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COOPER court of his state, he returned to his university professorship as dean of the school of political science and lecturer on constitutional and administrative law. Between 1887 and 1891 he served as chairman of the interstate commerce commission. He was an able and industrious writer of legal text-books, which have become standard authorities; the chief of these are The Constitutional Limitations which Rest upon the Legislative Power of the States of the American Union; The Law of Taxation; Wrongs and Their Remedies; and The General Principles of Constitutional Law in the United States.  Cooper, Sir Astley, an English surgeon, was born at Norfolk, Eng., Aug; 23, 1768. He began the study of surgery in London when 17. Appointments at hospitals and professorships followed. His books made him famous. From 1804 to 1807 was published his work on Hernia; his great work on Dislocation and Fractures appeared in 1822. He was the first to attempt the tying of the carotid artery and the aorta, though he was not successful in either. He also removed a tumor from the head of George IV, who thereupon made him a baronet. The vice-presidency of universities, degrees, memberships and offices in scientific societies were showered upon him. Besides his fame as a surgeon and as a writer on surgery, he was very successful as a teacher, implanting knowledge in an easy and agreeable manner. He also made surgery, which before his time had in large measure been dangerous guesswork, a science. He died Feb. 12, 1841.   Cooper, James Fenimore, American novelist, was born at Burlington, N. J., Sept. 15, 1789. After three years at Yale he entered the navy, rising to the rank of lieutenant. His first novel was a failure; but in 1821 The Spy made him popular. Following this came The Pioneers, the first of the famous Leather-Stocking Tales. In 1823 appeared The Pilot, the earliest of his sea-tales. Throughout his life he was a busy writer, now correcting the false impressions of his country which he found current in Europe, now writing a novel to give expression to his views of politics, now ridiculing his countrymen's faults and anon bringing out sketches of travel. But his fame rests on his early novels, the best of which have been translated into most of the languages of Europe and into some of those of the east. He, practically, was the first American in American literature. He died Sept. 14, 1851.   Cooper, Peter, was born at New York, Feb, 12, 1791. His father, who had been a lieutenant in the Revolutionary War and was a hat-manufacturer, was not successful in business, and had a large family to provide for. So Peter's boyhood was one of hard labor. He went to school half of each day for a single year. When 17, he was apprenticed to a coachmaker, and pleased his employer so much that he offered to set him up in business, which he declined. After trying different branches of trade, he began the manufacture of glue and isinglass, which he carried on for 50 years. Seeing what profits could be made in iron, he built several mills. In 1845 he erected at Trenton, N. J., the largest rolling-mill at that time in the country for the manufacture of railroad-iron. He first succeeded in using anthracite coal in puddling iron; was the first to roll wrought-iron beams for buildings; and also designed and built the first locomotive made in America, which was used on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. In his own youth Cooper had greatly felt the lack of means of study in the line of his trade, and he determined that other artisans should have a better chance. So Cooper Union, to which Mr. Cooper gave $800,000 in all, was built. It covers a whole block in the center of New York city. Here young mechanics and others receive night-lessons in engineering, mining, metallurgy, chemistry, architectural drawing and building. There also are schools of design, telegraphy, wood engraving, photography, etc. The Union is free to all who choose to attend. Besides the school proper there are free lectures, a free library and reading-room, art-galleries, models of inventions and