New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-13
FULL OF YEARS AND HONOR.
PETER cooPERs NlNEr1ETH BIRTHDAY,

MENTION OF HIS NAME - ADDED Hlf l" w
100000 TO THE rNION-$1O,C0O FOR CHAR
IrY-MR. uEwIrrs DINNER PATTY.
The ninetleth anniver; lry of the birth
day of Peter Cooper was celebrated
yesterday. Mr.. Cooper passed the day
quietly at his home in Lexington-avc.,
receiving few of the friends who called. ln
the evening dinner was given In honor OF
the occasion 10y Abram S. He 5itt his son-in-
law. ThurlOw Weed was among the guests.
The Rev. II. L. Singleton, OF Baltimore, de-
livered the Saturday evening free lecture at
Cooper institute, taking the life OF MI.
Cooper for his subject. There was
large audience present which cheered MIR.
Cooper's name. The speaker described
the early career Of the venerable
philanthropist and reviewed some Of his
achievements. Mr.. Cooper, to celebrate the
day, has recently given to the trustees Oh
Cooper Union $4,000 in cash and the
receipts for $4,000 expended in the last
ysar on the Institute Building. He also gave
$4,000 to the fund for aiding poor children.
SKETCH OF The VENERABLE MANS LIFE.
LECTURE AT COOPER UNION BY THE REV. II. L.
sIYOLFToN-MR. CooPERs RECENT GIFTS TO
The subject of the Saturday evening free lecture
at Cooper Union last night was Peter Cooper;
it was delivered by the Rev. II. L. Singleton, Of
Baltimore. The great hall was filed with largo
audience many of those present being unable to
obtain seats. Among those seated upon the platform
were the Rev. DR.. Henry N. Field, Professor L. u.
Tisdall and the Rev. DIR. Wendell Prime. Before
introducing the speaker, DR.. X. W. Raymond said
that the subject of the lecture that of life OF
noble ambition, unselfish benevolence, undaunted
courage, indomitablc perseverance, aud sweet char
ity. There was no ono so well fitted to celebrate
Peter Coopers birthday Peter Cooper himself.
The trustees of Cooper Union bad requested him to
read a letter which showed Mr. Coopers method OF
celebrating his nnetieth birthday. The letter was
as follows oo,
Messrs. Wilson @. Hunt, Daniel F. Tlenian, John f.
Parsons Edward Cooper and Abrain T. Hewitt trustees
OF the Cooper Union for the Advancement OF Science
and Art. .,oooo .
h. ~ M resce ScS' e my Sa %eaanS Fund
established by seventeen years ago. the interest OF
% 2 tSs receipts chef IN
fSe S S yssG .n s' Caa"S SS "1"
With your help to enlarge the capacity 81 the institution
number pupils In the application OF science 70 al the
and Pu sr 81 Of e su nS se a
coriance Wits their best Judgment and Efforts the
eStest sumber Of the youth Of h. my beloved native
cy meet the expense Of eniargng the course of
distraction In this institution
The trusteea may rely my beat efforts 10 aid them
In every way In promoting the hgheet wei are OF this
institution. Very respectfully your o9edenl servant.
Dr. Raymond also read the following extract from
the minutes of the last meeting of the trustees
February Z:
Resov-d That the donation of Mr. Cooper Of $50 900
81 %Ens to th S5 nG p he has
enarging an improving the building. amounting IN all
70 800 900 accepted he thanks Of tho Trustees
hereby rendered 20 Mr. Cooper FOR the niicencc
which to afford the additional facilities for
free instruction made by the demands OF tie
pn6lo Tor the privileges offered by the Cooper Union
Tho speaker was then introduced. and was
warmly received. Frequently IN tho cour OF LIS
r. marks he was interrupted by cheers. the mention
OF Z, ter COOpors name being signal for an out
burst OF applause. The lecture was IN part as fol-
lows:
Man Is placed in this world FOR two purposes: 10 build
UP character and TO perform work. There Is not
moro lusrious example OF this truth than The yencr
able man who Is tho subject OF my address-Peter
Cooper. fGroat cheersl Among the many wOrklnRnion
who have attained success, honor and fame. none more
deserves mention. In all that cOns tes tho grealest
success rs 10 character work and phAntnropc decds
lie superior. lCIcersl lie was born In New-Yotk
February H. 1891 George Washington waj then Pret-
dent OF United States The father named him Peter
because lie thought he would come to something great
When he was three years old his father removed to
Pcek-k where he vet up store He subsequently re-
moved to Catskll. Brooklyn. Newbnrg AMI Engaged
in selling goods manufacturing hats. brewing beer and
making bricks. Ia these various empoyInents the
was obliged work pulling hair out Of rabbit skirs IA
he says for his fathers hat when his head scarcely
reached above tho table, delivering kegs OF beer In the
brewing business. aud carrying bricks into tho yard
when LIS father was engaged at brcknakng.
When Peter Cooper was seventeen he was apprentced
too .,oh,,. bar far fntir vea
During this time he employed hiS evenings in
TN upper In broadway In study and
In making experiments IL was then that his
inventive genus developed which led hiI into taOse
pursuits Ia which he achieved 80 great success. The
first practical result Of these experiments the nyen
ton Of a machine for nOstsng hubs. Ills employer
40 uch pensed with this that he offered to start him IN
business; but young Cooper declined the Offer bee
he preferred to rely his own energies lie then Seni
Htmpsced. L. l., where he was employed BY q manu-
OF clohshcarng iuscino. at ~ 80 day. At
The end OF tee years he had saw, enough to buy hc
patent right OF NewYOiA state, and began Ianuldctur
In. bis accounr I9c ilrst purchaser OF his
Vassar College, who also bought the ri.ht
OF a county. On returning home about this time Peter
Cooper found sfdlrr Olyrh In financial driclluc,
exticale him from which he surrendered all of hJ
In 1928 ar. Cooper went 20 Baltimore and became
identified with the origin OF two great entrrpriscs
which, moro than all others, bavr contributed 10 the
g.owth that ctyCarton. and the Bal morc AMI Ohio
Rliirnad. He wns induced by two Persons u buy
he dearved by them ord Obliged pey Tor mo
whole Instead OF lamenting hls misfortune he won't
prospecting. found bid OF iron ore. ard built fur
naces aud rolling MILL From these works sprarg the
great industrles OF Canton.
Mr.. Cooper aisO did great service In connection with
the Baltimore and ONO Rallroad, Witch had its begin
ming ~ 1926. few miles we're completed with wooden
rails fcod with strap iron, aud rude open cait wore
drawn by horses. IL WINS suggested that steam cars
should be introduced but everybody thought IL would
lie Impossible 10 around without going pd the
track. Tho man who grpppled with the problem was
Peter Cooper. Ue built locomotive eDglno anu demon
etrated :s success IL about the size OF u han-car
with Its tubular boiler made Of gun barrs August 28
1890 tlis engine, with open attached, filed with
the directors OF tue road. Mr. Cooper acting engineer
made the first trip by steam tho first railroad IN
America. Thirteen miles made In filly-seyen
minutes.