Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1914-11-26

Deceased was born in Pike
county, Illinois. He was educa-
ted in the schools of Pike county,
completing school at the ago OF
IS years.
On May "a, 1861, when 20 years
old, he enlisted in company A.
Sixteenth Illinois volunteer in
fantry, and served honorably un-
til he was discharged in 1864. He
took part in the battle of Pitts
burg Landing and in the siege of
Corinth. But his most notable
action 10 the war was a memora-
BILE charge at Buzzard's Roost,
rivaling the charge of the Light
brigade" Four hundred infant
rymen accompanied Mr.. Cooper
in an advance on guns of the en-.
emy and 10 were killed. The
guns were captured.
After being mustered out, Mr..
Cooper went to New Salem, ILL.,,
and engaged in the mercantile
business for two years, after grad
natiug from a business college.
He later took up farming, but he
abandoned that and came west.
Shortly before coming to Bax-
ter Springs he was married at
New Salem to Emily Little.
Four children survive: Mrs.
W. E. Price of Joplin, Mrs. B. S.
Kukn and John l. Cooper of this
city and Mrs. T. w. Childs of
Eustis, Fla. Mrs. Cooper died
here in 1904.
Mr.. Cooper was one of the
original members of the Galena
Mining and Smelling Company,
and it was he who laid out the
site of Galena and founded the
town. He also helped found Mi
ami, being interested with W. c.
Lykins and others in forming
the town.
The John NJ. Cooper Mining
and Mercantile Company, with a
capital stock of 500, 900, was
founded by Mr.. Cooper. 1t was
dissolved last April.
The largest mercantile store
in Baxter Springs was owned by
Mr.. Cooper.
Much of Mr.. Cooper's wealth
was CLEANED from the mining
business and he owned and con-
trolled many acres of land near
Galena, as we'll as throughout
Cherokee county, Kansas, and
Ottawa county, Okla.
Mr.. Cooper was president OF
the Baxter State bank, owned
stock in the Citizens bank of Ga
lena and controlled the Ottawa
County National bank Of Miami,
Okla.
Twice Mr.. Cooper was mayor
Baxter Springs and several times
he was councilman. He was a
thirty-second degree Mason and
was an Elk. He was a charter
member of the Masonic lodge
here.
AS president of the Interstate
Reunion Association, Mr.. Cooper
was known in many states
among members of the Grand
Army of the Republic, which an
nually holds one of its largest
meetings here.
Mr.. Cooper leaves besides his
four children, FIVE brothers and a
sister, They are Joe Cooper of
Commerce, Okla, Gene Cooper of
Hutchinson, Kansas, Isaiah and
Will Cooper of California, Geo.
Cooper of Miami, Okla, and
Mrs. B. L. Naylor, of San An
tonic, Texas.
Mr.. Cooper, in the years of his
active business career, gathered
together a lot of property, large
ly bank stock and real estate,
and most of his real estate hold
iugs have doubled in value since
he acquired them.
He left his business affairs in
the very best of shape. He made
| his last will in the early spring
of this year, and it Is a most re-
markable document. He put in
a lot of time planning it out. It
is remarkable in that the miuut-
est details as to the disposition
of his property are planned out.
The will was witnessed by J.. ].
Fribley, Frank Hartley, Will
Hartley and Chas. L. Smith.
Mr.. Cooper was a great belieV.
er in life insurance, and he was
among the heaviest insured men
in Kansas. We do not know ex-
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