The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-06-30
From the Paola Spirit.l
PETER COOPER.
A Friend of the Philanthropy
list Undertakes His Defense.

A Friend OF the Fh1AanGhrOP-
fst Undertakes His Defense.
The Independent Greenback barty has
assumed shape on demonetizing gold and
silver, and nominated that fossilized, I'M
practicable old Bourbon, Peter Cooper,
for President. Peter was barely old
enough to accept such a nomination, be-
ing only Sugars Old.-Miami Republican.
The Greenback Party is politi-
cal organization with which we
have no sympathy, aud whose tinan-
cial notions we consider entirely
unorthodox. But we are unwilling
that the venerable gentleman, upon
whom it has conferred the mantle
of leadership, should be presented
to the people of this country with
the above libelous introduction.
Peter Cooper was boru in New
York City in 1871. Both his faith
er and grandfather were officers in
the Revolutionary army, and ex-
pended their private fortunes in the
service of their country. The early
years of Peter Cooper's life witness
ed continual struggle with the
gaunt figure of poverty. At the
age of seventeen, he was apprentice
ed to the trade of coachmaking,
and became, after several years, q
thorough master of the business.
He afterward engaged in various
lines of manufacture, achieving
wonderful success in every under
taking. His attention was early
called to the great resources of this
country for the manufacture of iron
and in 1880 he erected extensive
works near Baltimore. He subse-
quently built a rolling and wire
mill in New York City, and in
lS45, he removed the machinery to
Trenton, New jersey, where, on the
bank of the Delaware, he erected
the largest rolling mill in the Uni
ted Staes, for the manufacture of
railroad iron. While in Baltimore
he built, after his own designs, the
first locomotive constructed on this
continent, and it was used success
fully on the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad. He took much intesres
in the extension of the electric tel
egraph, in which he invested {
large capital. His great object
howeve, was to educate and elevatt
the industrial classes of the commu
nifty. Feeling that no common
school system could supply q tech
biological education, he determined
to establish, in his native CITY, ar
institution, in which the working
classes could secure that instruction
for which he, when young and am
ance of this object, he erected tn
"Union for the Advancement o
Science and Art" commonly called
the "Cooper Institute" This is 1
magnificent six-story, brown ston
edifice, standing at the head OF tn
Bowery, and bounded by Seventh
and Eighth streets, and Third ant
Fourth Avenues. It covers an en-
tire block, and its original cost wa
over Se50,000, to which Mr.. Coope
has since added an endowment o
$4,000 IN cash. This building
devoted, by a deed of trust, with al
its rents, issues and profits, to tn
instruction and elevation of tht
working classes of the City of New
York. The plan includes regula
courses of instruction at night, fire.
: to all who choose to attend, on so
, cial and political science, the ap
> plication of science to the usefu
occupations of life. and on sue
other branches of knowledg
as will tend to improv
f and elevate the working classes. /
includes also a school of design fol
females, free reading room, gal
leries of art, collections of m odel
: of invention, . polytechnic school
3 and large and valuable free libra
; ry, that is resorted to by thousand
of readers. The evening school
are attended by 1900 pupils, most
~ young mechanics, who study en-
r gineering, mining, metallurgy
, chemistry, architectural DRAWN
, and practical building. There ar
|, also for women q school of tele
| graphy, school of wood engraving
3 and q school of photograpy. All G
these are free and well attended
The schools employ upwards of 3
Instructors. The annual receipts {
/ the 1stitute from rents and interes
l. on endowment are about $4,000
E and the expenditures nearly $50
600. Mr.. Cooper Is now at the sc
It of So, still vigorous in mind an
g body, and deVotes himself to Work
y of charity and public benefit. Pc
!, iticslly Mr.. Cooper was an old tin
= abolitionist, belonging to the sam
: school with William Lloyd Carr
= son, Gerritt Smith and John
N Hale. He has been an active an
e consistent Republican since the o
ganization of that party, but FIND