Correspondence regarding John T. Cooper (first recipient of Leland Stanford Jr. Memorial Scholarship), 1900 Feb-Jun

Arcade Depot Los Angeles, Cal. Feb. 12th, 1900.

Mrs Leland Stanford, Palo Alto:

Your good letter received and so full of christian spirit thant I cannot lay it aside without a word in reply....What a relief it was to get it....How often I regretted writing you... Has she not received baskets of such letters, thought I ....Certainly she cannot spend all her time in attending to such matters, and mine will go as all others....But not so I received a good kind reply and more too....I am glad you consider it equally important to prepare to meet your Heavenly Father, and that while you are vastly interested in, and working to improve the rising generation mentally, you feel free to caution them not to neglect their souls. I appreciate this because I was so taught when young, and have not forgotten....Your good motherly advice carries me back to war times when we were taught by word and example. After losing my father we had to live with grand-parents and how well do I remember lading the way to evening service in the path of snow carrying a lantern to light the way for the old people and listening to plain words from a plain preacher to a very plain people....After returning and the door of that humble home was shut and we fellows made comfortable under a feather bed I could hear the prayers of those good old people in an adjoining room, and prayers during the war time were in earnest, it was the widows comfort to pray, our ears heard and our hearts were impressed, those lessons were not in vain....We have been limping along since then in this monotonous lane without a turn, doing well what we have had to do, hoping that some day something would turn up to help us to a little more freedom and ease, but not yet, it is still struggle...Think you that after all these years of ceaseless toil, though we at times stumble (and we blush for the stumbling) that our saviour will reject us? What an awful thing it would be. Could I neglect teaching my boys about the better things and encourage them to consider well that all-important question? Educating a boy at University should not spoil him unless he be naturally bad....I agree with you that the boys who have to struggle through without assistance often make the best men and at the proper time I will talk the matter over with John and try have him make the effort if he is physically able....I am glad to know STANFORD is free and that there is an opportunity for a boy to work his way through. Wishing you a long and peaceful life I will bid you adieu.

Respectfully

H.H Cooper

Arcade Depot,

Los Angeles, Cal, May 3rd 1900.

Mrs Leland Stanford, Palo Alto, Calif.

Dear Madam

Presuming you have noticed the EXAMINER proposes to do with fifteen of California's brightest boys i want to write you about one of them and you will not consider it vain in me to do so, we all love our boys and when we have evidences that they are good in school we certainly can speak well of them in a modest way. I have tried to get John enthusiastic over this trip but he will not enthus, he modestly says that he will try but has very little hope of being one of the fortunate fifteen. Of course it is hoped that the examinations will be conducted fairly and the selections will be made strictly on merit, but it may be a difficult matter to decide as there will be very many highly meritorious competitors. I wonder if you couldn't say to David Starr Jordan (who is to be chairman of the committee) some day that you hope John T. Cooper will prove himself worthy. I am particularly anxious that John will make an effort that will prove successful because the only relatives he has live in Philadelphia and I want him to see his old grandma. We are alone now, John's mother who lived almost entirely for him passed away two months ago and the only thing left is her good christian example, I want to do the best I can for him and don't think it would hurt him in any way should he have the opportunity to make the trip....I think he is a good boy and I have sent you his picture to help you to think so too.

Very respectfully,

H.H Cooper

Dear Dr. Jordan:-

Enclosed I hand you some corespondence received from a worthy man - a cripple - in the employ of the S. P. Co. at Los Angeles; also a photograph of the boy - "my son John" - referred to. I was very

much impressed, and deeply touched by the letters from this man and by the picture of his boy "John" and if it is in your power to be of any assistance to him in his effort in this contest, I shall appreciate it highly.

Kindly preserve the letters and photo.

Very sincerely yours

Mrs. Leland Stanford.

Per. Secty.

San Francisco, Cal.

May the seventh, Nineteen hundred.

Arcade Depot

Los Angeles, Cal. Jun 5th, 1900.

My dear Mrs. Stanford:

Your very good letter received. I visited the High School yesterday to ascertain how far John has progressed in his studies. One of his teachers, a noble woman who has known him since a mere child promised to write me a reply to my questions, just as soon as received I will enclose and mail to you.

I will say but little more to you about him now. Should he be successful you will no doubt have an opportunity to see him and I feel sure you will never have occasion to regret the effort you are so cheerfully making.

I certainly will be glad to know the history of this "Free Scholarship"..... It might interest you to know that my first letter to you was written at three o'clock in the morning while his mother was lying very ill. Not long afterward she passed away and I wonder, if from the spirit land she is watchin us in our efforts to help her favorite boy.

John leaves on Saturday, as I have told you to work on the railroad, he can earn enough during vacation to buy clothing for next year. He likes to dress well and has always been neat in his personal appearance and very particular as to his companions. Last year during his three months absence from home and while working for the same party he spent one dollar and thirty five cens [sic[ of the money we gave him, he brought home all he had earned too and made good use of it.

Goody bye again and may all your days be sweet and peaceful.

Very respectfully,

H.H. Cooper.

Mrs. Leland Stanford,

Palo Alto

California