Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-04-09
PRESCRIPTION
For the Cure Of the Epidemic Of
Dynamite.
PETER COOPER, A MODERN BARzILLA
The Importance Of Being Your Own
Executor nd Making Bequests
While You Can See the
Good They Do.

Good They Do.
Special 10 he Register.
BROOKLYN, April s.-Dr. Talmsge dis
coursed of right giving to-day. eulogizing
Peter Cooper as philanthropist.
Opening hymn:
az am q stranger here.
Heaven is my home:
Earth is q desert dTear.
Heaven Is my home"
Before the sermon DR.. Talmage read in
Genesis the account of Jacobs burial.
Subject Of the sermon:
Peter Cooper. .-r-r.r
Text-I1 Samuel, xIx.32: "Now Barzillai
was very aged man, even four score years
old, and he had provided the king susten.
ance while he lay at Mahanaim, for he was
q very great man"
Barzillai of the text was very old man,
a very kind man, very affectionate man,
a very patriotic man, very rich man Of
the tenth century before Christ, a type OF
our American philanthrophist, Peter
Cooper, in the nineteenth century after
Christ. When / see Barzillai from his
wealthy country seat at Rogelim coming
out to meet David's retreating army, and
providing them with -four and corn and
mattresses, ii makes me think of the hearty
response OF our modern philanthropist in
time and trouble and disaster, whether in
dividual, municipal or national. The snow
of his white locks has melted from our
sight, and the benediction Of his genial
face has come to its long amen. Bat
his influence halted not half second for
the obsequies to finish, but goes right on
without change, save that of augmentation,
for in the great sum OF a useful life death
is multiplication instead Of subtraction,
and the tombstone instead OF being the
goal of the race is only the starting point.
What means this rising up OF al good men
with hat off in reverence 10 one who never
welded sword or delivered mastery ora
ton or stood in Senatorial place? Neither
General, nor Lord nor Governor, nor Pres
ident. The LII. ID. which a university
bestowed did not stick to him The word
Mister as prefix or the word E,qIire as q
suffix seemed superluity. He was TO all
Christendom plain Peter Cooper. Why
then all the flags a. half mast and the res
olutions OF common council and the eulo-
gium OF legislatures and the deep sigh from
multitudes who have no adequate way 10
express their bereavement?
First, he was in some respects the
Father OfAmerieRn nPhilanthrOpIes.
There have been far larger sums donated TO
the public since this man founded Cooper
Institute, but think that hundreds Of the
charities and philanthropies were born OF
his example. Sometimes father will have
large family Of children, who grow up to
be larger than himself. When that six
storied temple of instruction was built on
Fourth avenue and Seventh street, by Mr.
Cooper, at an expense OF 100000, and en-.
dowed by him with Sl5O,0O0, you must re-
member that q hundred thousand dollars
was as much as fine hundred thousand now
and that millionaires, who are so common
now that you hardly stop 10 look at them,
were rare spectacle. Stephen Girard and
| John Jacob Astor of olden time, would in
our day almost excite the sympathy OF some
| Of our railroad magnates. The nearly $500.
600 that built and endowed Cooper lnsti-
tute, were as much as three or five million
dollars now. But there are institutions in
our day that have cost many times more
dollars in building and endowment which
have not accomplished more than frac.
ton of the good done by this munificence
of l,57 This gift brooded charities all over
the land This mOthered educational insu.
tutions This gave glorious suggestion to
many whose large fortune was hitherto un-
der the iron grip OF seltishness.
Again Peter Cooper showed what wise
| thing il is Tor man to be his own eSecu.
tor. How much better is
Ante.MOrtem Charity
| than post-mortem beneiicenCe. Many peo-
pie keep all their property for themselves
till death and then make good institutions
III Thuy civ tla m
| only because they have TO. They would
take it all with them il they only had
three or four stout pockets in their should.
Better late fhan 6ever, but the reward
shall not be as great rs the reward OF those
who make charitable contribution while
vet they have power TO keep their money.
Charity in last will and testament seems
sometimes to be only an attempt TO bribe
Charon, the ferryman, to land the boat in
celestial rather than internal regions.
Mean as sin when they disembark from the
banks OF this world, they hope 10 be greeted
as benefactors when they come up the
| beach on the other side. Skinilints when
| they die, they hope to have the reception
| of a George Peabody. Besides that, how
| often donations by will and testament fail
| of their final destination. The Surrogate's
courts are filled with legal q1arrels.
II philanthropist Las anv pride
OF intellect ana OeslTss 10 nelp NuTlStidu
institutions he had better bestow the gift
| before death. for the trouble Is, il he
| leaves any large amount to Christian in
| stitutions the courts will be appealed to to
prove he was crazy. They will bring wit.
i1esses to show that be has for a long time
been becoming imbecile, and as almost
eveTv one of positive nature has idiosyn-
cracies these idiosvncracies will be brought
ont ON the trial and ventilated and en-.
Isreed and car;catuTed and the man who
I'D mind enongh 10 make a million dol.
isrs and heart enon,b 10 remember needy
;ns,iint;ons will br proved a fool. II he
have a second wife the children OF the first
uife viii cbarpe him with being unduIy
| inanenced Many al man who. when he
rnaSe his will had moe brain than all his
bonsehoid ont together, has been pro.
nonnoed A. subject for lunatic asy.
irm
ne fo"r o
DO not let the oeneVoient instltutlohs OF
the country get their chiei advantage rom
your last sickness ana oeath. nov muCu
better like Peter Cooper 10 walk through
4 - H. l. hHN NN n H a