Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-04-11
Peter EOODer,

Last Wednesday the man whose name,
of all Americans. stood foremost for
benevolence and practical philanthropy,
died at the residence of his son-in law,
Abram S, Hewitt. in New York city,
April 4th. Mr.. Cooper was born in New
York city, February ~, 1871, when it had
population of only $1,000. He has
enjoyed good health to within very few
days of his death when he caught slight
cold which settled into pneumonia, termi-
mating fatally on Wednesday, at 8 A. NJ.
The father of Mr.. Cooper was lieuten-
ant in the revolution but was not a
successful business man, having at different
times engaged in the manufacture of hats,
the making Of brick, been brewer, and a
store keeper. The boy was apprenticed
when II to carriage maker and here he
gave practical illustration of his inventive
genius by making machine for mortising
hubs. He met with success in the manu-
facture of machine to shear cloth and
in grocery store and from the proceeds
he bought glue factory. He continued
this business, together with his other
numerous enterprises, to the end of his
life. He bought land in Baltimore and
put up extensive iron works and from the
sale of land reaped immense profits.
While carrying on the works in Baltimore
he invented and with his own hands built
steam engine whose boiler was about
the size of common wash boiler, with
two gun barrels to connect the boiler and
steam chests. The machine had Il capacity
Of about one horse power, and did its
work, that of drawing the cars of horse
railroad, perfectly. This was the first
locomotive built in this country and was
put on a road which made curve with n
radius of but $50 feet when Stephenson
claimed that no locomotive could turn a
curve of less than 900 feet radius.
After selling his iron works iD Baltimore
Mr.. Cooper started rolling and wire
factory in New York which were soon
after removed to Trenton, N. j., where
heir capacity were increased.
The inventive faculty in Mr.. Cooper
was great He invented device for
Using the rise and fall of the tide to store
Up power by pumping air into reservoir
10 be used in driving an air engine, an
3ndless chain system for towing canal
BOATS, Il torpedo, the principles of which
were the same as now employed. He was
the first to use anthracite coal in pudding
iron, first rolled iron beams for fire proof
buildings and his name will 60 down
jointly with G. M. Field as engaged in the
laying of the first Atlantic cable.
The monument which Mr. Cooper built
IN his lifetime and generously endowed
was doubtless suggested By the lack which
he felt in perfecting his inventions. The
Cooper institute he built at an expense of
$650000 and added an endowment of
S1S0,000. The building is devoted by a
deed of trust, with all its rents and profits,
to the benefit Of the working classes. The
plan includes regular courses of instruc.
lion by night, free to all, on social and
political science, engineering, mining,
metallurgy, chemistry, architecture: for
women there is a school of design under
able artists and schools of wood engrav
ing, photography, telcgraphy; the building
also contains free reading room and
library, and hall in which free lectures
are delivered. During the year ending
last May 1884 pupils passed through the
different classes, 2465 remaining through.
out the year. No other person, living or
dead, has erected so noble and so worthy
A NOM ment.
In politics Mr.. Cooper was not consd-
cred as sound us in business. His idea of
government was of the paternal nature.
He was the greenback candidate for pre-
dent in 1876.
Mr.. Cooper was married in 1878 and of
six children two now survive him-ex.
mayor Edward Cooper and a daughter,
the wife of Congressman Hevitt.