The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-11-26
A. A. COOPER CELEBRATES
EIGHTY SIXTH BIRTHDAY
Wagon Maker is Brother of c. w.
Cooper of Caldwell

| Cooper, one OF the pioneers OF Cald-
we'll The following interesting sketch
of the life of Mr.. Cooper is taken from
the Mountain Home Republican,:
Dubuque, Ia, Nov. o.-The subject
in this sketch, Mr.. Austin A. Cooper,
is today celebrating his Both birthday,
is one of the pioneers of Dubuque, in
fact, we might say, of the West. He
has been associated with the early
history and growth of the city of
! Dubuque an dthe middle west for over
| rs years; has seen the passage of
four panics in the financial history of
this country and withstood the tre-
mendous strain, which shook the
soundest institutions to their very
| foundations during those never-to-be
forgotten days of lS57l873-l894-1o 1907.
| Aaway back in the 4Gs. when Du-
buque was but a village, a hatless,
coatless and barefooted youth stepped
off boat at the landing place and
sought shelter and employment from
the residents of the old Key City
He was from the old Cooper farm in
Scott Co., Iowa, bringing only Soc and
unlimited good health Being of me-
Ichanical turn of mind, he sought and
was employed by the village black
smith and learned the trade; later
on purchased the business of his en-
ployer and prospered. Whereas a
boy in those early days, A. A. Cooper
piled the forge, today stands one of
the greatest manufacturing establish
ments in the west, a monument to the
brain and Drawn of the son of a
Scott County farmer. The same man
is at the helm today as when way
back in the 40s and SOS he shaped
by hand the primitive tools of the
pioneers of Iowa. Still strong and
hearty although full of years, he
stands like a watch dog at the head
of this great institution and directs
the ebb and aow of the vast ocean
of material which comes in. in the
rough, like the great sea tide and
goes to his many customers all finish
ed, bear the name of A. A. Cooper,
which in the vehicle world has al
ways been a guarantee of quality, a
warrant for every purchaser. In the
Cooper works, yearly employment is
given to about six hundred men to
whom is paid sum yearly aggregat-
ing $350,00000 The product is
shipped to every civilized country in
the world not only in all of the
territory of the United States. but in
European and Asiatic parts of 4he
globe.
Naturally of "a modest disposition,
Mr., Cooper and his sons have always
been prone to belittle the magnitude
of their manufacturing industry. Per-
haps, we might say, they have car
ried this trait even to intense secret
iveness, and during the many years OF
his business life Mr.. Cooper has
steadfastly pursued a commercial path
with an energy that has swept all
obstruction from his way The Cooper
line of vehicles has advertised the
city of Dubuque all over the world and
the Red End Gate" of the
Cooper wagon familiar and well
come sight to Dubuque tourists in
many foreign parts as we'll as any
place that they may chance to be
in the territory of the United States.
While, Mr.. Cooper still maintains
strict supervision of his affairs the
active management is now in the
hands of his two sons, A. A. Cooper
Jr, and William F. Cooper, men of
we'll known ability, who have made
themselves felt as power in bust
mes sand financial circles throughout
the country.
Mr.. Cooper's success as a manu-
facturer of high grade vehicles is
Hdue more largely to one fact than
:: all Others, and that is, that he has
always maintained and kept an i'm
n1ense stock of hardwood material
for manufacturing purposes on hand,
: drying and seasoning for years before
it is manufactured This insures ma
terial of the very best kind, strictly
bone dpM not liable to warp, check
or. shrink and bound to give the
very best of satisfaction At the
present writing, Mr.. Cooper SwLs
probably the largest stock of hard
wood wagon material in the world.
: This is stored here in the city, as
: we'll as at the mills which he con-
trolls in the different parts of the
: numbering districts from which he
/: draws his lumber supply. The writer
through the kindness of Mr.. Cooper
was shown through his immense stor-
age houses and lumber yard and was
amazed at the vast quantity aggregat-
: ing many millions of feet of bone
: dry hardwood material, the very
: cream of the forest which he has on
: hand. Mr. Cooper is SO thoroughly
posted in woodcraft that he can dis
} cuss very entertainingly for hours the
Y history of the material, which goes
Y into his wagons from, we might say
A the acorn until it reaches the me-
. chanc's hands. Anyone visiting the
4 city of Dubuque should not overlook
Y the opportunity of visiting this insti-
Y tuition as it is an, experience that will
a leave an impression upon ones mind
e which is indelible.
A KAppoxu ECrApF