 1907. He was OF Quaker parentage.
HIS father was potter, and carried on
business at Tarrytown; but in 1919 he
removed TO De Ruyter, in Madison county.
young Ezra then being only twelve years Of age.
The youth remained with hts father until his nine-
reenth year; but his advantages OF education were
meagre, and when he began life for himself 1t was
With very small stock OF book knowledge. In
1929 he lett home to seek employment, by which
he might be able to support himself. He found
work at Homer. where ne remained about two
years; but In 1928 he removed to Ithaca, where he
engaged In business as builder.
THE EARLY STRUGGLES OF EZRA CORNELL.
From all this 1t win be seen that he begun his
career under no very propitious circumstances.
But he came OF good, l0ng.llved and doggedly
persistent stock and though he failed attain the
great age OF his father, who was over four score
and ten years when he died, he proved to be the
most dogged and persistent member OF the
Cornell family. An illustration or this may
be found In the method ne pursued in
obtaining that meagre education to which
allusion has already been made. While his father
was residing in Westchester 1t was not possible
that he should acquire very large stock OF inior-
nation or very generous mental training at the
were even more limited, though being older he
was then better able to pronr by them. When ne
was eighteen years old, however ne determined
to carve out an opportunity Tor himself ana this
ne did IN way that the boys OF the present
generation would hardly dare to under
brother he agreed with Colonel t. 4. Nye,
the village pedagogue, that they would ''clear'
tour acres OF beach and maple timber Tor three
months schooling. This task they accomplished
out or scnool hours, between the 18th OF Marcn
torans OF Mr.. CorneIl's early struggles Inform MS
tnat "iour acres OF good corn was raised on the
ground that season, It having been chopped,
that time" Though 1t is impossible to tell, owing
to the sngularlties OF the grammar In this history
tnat was chopped, burned. logged CLEARED.
fenced and planted" yet the facs itself Is exceed
ingly complimentary to Mr.. Cornell.
FOURTEEN YEARS OF BUSINESS ENTERPRISE
As soon as he lett the De Ruyter school Ezra
Cornell began TO show strong evidences Of me-
time his latner had engaged = carpenter to build
shop ana that young Ezra was put to work to
assist him. Closely observing the movements Of
the "b0sS," BY whom the work was laid out. he
completely mastered the mysteries OF the square
ruen the drst day, and before the. second day
OF the master carpenter The .'boss" was very
angry, but upon Investigation II was found that
Ezra was right. inc next season young Cornell
He framed the building by square rule" and
though part OF the timber was In the woods and
together without an error. and was pronounced
one Or 20 q the best pie pieces OF work IN the village.
4 ton was wh buaea saea aa Mr. Cosae
business In Ithaca. HIS nrst work at The
latter place was to repair mil, and he
the milling business. Ae was thus engaged from
ing business he built large mourning mill. with
eight run OF stones, and this he accomplished with
such complete success that the mill was regarded
I'M ~ In
and and saousn aiterward engaging "a a
agricultural pursuits. He Vas especially proud in
subsequent years OF hts stock OF thoroughbred
crops OF one hundred bushels or more OF sheled
corn to the acre IL Will thus be seen that in the
fourteen years Of Mr. Cornell's early business
struggles he laid the foundation OF that splendid
fortune which, later in life enabled him to become
the patron OF the mechanic and Industrial arts
Mr.. CORNELL As TELEGRAPH PIONEER.
In lS43 hr. Cornell became acquainted with F.
Q. J. Smith. well known as telegraph manager,
inventor OF the magnetic telegraph. Almost accl-
rentally at nrst he became interested In what was
SS Dy SnS ss out vss
soon able to reap fortune. About this time
Congress appropriated 33O,o for the construction
and Baltimore, and ne was appointed by
J. q. Spencer. then Secretary OF the Treasury,
Cornell had already shown great ABILITY IN the
preliminary experiments, and had invented
tube to overcome the dinnculttes OF Insulation
and 1t was to this he owed his appointment
Though his inventto had been pronounced Q sue
able, and 10 its place he suggested mounting the
wires on poles, which became the universal prac-
tlce; At the time the line was completed,
was in session in Baltimore and Mr.. Cornell an
nounced the nomination OF Henry OIay for Presi-
dent to the astonished people OF Washington al
simultaneously u1ont N
the Convention. month later he repeated the
!eat upon the nomination OF James K. Polk by the
however, was not found to be satisfactory. the
Morse Instruments then In use were In
and
that TO him was due the credit OF
remedylng these defects, There are many claim
O'Reilly. whose services were scarcely less emin.
ent than those OF either Professor Morse or Mr..
eS cS % neither the n0r
OF the magnetic telegraph has In 1t much OF 70,
nance, and u romantic features acquire q new
to civiizauon are rapidly passing away.
THE TELEGRAPH BUILDER.
pha and New YorI ne mr As oo1ne 20 pnladei,
with It's construction ana the next year be built
line rom this city to Albany. In 1s47 ne con.
Buffalo 20 Milwaukee. He made money va At this this
work. and having great faith In the success OF the
telegraph he invested largely IN its stock and SO
language OF the day would call q member OF the
telegraph ring" For some years Mr.. Cornell
was President OF the American telegraph Com
pany, and only gave up hts active interest In the
management Of the lines within few years.
Mr.. CORNELL IN THE LE0IsLATURE
Mr.. Cornell was . whig in politics, and adhered
to that party till the organization or the republi-
can party in 1856. He was too busy with his dif-
ierent enterprises, however, to take much active
interest in political affairs In The earlier part OF
his life, but after his fortune had been made and
he was no longer occupied in amassing
mAnAHAmAnt An In rto
he agreed to represent his friends and neighbors
In the Legislature. In 1853 and 1884 he was
member OF the Assembly, and he was elected q
state Senator In the latter year. serving Two full
terms IN that body. This Was hts entire puolic
career; but he performed his public duties like
hts private anars-honestly, intelligently and
efncfently-and won the regard OF all with whom
he came In contact, being well known all over
the state before his great act Of the endowment Of
the Cornell University at Ithaca
fHE CORNkLL UNIVERSITY.
The crowning glory or Mr.. Corners life Is the
university which bears his name. Through his
endeavors the institution obtained from the State
Its proportion Of the public lands devoted by the