Evening star., 1924-02-10
Lincoln, Darwin, Others
Had Natal Day Feb. II

considered one of the most voluminous
writer's of any age. He knew more
of the history of his country than
any other man in it. He could write
in seven languages, could scan a
book in two or three minutes and in
that time discover if it had any value
to him.
Nine years before the century that
gave Lincoln and Darwin to til.
world opened Peter Cooper selected
February IL. 1871. for his natal day
and he was lusty youth of eighteen
when Lincoln. came along.
Cooper's early life was one OF toll
and hardship, and he made his way
TO the top of the ladder of financial
success by a tedious and devious
route. Always of an inventive turn
! of mind, he devised a machine for
! mortising the hubs of carriages, and
later on one for shearing cloth. These
did not line his pockets with any
appreciable speed. so he turned to the
grocery business. but this was aban-
doned for glue and through glue
prosperity came.
! In 1880 he erected the Canton Iron
! Works in Baltimore. Md. This, toe.
| was pioneer scheme or project for
the purpose of developing the iron
| industry. All the while he kept on
with a design for a locomotive, and.
| in the same year. built from his own
design the first locomotive engine
| ever constructed in this country. il
was used on the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad.
The fame and success that followed
only stimulated his philanthropic
plans and, remembering his early
| struggle to get technical knowledge
Of his own lines of work, he re
solved that other young mechanics
and artisans should have d chance to
study, and Cooper Union was spread
over an entire block in the heart OF
New York. This was done through
his gift of nearly a million dollars
! Instruction in all branches Is free.
| and in deciding the entire plant 10
six trustees as an institute for tho
| instruction and improvement of the
/ inhabitants of the United States in
practical science and art he made IL
possible for the youth of the land to
surmount the handicaps Of poverty
and lack of schooling through the +
night classes in engineering. mining
and the allied sciences and crafts.
Another group of sturdy Americans
who claim this same birthday con
sisted of Benson j. Losing, author OF
a vast number Of historical and bio
graphical works, including a book OF
the American revolution: william
Wetmore Story. son of the great jur-
list and famous himself as a littera .
teur and artist; Elizur Wright, re
former, inventor and life insurance
commissioner. and Martin B. Ander-
son. noted preacher, educator and
strong champion of the Union.
February. through all of its abbre-
Waited life as month, has given TO
the world celebrated and talented
children. .
George Washington's birthday was
also that of James Russell Lowell.
born in 1922. William Henry Harriy.
son. ninth President of the United
States. made his appearance February.
8, 1898, in Virginia. while John a.
Logan in Illinois made February 3,
1926. a day of rejoicing.
Two other famous Americans elect
ed to stage their debut on February
3-Horace Greeley, journalist and
politician. choosing Amherst, y. H
1911. while Elisha Kent Kane, noted
Arctic explorer, put in his appearance
i'll Philadelphia on that date. just
eleven years later. Greeley as the
editor of the first penny newspaper.
the Morning Post of New York, AID
later the Log Cabin, the New Yorker,
and then the New York Tribune, was
for two decades the most Influential
journalist.