The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-03-10
PETER CaOPER's Goth BIRTHDAY
THE VENERABLE PHILANTHRoPIsT TELLS
THE STORY OF HIS LIFE.
From the New YORK sun.l

From the New York Sun.
Peter Cooper spent the day yesterday sur
rounded by his family, at his home, corner
of Lexington avenue and Twenty second
street. He rose early, as usual, and through
cut the day received many congratulations
from relatives and friends. The house was
filled with the odor of flowers. In the
afternoon the reporter was granted an in
terview on the condition, imposed by Mr.
Cooper's kindly guardian, his daughter
Mrs Hewitt, that it should last only eight
minutes. Mr.. Cooper seemed in excellent
health and iovial spirits. His face was
beaming with benignant smiles. He seated
himself in his favorite easy chair, and
asked what he could do for the Sun.
First, tell me how you managed to live
so long; what advice would you give to
young people to help them to live to be
ninety ~
81 should put it in two words, live sober
" and righteously" said Mr. Cooper.
When asked to amplify little On those
words Mr.. Cooper added: "One of the best
lessons L ever got was from one of the Oldest
records of human events, where l find that
man is the offspring of the Infinite Power
which has given him the world, with all
that in it is, to be rightly enjoyed. 1t is
only required of man that he should keep
it and subdue it. | understand by that
that the Infinite Power gives US all that is
in the garden to eat, to drink, to work, and
TO play. We are required not to eat too
much, nor to work too much, nor to play
too much. When a man eats too much he
appears like the prodigal son, who took all
his portion Of the lOaves and fishes and
went and spent it in riotous living and
among harlots. He thus got into deplo>
rabe state, and would fain have partaken
nf hin 10 hot nof Tbaf
reminds me that mans very wretchedness
will bring him to himself. His sutferings
will teach him that he has done wrong
When the prodigal son returned to his
father he was humble, and thought that
peradventure his father would make him
one of his hired servants. But he did not
find his father harsh and unforgiving. His
father did not say, you rascal, why have
you been wasting my substance No; his
father welcomed him, saying, This is my
son, who was dead and is alive again He
called his people and killed the tatted calf,
and gave the prodigal a welcome that even
offended the son who had not gone from
home. | infer from this that we are living
here on earth nuder beautiful and beneficent
laws-laws designed in Infinite wisdom for
the elevation of mankind. 1 infer that Just
in proportion as we live in obedisnce to
those laws we shall have health and comfort.
Ii we dlS0Dey those laws we shall pay the
penalty. That rule holds good for man or
city or community or State or nation. The
penalty of disObedience must be paid some
where, somehow, at some time"
"One more question, Mr. Cooper. How
did you get rich?'
'In the first place, l learned three trades.
learned to be a brewer, a coachmaker, and
a machinist, all before | was twenty-one
years old. l worked three years at 81 so a
day and [ saved enough out of that to get
a start in life. | was making machines to
shear cloth. Then [ bought the patent
right of the machine, and made them for
sale. That was before the war of 1872"
"What general rule have you adopted in
business % was asked.
zone was that / determined to give the
world an equivalent in some form of useful
labor for all that | consumed in it. | went
on and enlarged my business, all the while
keeping out of debt. l cannot recollect
time when l could not pay what l owed any
day. l would not spend money before
earned it. Another rule had was to keep
clear of the banks. | never asked them for
accommodation. / never got them to dis
count notes, without certainty of being
able to pay it. In that way l managed to
keep clear of panics. My rule was pay as
you go | can't remember the time when
any man could not have had for the asking
what L owed. Another thing wish to say.
All the money | ever made was in mechan-
ical business and not in speculation"