Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-04

| Mr. Cornell took charge of the business
interests of Prof. Morse, and managed
them with the greatest success. He de-
| voted the next half century of his life to
the telegraph business and that was the
foundation Of his great fortune. In 1855
| he consolidated the several telegraph
| lines in the northwestern states, known
thereafter as the Western Union Tele-
graph Company, and continued to take
an active part in it's management until his
death, when his son, AlonZo B. Cornell.
once Governor of New York, succeeded
him.
After the telegraph company was COM
pleteiy organized and his fortune was as
sured Mr.. Cornell had the opportunity
and the leisure to crafty his taste for
farming. and he established a model farm
of 800 acres on the hill overlooking the
village Of Ithaca. which is now the site
of Cornell University. The house in
which he lived for twenty years aDd in
which his nine children were born is on
the slope of hill north of the mills. He
then built more pretensiouS mansion,
which is still standing and has been oc-
cupied by his sons and grandsons since
his death. He was one of the first farm
ers in New York to import thoroughbred
cattle and horses, and enjoyed the repu
tation he gained from that fact perhaps
more than any other distinction He
planted several orchards of fine fruit in
the vicinity of Ithaca, and was instru-
mental in encouraging other farmers to
improve their fruits and to adop. scien-
tifc methods of farming.
Mr.. Cornell was a striking-looking man
and might have sat as a model for one of
the prophets. He was very tall, rugged
and lean OF features, with high cheek
bones and a prominent forehead. and ex-
cept for his long struggling beard sug-
gested Abraham Lincoln in appearance
as we'll as in character. There are sew
eral strong resemblances in the traits OF
the two men.
Austere in Manner.
After he became known and had ac-
quired an influential position he as
| sumed the professional garb Of that
period-a low-cut vest, wide expanse
of shirt bosom. with black frock
coat and trousers. In his early days
he always wore the garb of the me-
chanic and often surprised strangers
| with whom he had business by the un-
Lincoln. his muscular development was
remarkable. and until the infirmities
of age began to appear he was never
known to be physically tired. He of
ten walked forty miles day after day
and was capable of great endurance as
well as feats Of physical strength. His
manner was abrupt and austere. and
| often gave offense, and this no doubt
uctTdcIeO from his personal .pODu-
| larity: but it covered a generous, just
| and kindly nature. and it was more
| habit he had formed in youth than
| an expression OF his natural disposi-
| ton. His tenacity Of purpose was his
most distinguishing characteristic and
without that quality in the degree that
he possessed 1t Cornell University
| would never have been founded.
There is popular impression that
| Mr.. Cornell was a woman hater, and
4 anacdOfao told n
One of the most amusing relates to the
| gathering of the women OF Ithaca dur
| ing the civil war to sew for the SOL
diers. Mr.. Cornell often watched them
| with amusement. and once offered to
pay one hundred dollars into the
treasury OF the Soldiers Aid Society
IL its members would sew together all
one afternoon without speaking a
silence prevailed until somebody asked
a question which provoked q response
from one of the women. This, Of
course. made the rest very indignant.
money. but MIR. Cornell took chari-
| table view OF the situation. and said ::
They shall have their hundred dol
| lars, for they have done better than
/ any women ever did before"
Motto Of University.
This impression is contradicted pers
| HdHtHtiy ny Tue TACT tHdt SOTneiI was
the first institution founded by an in
dividual In which co-education was in
troduced. over the gateway to the
university grounds. under the seal, is
it's motto. expressing the purpose OF
the institution in Mr.. Corneli's own
language:
Il would found an institution where
any person can find instruction in any
study
Upon the other side of the gateway, Dr.
1 White ~
for twenty years president of Cornell
has inscribed these words:
80 enter t1at daily thou mayest be.