The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-04-12
PETER COOPER.
nIos;rphleal sketch Of the Great PM


Peter Cooper was born In New Yo. K,
February 70, 1871. His maternal grand
father, John Campbell, was an alderman
of New York and deputy quartsrms tsr
general during the revolutionary war
and expended q considerable private
fortune in the service of his country
His father was i lieutenant in the war
of the EeyolutioD, alter the close of
which he established q hat mandatory.
This period of Peter Cooper's lIfe was
one of great anxiety and hard labor, as
his father was not successful in his I'M
dertakings aud had large family 10
provide for. He attended school ouly
half of each year for single year and
beyond the knowledge thus gained his
acquisitions are entirely his own. At
the age of II he was appEenticed ia the
trade of coach making, and served out
his time so much TO the satisfaction of
his master that the latter offered to set
him up il business. which he declined.
He for some time followed his trade:
next engaged in the manufacture of
patent machines for shearing cloth,
which were in great demand during the
war of 1912, but lost all value on the de-
ture of cabinet ware; then in the grocery
business In the city of New York; and
finally in the manufacture of glue and
Isnglass, which he carried on for fifty
years
His attention was early called To- the
great resources OF this country for the
manufacture of iron, and in 1880 he
erected extensive works at Canton, near
Baltimore. DIsposing of them he sub
sequen,lY built rolling and wire mil
in the city of New York, in which lie
first successfully applied anthracite 10
the pudding of iron. In 1916 he rem'v-
ed the machinery to Trenton, New Jer-
sey, where be erected the largest rollIn
mill at that time in the United States
for the manufacture of railroad iron,
and at which subsequently he was the
first To roll wrought iron beams for fire
proof building These mills have grown
10 be very extensive. including mines,
blast furnaces and water power. and are
now carried on by Mr.. Cooper's family.
While IN Baltimore he built after his
own designs the first locomotive engine
ever constructed on this continent and
1t was used successfully on the BIlti-
more and Ohio road. He took great in
terest in the extension of the electric tel
egraph, in which he invested large
capital.
He served in both branches of the
New York common council. and was a
prominent advocate of the construction
of the Croton aqueduct. His greet OBJ
ject was TO educate and elevate the IN.
dusirial Glasses of the community. lie
| early became trustee of the public
school society, and al the time of its b.
coming merged in The board of educa.
ton, WAS its president. He subsequent
| ly became school commissioner, but
! feeling that no common school system
could supply chronological education,
| he determined to establish in his native
| city an institution IN which the working
classes could secure that instruction
which he, when young and ambitious,
sought in vain. In furtherance of this
| object the Union for the Advancement
of Science and Art" commonly called
the Cooper Institute" was erected in
| New York. at the junction of Third and
Fourth avenues, between Seventh and
| Eighth streets, covering the entire block
| Cooper has since added an en-
dowment of $4,000 in cash. This
building is devoted by a deed
of trust. with all its rents
issues and profits. to the instruction and
education of the working classes of the
| city of New York The plan includes
regular courses of instruction at night
free to all who choose to attend, on so
cial and political science, on the appli.
cation of science to the useful occupa-
lions of life, and on such other branches
of knowledgeDas will tend to improvl
and elevate the working classes. 1t in.
cludes also school of design for females
now attended by 200 pupils, free read
ing room and library. resorted to BY
about 1 800 readers, galleries of art, col
lections of models of inventions, and 6
polytechnic school. The evening schools
are attended by 1900 pupils, mostly
young mechanics, who study mining
metalurgy. engineering. analytical and
synthetic chemistry, architectural draw
ing and practical building. There ar,
also for women school of telegra phy
which in tour years has sent out 800 on
orators, school of wood engraving, ant
a school of photography, all of which
are free and well attended. Thesi
schools employ upward of thirty in
struetors.
Mr.. Cooper took an active par
in politics, but nevertheless became thu
Greenback candidate for the presidenc.
in 1876 Notwithstanding his grea
age, he retained his mental and physi
cal faculties until nearly the close o
his life, and on the 18th of last February
his 92d birthday, received an ovation a
Cooper institute, and made a brie
speech. During his long life he accu
mulated great wealth, which was devOtc'
to ameliorating the condition of hi
fellow men.