The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-05

the first railroad in America Thirteen
miles were made in fifty-six minutes. In
honor of this invention on account of his
great services in advancing the business in
terests of the city, at the 150th anniversary
of Baltimore, the municipal authorities sent
a special car to New York for Mr.. Cooper
and gave him a place of honor in their pro-
cesson.
After dsposing of his Canton property Mr..
Cooper returned to New York and erected a
rolling-mill and wire-works, in which he first
applied anthracite in the pudding of iron
ore. In 1S45 he removed the machinery to
Trenton, n. j., where he erected the largest
rolling-mill at that time in the United States
for the manufacture of railroad iron, and at
which subsequently, he was the first to roll
wroughtriren beams for 6re-proof buildings
He took, great interest in the extension
of the electric telegraph, in which he
invested large capital. He served in both
branches of the New York common council.
and was prominent advocate of the con-
struction of the Croton aqueduct.
The browning work of his life is the great
Cooper Institute, erected in New York at the
junction of Third and Fourth avenues, be-
tween Seventh and, Eighth streets, covering
the entire square, and costing, entire, about
100000. This building is devoted by
deed of trust, with all its Seats issues and
profits, to the instruction and elevation of
the working classes of the city of New York.
1t contains schools of art, science and letters,
libraries, reading-rooms and cabinets, and
there are able professors and teachers EN-
ployed at an expense of over $50, 900 year,
Here industrious men and women may per-
feet their knowledge in any department of
practical science or art. As a work of be-
nevolence it is unsurpassed. and upon it the
founders fame will ever endure. On the oc-
casion of his nineteth birthday, in 1881, he
added 300, 900 to the funds of the institute.
The reading-room and library are resorted to
by about 1900 readers. The evening schools
are attended by 1000 pupils, mostly young
mechanics, who study engineering, mining.
metallurgy, analytic and synthetic chemis-
try, etc. He first conceived the idea of the
Cooper Institute when member of the Com
mon Council, some fifty years ago. He then
heard gentleman describe the polytechnic
schools in Paris and the eagerness evinced
by the French youth to obtain instruction
there many of them living on crusts of
bread day by day to obtain coveted educa-
ton.
The manner of his founding the institute
is thus described by one who saw him on his
ninety-second birthday, last February, which
were, in later years, always notable occasions
in New York:
"Peter Cooper alw avs was a clear-headed
man, and he is as clear-headed to-day as he
was seventy years ago. For man to make
up his mind to execute his own will is a
pretty ClSdr-SlSulSu bulHS 70 no, anu InlS Is
about what Peter Cooper has done. He has
put all his charities and phiianthropies in
working order, so that when he dies there
will be no disputins about the arrangements
that he has made with his money. He has
his little 'fads,' the most important one
being the Cooper Union, He got it into his
head to buy those lots and build that
building during one of the dull
est financial years that the coun-
try has ever SEEN. If | am not mis-
taken it was in 1857. He went down to
the office of his firm and told his son and son-in
law that he must have $3.50 600 down to put up
this building. They told MIN it was impos-
sible at such time as that to get hold of SO
much money and on such short notice. He
said that nothing was i'm possible, and that he
must have it. st will break u.s." said Ed
ward Cooper. Never mind if it does" said
his father, "you are young men and can
soon recover yourselves. | am an old man
and will probably not live many years
longer, and | want to see this scheme in
operation before l die" They raised the
money and came as near bankruptcy as it is
possible to come without going over the
edge. But fortunate turn came and they
rallied. The Union was built and Mr..
Cooper has lived Nothing that he has ever
done has been more thorough enjoyment
to him than this institute, and don't think
that any king on his throne can feel prouder
than does Mr. Cooper every year when he at
tends the reception of the students of the in
stitute and sees the enormous good that his
benefaction has accomplished"
On his birthday, alluded to above, Mr..
Cooper was interviewed. and what he said
contained so much that is of benefit that it is
reproduced in full;
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?'
Il should put it in two words: live soberly
and righteously," said Mr. Cooper.
When asked to amplify little on those
words, Mr. Cooper added: "One of the best
lessons | 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 re-
quired of man that he should keep it and
subdue it, | understand by that that the
Infinite Power gives us all that is i'll the
garden to eat, to drink, to work and to play.
We are requested not to eat too much, nor
to drink too much, nor to work too much,
nor to play too much. When a man eats
too much he appears like the prodiga 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 a deplorable state, and would fain
have partaken of the husks that the swine
did eat. That reminds me that mans very
wretchedness will bring him to himself His
sufferings 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 substances? No, his
father welcomed him. saying, This is my
son, who was dead and is alive again. He
called his people and killed the fatted calf,
and gave the prodgal welcome that even
offended the son who had not gone from
home l infer from this that we are living
here on earth under beautiful and benefcent
laws-laws designed in infinite wisdom for
the elevation of mankind. infer that Just
in proportion as we live in obedience to those
laws we shall have health and comfort. If
we disobey those laws we shall pay the pen
atty. That rule holds good for man or city
or community or State or nation. The pen