| Show I 1 rotor coor cooper I 1 on oil saturday february peter cooler completed hio hia D ninetieth I 1 inetie th year the occasion was waa celebrated by an nil ad dress dreas delivered in ia life his honor ili at tho the iu in atit ution of which lo le la is tho the fou founder by the presentation to him of 0 resolutions expressing the gratitude unil and affection of 0 tile students in that and by it a gathering of fri friends ellda nt fit ilia hia roside residence lint bat these theme limi limitone tonj oman stra tiona soar scarcely nely represent tile balver sal B 1 l ain aal 1 affectionate regard in which mr cooper is ia told artong all of 0 ilia his fellow citizens nud nu I 1 beyond tile tho nan aien rabih lomage is ia I 1 net nd merely to oge nga how many iu iiii P white hoad earn coin mands manas little revo rever oncel nor to business which la ia too common among us to excite special admiration nor to inventive power and enterprise though in ia these particulars mr cooper has earned all r nod nu ant 1 received loth both praise roil and fame but to simple not act NO ivo goodu neati esti to a philanthropy PY which 1 ia w what hat it prop Bes to be a genuine to ninno love lova ol at man it transparent sincerity Bino enty I 1 n fervid zeal and an I 1 activity in tho ilia presence of hinh Ii ioli nil all dinst feel del un but t ono one sentiment the career of 0 least cooper may be ba cited in 10 many aspects iia as an illustration of the beneficent enact effect of american in end cria it is li well for ui na 3 to be reminded occasionally in the midst of our conflicts with arid anil oat oar endeavors tit nt reform which tend to breed a spirit pint of cynicism or despondency cepon lency that tho the possibility of such it career among us Is ia a testimony to the value anil and substantial success buc eba of 0 freo free government outweighing all its defects and dangers tile the biogio element of freedom ot of oo oc cn ou pation by either cither law or eastern custom constitutes avast a vast diffene differ difference enco I 1 between Is una this country find and most other in tho the atmosphere which stimulates ambi tion and perseverance when we road that peter cooper dur ing his native active life iilo learned and practiced the iha trade of a hatter then served his time us re apprentice to a coach maker then ant up the abo manufacture ot of cloth abou abjuring ring machines invented by himself thou engaged in the grocery business then in in sno cession it glue factory and several iron fron works wo we ro re alizo akizo that such sach is 11 record ut of manifold or terp riso would scarcely arcely eo bo be possible pos under tiny any other oilier political unit und system thua ours the story ia all tho the maze significant because it does not include bankruptcy or business failure as aa a factor actor ot of change it is simply the narrative nar of quick perception option aud and mail ban guino guido I 1 to courage freely choosing und and boldly pur pursuing aning tho the path that promises prom iaea legitimate advantage advant ago mr coopers inventions and investments also owe their heir success to lecul jarly american Amon oiin conditions anti to the enterprising spirit which thom condi lioun foster fostar it is is true that british a A pital actually hij the ocean cable but it is iii not less trust rna that tho the faith th peter cooper evidenced evi in tho the darkest hour of that undertaking by tho the advance of considerable re enforced the energy of mr field and carried ahe tho scheme over its 11 dead point but bat above all other achievements and merits risea rifle that stately out of wise wisa bonell conco tile the cooper union of science and art act with its thousands of students in day and night classes its corps of trained 1 instructors its ita ample apparatus and iti magnall cent free loading room and library and its ita free popular lectures dolive delivered redby by eminent authorities in ia literature art and science sc ienco and attended atte by crowded and intelligent audiences the con caption ol of this institution dawned upon its ita founder a quarter of a century lies fore fora ho he was able to realize it t the iho for nation of such a plan by a young and poor mn man and the be patient pursuit pursue of i it I 1 through so many years is comai remarkable kab a yo we have hava hoard board that mr cooper enot not only resolved to establish tho ins titu tiou but selected the a site bite of which lie he did not then own it a foot still and that lie bought lot balot by lot and at increasing prices as a the city extended and aad as his bis purpose became known the block now occupied pled by the tha spacious building which boars baars his name the iho corner itono etino was laid in in 1855 and during daring tho tha following years the was completed complete in ia spite of tit the 0 danger to mr coopers Co opera private business involved in the withdrawal from it of largo sums at a period of coal commercial m or cial peril it is is said that lie he declared to his bubines associated that he WM as too old an 1 lad had waited ed too long already to postpone poat pono fur for such ouch con consider e idor actions the execution of his greatest grante at and dearest lifo life work ilis noble and gen areas persistency I 1 has baa mot met with double I 1 I 1 thoro there is ia that anil and yet yei 1 though the cooper union cost him apart from later endow monts oot his bis fortune was not destro I 1 by his hia liberality while on as the of jr r hani hand that life the apprehend 1 of which spurred him to I 1 lu a diate endeavor of benevolence line baa bion been prolonged until a generation has baa up around him to boar bear witness to tho the harvest of hia labors we may claim all this ulso also aa if a 11 product ot of american institutions k what hat in in other days still and other lands has been joao dona slowly lowly anti and not always well by princes prince s ind and govern governments me u t it is i a our 2 r peculiar glory to do by th the s aspon liberality and pure ambition of this tha private citizen christianity wedded to liberty has half no fairer chill chib than this the beat proof of the i of sash a spirit ns as mr coopers cooper s life incarnates ates to command tho reverence revera rever coa erce and lovo love of lill all men is ia found in tho the that the universal regard for him exists in in spite apito or of tho ilia profound disapproval felt elt by the majority of his intelligent intall gent igent follow fellow citizens cit izona for tho the opinions it in matters of public olia finance of which lo ho has becea the eurnest advocate not ot one of a those who rho I loom deom his I 1 hohti 0 o liti cil cal principles orrol Toom and lament that it a character so pure paro bo be fledged sledged pledged to propositions so eo mischievous oatta doubts far an instant his perfect sincer cincer ity or his hie intense belief that tho the aures he be pro proposed posea would benefit the tco community those mistakes ua as wo ife consider them ato proofs of a sensitive an aud a unselfish anti and we a may also add without pausing paus jn to ex explain plain the stater statement sent aru are I 1 in 11 mail many particulars ulan character Ameri caly in view of 1 hoso aspects of lin hii life it liswith is bith patriots patrio tm ns as 1 lias I as i jrsn nal 11 direction that wo we a ir r coo cooper or dpn the cin bieth agniv mary aary of 0 his 1 3 birthday bi ay f filar II 11 por v |
