The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-08-25
Death Of Fleet T. Cooper.

''In the midst of life we are in death,
trite but true and very solemn saving, an
in tue death Of our neighbor and eonteml
rary, Mr. FLEET T. COOPER, editor of ii
Comet, we have another sad demonstratio
of its force. A few months ago he wake
our streets with seemingly many years {
life aud usefulness before him, and his hops
full nature, like that of many others, locke
forward to successes and rewards in hi
chosen field of labor. The family, socia
and business ties that bound him to life wer
very strong but disease suddenly fastene'
upon him, and stubbornly refused TO yield Il
+ the physician skill, and the faithful, tende
nursing OF devoted friends. On Thursda.
morning last, as this paper went to press
his condition seemed hopeful, but at $50 P
NJ. of same day, the end came, and he W.:
no more of earth. To his bereayed family
we tender our hearty and sincere sympathy
May He, who doeth all things well, ''tempel
the winds to the shorn lambs.''
In lieu of our own impressions of the life
and character of Mr.. Cooper, which we pur
posed to record by way of tribute to his
memory, We transfer to our space the fol-
lowing from the announcement of his death
in the Comet of Saturday last. 1t is evil
IDENTIFY from the pen of one who knew him
intimately and we'll:
Aware OF his critical condition, he bore up
manfully, making that brave struggle for life,
so important to wife and children, which q
true man is wont 10 make. We are able to
state that it became known to his most init
mate friends, that his desire 70 live was free
from ali selfshness. He came 30 look upon
his death affecting those who would feel it
most deeply
Ma. COOPER had just appreciation Of the
dignity and the value of the profession ofjour-
naiism. He was well fitted to shine in It. He
possessed sound judgment and extraordi-
nary talents as a writer His public spiril
was high and noble. He WAS courageous in
the support of his convictions, cautious and
wary when the gooi of the cause he espoused
demanded it. There was true-hearted sin
eerity about the man which attracted all who
knew him.
MR. COOPER had an ardent liking for his
profession The esprit de corps was strong in
him. and he had moreover the fearless energy
and the sanguine spirit necessary to success
in it. His health. however, was not firm, ard
his progress was impeded by it.
Journalism has sustained a great loss by his
death-and society has sustained that loss
which is always felt in the death of a most ac-
tive, high-spiried and useful man.
There was a certain elevation and tone in
Mr.. COOPER which. combined with earnestness
of nature, made him inf uentiaI as u man and
citizen. He was essentially good citizen
alive to the interests of his country, and Of the
community in which he lived. He had whole
hearted generosity, and, as is the case with
such men, he had enlisted a warm feel
ing of friendship in a wide circle, the in
dividuals of which will feel his death as a
personal loss.
The social, literary, and political rank which
our departed friend held-and il was very
achieved by his own exertions. He
commenced his career without money and
without influence. He encountered many diff
fculties with a brave and determined spirit
and had finally won a position of great re-
speotability and influence. His death will be
and truly lamented.
Mr.. Cooper was born in Lawrence county,
in this State, on the 18th January, 1885.
He had scarcely attained his majority when
he made his first venture in journalism
He purchased and for a number of wears
published the Southern journal, at Nonti-
cello. We first knew him in 1859, when he
was elected Secretary of the Senate-a
position which he held for two sessions of
the Legislature. On the breaking out of
the war, he and Mr.. Kimbal purchased the
and on Jackson being threat
ened by the enemy, the paper was removed !
TO Selma. In January, 1866, he became
associated in the publication of the Stand
ard, just then established in this city, and |
on that journal being consolidated with
The CLARION in the month of May fol- |
lowing, Mr.. Cooper retired for time from
the newspaper business. He had made /
some investments in real estate in this city. /
but subsequently concentrated all his
means and energies in planting in the |
western part of Kinds. The experiment
proving disastrous, he again returned to his /
first love, and established the Summit
Times. Desiring a wider scope for the /
exercise Q. hi tslerts. Il removed to
Meridian, and after various successes and |
reyerses, commenced the publication of the
Comet at Brookhaven, in 1877. In the year
owing, we believe, after a temporary
the paper was transferred to
Jackson, and under the editorship of Mr.
Cooper has been justly regarded as one of
the most ably conducted newspapers in the
State