Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-04-06
nEArn or pErER COOPER.

DEATH or PETER COOPER.
Peter Cooper died at the home Of his son.
in.law, Congressman Abram S. Hewitt in
New York, at 3 A. NJ, Wednesday morning.
He celebrated his 92d birthday February %,
and though naturally enfeeblod by age had
been in remarkable health until within the
last few days before his death. Mr. Cooper
was born in New York Feb. -, 1891 and
came from family distinguished for devo-
ton 10 the cause Of American independence.
His maternal grandfather, John Campbell,
sacrificed a large fortune in the cause Of his
country's freedom, and his father was a lieu
tenant in the American army. When very
young Mr. Cooper learned the trade Of hat
ter with his father and afterward was en-
gagged in brick making with him, and still
later learned brewing with his father at New
burg, n. Y. At the age of seventeen years
he became apprentice to coach builder,
working four years at S2j year, and learn
ing the business thoroughly. During his APP
premiership he showed his mechanical inge-
nuity by making for his employer machine
for mortising the hubs of carriage wheels.
The close Of his apprenticeship brought him
to his majority, and he then went to work in
Hampstead, L. l., making machines for
shearing cloth In this business he cleared
$500 which he devoted to the payment Of his
fathers debts and saved him from failure.
He went into the grocery trade for three
years and subsequently purchased glue fac
tory which he operated a number Of years.
In his various enterprises he was invariably
successful and accumulated money with as
tonishing rapidly In 1925 he bought in
company with two Baltimore men 5000 acres
within the limits of that city, for SlO5 600
and after his partners had swindled him for
year he took the whole property, put up iron.
works, and shortly after sold all except these
works to the great Baltimore landlord corpor-
alton, the Canton company, taking most Of
his pay in stock, which very shortly became
so valuable az to return his money fve.fold
lie then sold the iron works also and built a
rolling and wire factory in New York city
stterward removing 1t to Trenton, n. j..
where be bought large tract Of land and
started blast furnaces and rolling mills on q
vast scale
His connection with the beginning of steam
locomotion in this country was curious in ev-
cry respect. When he bought tue Baltimore
property in his 37th year, the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad which mad just been chartered,
was to run through it the track had been
graded for 10 miles, and a strap. rail track
laid ami the cars were drawn by horses.
There WAS some talk about the experiments
with locomotives in England, but Stephenson
had said that no locomotive could turn A curve
of less than 800 feet radius and there was
one at Point Of Rocks with a radius Of but
$50 feet, so that the notion was not enter
tanned. The horse.railroad proving failure
however, Mr.. Cooper, in order to save his in
vestment in it, III the most matter Of course
way went to work and invented and made
with his own hands a machine to run by
steam 1t was rude enough +. a tiny affair Of
one-horse power, with a boiler about as big
as an ordinary wash boiler, and two musket
barrels to connect boiler and engine-for
there was no iron pipe 10 be got in this ooun-
try. The thing worked perfectly it made
the first trip in little over an hour, aud did
better, Mr.. Cooper, was wont to say, than
any English road did for four years after.
The bonds were sold at once and the road be-
came a success. This was the first locomo
tive made in this country, and that trip the
first ever run, being year and q day earlier
/ than the trial trip on the Albany and Schen.
ectady road which Thurlow Weeds partici-
| patton has made so famous. Two notable
| points about the locomotive were that it ran
by rotary motion, as locomotives do not now,
and the boiler was filled with small tubes 80
that Mr.. Cooper had hit independently on
the same device that Stephenson shortly az
terwRrd gave TO the world.
In every branch Of business in which lie
engaged Mr.. Coopers rare inventive genius
/ found expression, and several of his earlier
| experiments contained the germs Of some OF
| the most wonderful inventions OF modern
times. He first used anthracite coal IN the
pudding OF iron, and first rolled wrought
iron beams for fre-proof buildings He was
one Of the most earnest and efficient ad-
vRncers OF telegraph service IN this country
aud in extending il by cable to Europe, and
was rs personally engaged in the laying OF
the cable n c. W. Field himself AIr
Cooper's services to the public were all Of a
practical nature he held no political office
save that Of New York alderman at a time
when that Office was held by the best citizens
and not by saloon keepers and their friends
but he was the nominee OF the greenbAck
party in lSTG for president Of the United
States. This reveals Mr.. Coopers one weak
ness-he thought himself wise statesman,
and on every occasion promulgated the pa
ternal theory Of government, which included
the fiat money doctrine in its fullest extent.
1t was always his proud and ll-grounded
boast that his great fortune was the accumu
lRtion Of legitimate business gains and not
the outcome OF speculation He began early
in his career to devote to charity portion OF
his gains His gifts were transformations.
The noblest of them is the famous Cooper
Institute Of New York which is really PEG
I pies university, where the income OF more
than million dollars goes every year 70 the
training Of talents for practical use. The in-
stitute building contains besides its schools
sundry stores and offices, and is devoted by a
deed Of trust, with all its rents and profits
to the benefit OF the working classes OF the
city. The plan includes regular courses OF
instruction by night, free to all, on socia
and political science, engineering mining
metallurgy, chemistry, architecture fol-
women there is q school of design under able
artists and schools of wood engraving, pho.
Biography, biography the building also con
tains free reading room and library, and
hall in which free lectures are delivered II
the % years OF existence the Union has fur
nished forth thousands to lead lives Of in.
telligent industry, who but for Peter Cooper
might never have lifted their heads in the IN
equal struggle with the world that is the lot
Of the poor.
Mr.. Cooper married when a young man
his wife being Miss Sarah Bedell of Hemp
stead, L. l.. Rnoblc woman who had a marked
influence on Mr.. Coopers career. Six chill
dren were born OF the union, four of them
dying in infancy. Mrs. Cooper died on the
seth anniversary of her wedding day, in De
cember, 1869, in the nth year of her age.
The surviving children are Hon. Edward
Cooper ex-MRyor of New York, and Mrs
Sarah Amelia Hewitt wife of Hon. A. S
Hewitt, member OF Congress from New
York.
Butler's Presidential Plans.