Year: 1869




Is to see all the space now rented out appropriated
to the great work OF educating, improving aud ele-
heart and soul are as earnestly devoted to the work
as ever There Is hardly day ne does not pass some
time IN trying to perfect the plans for Its increased


.'The building OF this Institution said gentle
man, fully competent to know, "cost Mr. Cooper the
bulk OF his fortune. Every pulsaton OF Mr. Cooper q
heart Is philanthropic. He cannot help giving. lie
regards himself steward, and he means TO give the
best account OF his stewardship


"What first suggested the building OF this institu-
tionY" gentleman recently asked Mr.. Cooper.
my own defective early education was the start


But 1t must have taken you long time to elabo-
rate the plan.r


suggestion OF the plan to DR.. Rodgers, an alderman
at the same time with myself He had just returned
from France, and he told me how thousands oil poor
young men lived on a crust cay to attend the
lectures at the Polytechnic Institute In Paris" =.
,, ~ proved most happy piece of information"


~ have done my best 70 improve upon the lnfor::
nation said MI. cooper, and ne added with an
bread rather than that the institution shall want for
funds while am livlng.n


among the few donations given to the institution
by outside parties are Raphael's decorations OF the
Loggia IN the Vatican at Rome, given by The late
Archbishop Hughes.


Old World and In this country" SAID the Archbishop
at the time Of making the gnt, "and like this the
best OF ALL IL Is not sectaridn and Its benefits are
broader and deeper ana more enduring Than all the
reSt.n


We have d~elt at greater length than intended on
this 1ns1tnnon, but II IL the great feature OF MIR.
Cooper's career. Az we have said, his heart and
soul are wrapped up IN !, and Us success l. Is the
his hIe. He can say as says the poet


Until my work done cannot die


And then would not live.


In this connection it Is pleasure to be able to
stale tnat the late George Peabody, whose death
lew days since has sent such thrill OF regret over
the clvlsd world, IRON his visits TO this institution
wnle in TINS country no doubt conceived and pct
into execution late Iarue aclenps beney0-
lence. several years ago, when he came 70 the
United States, he was q frequent visitor here and
studied carefully Its plan and workings. One day,
when dining with Mr. Cooper, he is said TO have re-
Marked "Your institution Ia Its design Is the best
know OIL and IN Its scope and benefits OF incacula
PIE worth" MR. Vassar, who bulit The Vassar Col
!ege az PouShkeepsle received the inspiration of his
grand DeIcyolent scheme at TINS source And this
Temiads US that Mr.. Cooper made his first business
sale to Mr. Vassar. This was the sale OF one or
his machines for snearIng cloth, and he also sold
him the right OF the county In which is POUCH
keepsle There has always been warm friendship be.
tween the two meu-iar. cooper, as NJ. ma remsm'
bered, presiding at the Inauguration Of his Merean-
tile College Richard Golden, when In this country,
also took deep interest In the institution and was
frequent diner at the house OF Mr.. Cooper.


MR.. COOPER AS AN INVENTOR.


Ii Is not generally known that MI. Cooper Is an
inventor, but his inventive genius is OF high
oreer, we will only anude to some OF the most In.
portant After he had built the Canton iron works
In Baltimore, to which have alluded, the Balti-
more and ONO Railroad would have been failure
but for the aid OF his inventive powers. Only hr-





was about being abandoned on account OF the short
curves being considered an obstacle against tile use
OF locomotive power that could not be overcome.
first locomotive that drew passengers in tnis coun.
try. This was in 1922 aud the rest OF the road
at once built. Before water was put intO the Erie
canal he made some experiments on the East river
TO show how all elevated water could be used as
motive motive power to-, to propei boats on the canal;
final experiment. He propelled by his method
boats two miles IN eleven minutes. The only oolec-
tion Governor CLINTON had TO find was that tue boats
were propelled too last for the safety OF the banks
or the canal and the result was this motive power
was not adopted. He also good many years ago
as long ago as when an apprentIce-invenoed u pro-
cess OF utilizing condensed air as propeling
power. At one OF these experiments at Fulton
ferry-that Is, where Fulton Terry Is now-the great
Fulton who made the first steamboat WAS present
and expressed himself highly pleased with the
result. Fifty-seven years ago ne made model OF o
moving machine embracing the principle OF NOV
Ing machines now IN use. Among his very earliest
inventions was self-rocking cradle. Alter he was
married and cradle became one OF the necessities
OF his household appointments, they were too poor
to keep servant and the result was that he was
frequency. He therefore nvented self-rockin9
cradle. and not only that put fan attachment
and last and not least important or all, dimnutve
caliopean arrangement 10 s0othe With ITS har
for this and sold II to Yankee one or his inven-
tions was demonstration Of the loss OF power by
use OF crank IN rotary motion. Ten years ago.
through the medium Of endless chain three miles
in length ana on the same principle now Ia extended
use In England and France he conveyed iron ore TO
one OF MS furnaces over rough ana impossible
gorges. When boy at home he ripped up an old
shoe and, discovering how 1t was made, soon made
lasts and shoes for the family. lie made machine
for grinding plate glass OF any size TO a perfect
plane. During his apprenticeship he made ma
now ia use. Another OF his inventions Is cyndri,
cal machine for pudding IRON aud for reducing ore
and pig metals to wrought iron, an invention some-
making fortune from. Twenty Two years ago he
died cayeat and specifications Tor TINS invention.
There Is, in fact, scarcely any end 10 his nven-
tlons. He got up most ingenious contrl-
vance for conveying, by means OF an end
less cham nns cars run running rv on rails & placed
forth loaded and empty cars While making eXperi-
ments In some kilns attached to one OF his iron
foundrles with burning charcoal he came very near
losing his life by the gas taking fire. In trying to
turn TO mechanical account one OF the most power
ful gases known in chemistry he nearly lost the
sight Of an eye Thus as viii be seen, whle his
Inventions have been numerous he has pursued
them with the zeal of the alcnemlsts OF old. Like
most inventors. however, the profits from MS nyen
tive genius have been very small.


CONNECTION WITH OCEANIC TELEGRAPHY.


Mr.. Cooper's connection with oceanic telegraphy
is well known. For the past fifteen years lie has
beon President OF the New YORK. Newfoundland and
London Telegraph Company. The zeal with which
cables is well remembered. He had faith In their
success when Others were ready to give up In des-
pair He risked largely OF his fortune. The result
has shown not only the correctness OF his Judgment
but the broad scope OF his public enterprise He
believed In transatlantic telegraph being COM
pete success; but, more than this. he believed In Its
higher mission as great peacemaKer between tho
nations OF the Old and New World.


POLITICAL LIFE.


II requires but a brief paragraph TO describe the
political life OF Peter Cooper. About forty years
ago he was elected Assistant Alderman for three
terms and once as Alderman. This was In tue
good old times when the Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen
and Assistant Aldermen sat in council together, and
when our city affairs were administered somewhat
differently from what they are now. or course he
received no pay for his services the fashion of
quiring pay for such services not then having come
in vogue: and for that matter. he has never ned o
saiarled political office In his life. As is well known,
he once on q time was an nonored sachem OF Tam
many Hall. His democracy was Of that Kind beiev-
ing In promoting the greatest good or the greatest
number Ehe change that came over the spirit OF
Tammany's dream and Its members and manage
ment was too much for him, and he abandoned the
Tammany democracy. The speech lie made twenty
years ago az presiding officer at tue Old Tam.
many was lately repuolshed in q daily paper as
strlkingy and ably pertinent In It's teachings TO pot
ticans OF the present day. HIS connection with the