The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-10-30

out OF his apprenticeship, he went 10
bis employer and bid him goodbye.
A surprise was in store for him. In
stead of bidding him goodbye, the
employer. who had been a silent wit
ness of all his dolngs. said:
Peter you have lone good work for
me. / will build you shop and set
you up in business for yourself; you
may pay me when you can.
The offer was a tempting one but
with many thanks, the young man de-
clined it. He had no capital, and he
had made up his mind that be would
not commence life by burdening him.
self with debt.
de starred out to seek his fortune.
After working for three years at
SIX shiliings day, he hal saved
enough to buy the right of making
patent cloth shearing machine for the
whole state of New York. The bust
ness proved successful one. In a
short while he was in possession OF
tlo0. sum that he then regarded as
fortune. He was quite elaIed with
bis success, and contemplated launch
ing out in a larger way Of business.
But he happened to visit his parents
before starting out afresh, and found
his aged father swamped with debts
which he was unable 20 pay. The
sheriff W on the point of selling him
out Of house and home Young Coop
er at once paid out the whole of his lit
tie fortune in redeeming the family
from ruin. Tie had to start in the
world afresh, with out any capital, snd
burdened with some of bis fathers
debts which he guaranteed to meet as
they mature1. He now had a wife To
keep, and the rroba biIity of support.
ing parents for the rest of their lives.
Like brave young fellow that he
was, ne buckled to and set to work to
make more money. He afterwards
declared that his necessities at this
time were the making of him His
faculties We're skarpened by his needs,
ard he soon developed such improve
ments in his cloth shearing machine
that he was able to patent them. 1t
now became the most desirable one in
the market, and as the war with En-.
gland stopped the import of all English
cloths, a very large profit Was made in
the business.
AT the close of the war the demand
for his machines fell off and he LEFT the
business, but he had saved enough to
nuy lot of land in the city of New
York, on which he built some houses
and glue factory. This was no soon.
er developed into a success than he be-
gan the manufacture of oil, and after
conducting that to successful issue
ne started to make whining, chalk
and isinglass. Everything prospered
with him.
In 1873 bought, partly on credit.
three thousand acres of land within
the city limits of Baltimore, costing
about one hundred thousand dollars.
This was bought in partnership with
two other men, who promised to meet
their share of the payments ss thew
fell due. Bat he soon found that
their wealth was all imaginary, and
he had to shoulder the whole debt
himself. In thu piece of land he Sc
cured all the shore line of Baltimore
Tor three miles in one direction. [,
was a splendid chance if he could only
develop the property and meet the
payments.
There was great excitement about
this time about the prospect of rail
wa being opened from Baltimore TO
Ohio The line WAS nearly finished.
but capital was wanting to complete
it. The shareholders were unwilling
10 subscribe any more capital. They
dou4 'ed the ability TO ruin an engine
round some Of the curves and over
some of the gradients. One of the
finest railways in the world Was in
danger Of being abandoned.
Mr. Cooper knew that if this line
was not finished his immense tract of
i1nd "oud DE losing speculation.
All his capital would be sunk in a
valueIess property, and the difference
between being millionaire and a
pauper hinged on tine completion of
this railway. His demonstrates
were to no purpose the sha reholGers
would not subscribe another cent.
They would rather lose what money
they had already invested than throw
more good money after bad.
But Cooper knew that this line
must be finished or he would be a
bankrupt. He set to work with all
his energy, and had an engine con.
structed after his own pattern, es-
pecially adapted for rounding sharn