The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-07-29
Peter Cooper.

aDIe anu interesting parsonage In LnlS
city at the present time, and so
best writing a paragraph about, is
Mr.. Peter Cooper-living a sort of
posthumous life and enjoying a most
enviable Immortality at nlnety-one.
He is remarkable for having begun
with nothing and making himself a
millionaire; for having been born
eight years before Washington died,
and being still robust, and for giving
away large part of his fortune more
wisely than any other philanthropist
the city ever produced.
dropped in there on Saturday to
see how the old gentleman stood the
spring changes. The colored Cerbe-
rus who answered the door, FASTENED
to say, Freely, now, sir, RELY, Mis-
ter Cooper can't see nobody at all to-
day he says, COS this is his busy
day"
Would he take my card in? Oh,
yes; he'd do that. but 'twant any
use at all-not to-day. Exit
Presently l heard a gentle patter of
footsteps, and Mr.. Cooper appeared
in the parlOr. "Oh, yes" he said,
"I'm very glad to see you, but I've
got two directors meeting to attend,
and
sob certainly" I said / only call
ed to see how the spring affected
him ; how his rheumatism was.
was little embarrassed when he
opened his eyes wider and exclaim-
ed, Rheumatism !! Why 1 haven't
any rheumatism !" Then I thought
/ would change it to influenza, and
if he repudiated that, try malaria, for
it was safe to infer that man of
ninety-one must haye something that
he didn't want; but it opened unseen
possibilities and so l merely said.
NO." you look uncommonly well.
What is your secret of health"
He stood before me in the hall as
straight as wild 1ndian-bent, per-
haps-with bright eye and clear
voice, strong and alert.
"Secret?" he repeated; "Work
that's it! Work! Work doesn't hurt.
1t is loafing and resting that kill
people,"
Eyes, right here in New York, and
/ never went to school more than
three quarters in my life. | learned
four trades-hatting, brewing. brick
making and coach-making. didn't
drink. / saved my money. | paid
my fathers debts. Railways paid my
hands every Saturday night for sixty
years, though | sometimes employed
5000; and always on the Saturday
before Christmast went around and
paid all the debts I had in the world
with my own hand"
"I'm busy to-day, but l just want
to tell you"--he said. and then he
genially went ON talking. He told
me all about his building the first
locomotive in this country and run
ming it out of Baltimore in 1929
about his numerous inventions about
the rolling-mils and blast furnaces
he had operated /; about being presi-
dent of the original Atlantic cable
company. for the years before they
succeeded in getting cable down and
how he personally put S250,000 into
it without knowing that he would
ever get 1T back and, finally about
the growth Of his institute to be a
blessing of the land"
81 was always contriving," he said :
"When I was an apprentice. I spent
my time liz ornamental carving in the
garnet. / made pair of shoes, too,
about that time. / took an old pair
carefully to pieces, then | got leather,
thread, needles and some other tools,
measured my foot, whitfield out last
and made pair Of pretty good shoes.
l wore them all winter"
He said that "When Edward was
born Mayor Cooper he made a ma
chine that rocked the cradle and play
ed a music box accompaniment He
was for many years commissioner of
charities, member of the board OF
education and an alderman, but for
all his Office holding as well as for his
services as president of the Atlantic
cable company, he never received a
cent.
The details of the story were won
derfully interesting, but there is no
room for them here. Suffice it that
Peter Cooper stood there in the hall,
talking full hour and a-half. never
sitting, or even leaning against ban
nisters, as / did, piling into my hands
at least 90 tracts that he has written
recently on finance and labor. The
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