The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-11-16

Laying up treasure;
Time to be thoughtful,
Choosing true pleasure;
Loving stern justice-of truth being fond;
Making your word just as good as your bond"
The above lines are so truly ap-
plicable to the subject of our sketch
this week, that we must be pardoned
for making separate mention of
them. To no man, either of this or
a past age, would the question What
time is it?" be so likely to receive
the very fitting answer:
'Time to be earnest,
Laying up treasure;
Time to be thoughtful,
Choosing true pleasure;
Loving stern justice-of truth being fond;
Making your word just as good as your bond"
We can imagine the poet when he
gave birth to these lines, as having
in his minds eye just such person
as honest old Peter Cooper, who al
ways made his rord as good as his
bond. With him it was always Time
to be earnest, and yet he never failed
To choose true pleasure. 1t was re-
cognized and made plain to all when
his funeral cortege moved up Broad
way, and it was seen how reverently
and becomingly, and with what a
wealth of tenderness, the thousands
paid him homage, that he had been,
in their hearts, Laying up treasure.
And those who knew him best, knew
that he found treasure waiting for
him beyond the pearly gates-oftreas-
ure, secured and made his own by
LOVING stern .jastice-of truth being
fond.
But we are anticipating, and with
an apologyfor this lengthy depression,
will return and take up the threads
of Peter Cooper's life, in the order
in whiah they were spun by his des-
tiny.
Peter Cooper was born in the city
of New York on the 18th day of
February, GLAND it was there that
his life was spent. New York, like
all great cities, has long been credit
ed with endowing its inhabitants-or
rather the inhabitants endow them
selyes-with worldly motives. In
the scramble for wealth, reputation,
and distinction, the modest virtues
are all lost sight of, and are unheed-
ed, and their places are filled by the
necessary qualifications, push, sell
fishness. pride and self-satisfaction.
The prizes of worldly life are there
to be obtained, and the question,
"Who will be the possessorsg' is an
swered by those who have rcceded
farthest from all that is good, and
have been the most sacrificing, step
ping up and claiming them. Gene
rally speaking, such is the case, but
not always, by any means. Now, we
do not mean 0say, or give the i'm
preston, that only those who do not
lead exemplary lives, are the sue
cessful ones. Far from it. We think
that among the leading people of all
cities, there are to be found men
whose public and private lives arc
above reproach. But it must be ac-
knowledged that the tendency, is
with many, to lose sight Of the no
bier attributes Of life.
New York City saw one exception
to this, in the person Of Peter Coop
er. For nearly century, quiet,
unobtrusive man moved daily among
the crowds on Broadway, busy as the
others about commerce and the
manufactures, Of society and social
aims. His influence was felt in all
the business circles Of the city, and
yet that influence was often exerted
in such plain, quiet manner, as to
frequently leave a doubt as to its
origin His circle of friends was
necessarily large. and yet instead of
being Influenced or changed by the
contact, he preserved his individu-
ality, and rather gave, than received
mo worldly entice-
ments nor persuasions ever changed |
his own way Of regarding things,
and he had a straightforward and
consistent method Of con
sidering unusual subjects
If he expressed himself as oppos-
ed to any project, he did it in
manner that was offensive to no one,
md that succeeded in making
friends ont Of the opposition.
The after life Of Mr.. Cooper was
30 given to acts Of benevolence, and
ne did SO much for public welfare,
that we will pass by the days of his
in order that we may be-
come better acquainted with the
man in all his usefulness, and de-
vote all the more time to a consid-
Grafton of the work of his later
years.
It is well known that many, in
'act nearly all, of the modern inn
orovement in steam engines, are due
to the ingenuity Of Peter Cooper
TO him also belongs the credit of
the first locomotive in
America, as well as the new appli-
cation of iron work for building
His work in New York
city is shown in the excellent loca-