Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-01-17

America; attached a box=car to it.. in
.Vited the directors to get in, took the.
place OF engineer himself, and away
they flew over the thirteen miles in an
hour.
The directors took courage and the
road was soon finished. Years after,
when Mr.. Cooper had become famous,
and the hospitality of the city of Balti-
more was offered hin1s the engine was
brought out to the delight Of the as
sembled thousands.
Mr.. Cooper soon erected atTrenton,
n. j., the largest rolling mill in the
United States, large blast furnaces in
Pennsylvania, and steel and wire works
in various parts OF the State He
bought the AndoYer iron mines, and
built eight miles of railrOad in a
rough country, over which he carried
40, 200 tons year. The poor boy who
once earned only twenty-five dollars
yearly, had become a millionaire. No
good luck accomplished this. Hard work,
living within his means, saving his time,
not squandering it as some men do,
talking with every person they meet;
| common sense, which led him to look
carefully before he invested money,
promptness, and the sacred keeping of
HIS WOIu-GnGSO "CL0 IIIS ClldA dCICI4O-
! ties which made him successful.
Mr.. Cooper was honorable in every
! business transaction. Once he said to
! Mr.. Edward Lester, friend who had
| an interest in the Trenton Works: 81
! do not feel quite easy about the amount
we are making. Working under one
of our patents. we have a monopoly
which seems to me something wrong
! Every body has to come to US for it,
and we are making money too fast;it is
not right" The price was Immediately
reduced. A rare man indeed was Peter
Cooper to lower the price simply be-
cause the world greatly needed the
article he had to sell!
He was now sixty-four. For forty
years he had worked day and night to
earn money to build his Free College
Third and Fourth avenues, and Seventh
and Eight streets, some time previously,
and now for five whole years he watched
the great, six story, brown-stone build
inc as it grew under his hands. The
penniless lad was building into these
stones for all future generations the
lessons of his industry, economy, per
severance, and noble heart. In box
in the cornerstone he placed these
words: tfa
The great object that I desire to &C
cOmplish by the erection of this institution
is to open the avenues of scientific
knowledge to the youth of our city and
country, and so unfold the volume of
Nature that the young may see the
beauties of creation, enjoy it's blessings.
and learn to love the Author from whom
| Frift
But would the poor young men and
women of New York, who worked hard
all day, care for education? Some said
no. But Mr.. Cooper, looking back to
his boyhood and young manhood, be-
ieved that the people loved books, and
would use an opportunity to study
them.
And when the grand building was
opened, with its library, class-rooms,
hall and art-rooms, students crowded in
from the shops and the factories. Some
were worn and tired, as Peter Cooper
in his youth, but they studied eager
ly despite Their WEAKNESS. Every
Saturday night two thousand came to-
gether in the great hall to hear lectures
from the most famous people in the
country. Every year nearly five hun.
dred thousand read in the library anC
free reading room. Four Thousand
pupils came to the night schools tC
study science and art.
For twenty-four years this labor O
love has been carried on. The white
haired. kind-faced man went daily t.
see the students who loved him as
father His last act was to buy ter
type-writers for the girls in the depart
ment of telegraphy. Has the wOrl
paid? Ask the forty thousand young
men and women who have gone on
} from this institution to earn an honora
bic support, with not a cent to De paiC
for their education. No person is &C
cepted who does not expect to earn hi
| living, for Mr.. Cooper had no love TO
weak, idle youth who depend on thei
parents and on the hope of an inherited
wealth.
The work has now outgrown tn,
building, and another million dollars i
| needed as a monument to the noblt
benefactOr who gave two million dollar
to found Cooper Institute. OF the fif
teen hundred who applied last year TO
admission to the School of Art TO
Women only five hundred could be re
ceived, for lack of room. The gradu
: ates from this department last year, ant
the members of the present class, hav,
l earned over twenty-seven thousand dol
: lars in the past twelve months. Thre
pupils are teaching drawing in nineteel
: of the public schools of New York City
One teaches twenty-five hours a week
= in eighth puplic schools, at two dollar
: an hour. Several engrave on wooC
for Harper & Brothers and for the Cen
= fury Company. One scholar is nov
at the head of the Decorative Art So
: ciety in New Orleans, with a salary O
one hundred and fifty dollars month
5 earning nearly as much in outside work
Another, with a photographer in Con
? cord, n. H, receives twelve hundret
dollars year. The Superintendent Q
Schools at Winona, Miss, receives ON
thousand dollars the first year, and sh
is promised more afterward. One lad
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