Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-07-15
Cooper Graham's Life.
SAILOR, SPLINTER AND FIRST BAsEMAN AT
TMEs-A WANDERER EvER-A BIT OF
ROMANCE IN THE CASE.

David H., or Carlisle ID. Graham as the
Niagara Falls dispatches have misnamed the
COOPER who went through the rapids in cask,
has been prophet without honor in his own
country about Twenty third and South streets
in this city, for long time. Many have been
his appearances and disappearances in that
locality in the twenty years during which he
has made Philadelphia ut times his home and
his vagaries numerous, but of all his schemes
that his friends believed in the least was that
which he propounded at the time OF Captain
Webb's missdventure and which he has ust
carried out
Last night at Mrs Moores boarding house,
22l7 South street, where Graham used TO live,
there was nothing discussed by his friends and
fellow workmen but his perilous voyage. His
picture, which he had taken on his last visit
here in August of last year, and of hich he
left several copies in town, was handed
around. Everybody discovered something a
good deal more striking than he had ever
found before in Grsham's high forehead,
which owes part OF its height to slight tend
ency to badness, smooth brown moustache,
and even in the gum drop derby which he
holds in his hand As he leans against the pho
| tographsr's conventional balustraae. Thos.
Foley, who used to work with him at the At
lantic Barrel Factory. at Point Breeze, was
| the proud and only possessor lest night of an
autograph letter from the hero. 1t was dat, d
at Buffalo, May 3. He read this portion OF
il aloud to the group:
| Am going to work here in the Seneca
Works for a while, until see what can do
at the Falls. | think | will know what l
can do next week. If they give me chance
| can go through the rapids without any
| trouble.
! 1t was not diff cult to extract biographical
! material from the conversation, althou gl
there was a conflict of authorities in the ques-
| ton of the place of Grsham's birth. Some OF
/ his friends said he first drew British ozone
/ into his infsntile lungs at Toronto, Canada,
and others that he binked his earliest at the
sun on the banks of the Brsndywne. All
! agreed that he was at less; four or five wears
! past the age of 80, which the dispatches have
given him. His life has been one of restless
wandering and adventure, and he was always
consumed by a longing ito do something
great
ROAMING OVER THE SEA.
| He came to this city when a boy of IA and
/ took his first lessons in cask building at
. Pennypacker's cooperage. on Willow street.
: Having hammered hoops and slaves thus for
three wears. yearning for the sea possessed
! him He set out for New York and haunted
I the whsrves till be found short-hauded
coaster chartered for New Orleans. He
made the voyage before the mast, and when
he came to his journeys end grew sick of a
seatsring lite and began working at his trade
in New Orleans. firing of this in turn he
/ set out as a deck hand on Mississippi steam
er. A few trips sutficed him, and in the sum-
mer of 1873 he turned up in Mobile. Graham
had always been an athlete aud some
: thing OF 4 sprint runner and the city
had base ball nine. He Joined II
and PLAYED first base through tina.
season. The next year found him working
at his TT AIDE again in ST. Paul. MINI. From
there he worked his way eastward to London,
Canada. While there the idea seized him of
wandering further than ever. He had two
brothers, George and Crawford Grsham. in
! San Francisco. He set out to visit them.
/ After getting as far as Cheyenne. most of the
! wsv on foot, he became Disguised and re-
turned East The yesr lSS was bere before
Graham returned to Philadelphia Teen he
obtained employment at the Atlantic factory
and made the acquaintance of Thomas Foley
and his South Street friends The wander
ing at came on him again and before is
force sbated carried him via New York to
Montreal Here he thought he would re.
sumo his old calling as sailor. cattle
steamer plying TO Liverpool wanted hands
and Graham promptly took passage with the
believing cargo.
AcRoss THE 0cgAN IN CATrLE STEAMER.
Their companionship was apparently suited