Death of Ezra Cornell

Death of Ezra Cornell.

Mr. EZRA CORNELL, whose name is indissolubly connected with the introduction of the magnetic telegraph in this country, died on Wednesday last, Dec. 9th, at Ithaca, N. Y., after a brief illness.

The following brief obituary is from the New York Commercial Advertiser:

EZRA CORNELL was born at Westchester Landing, Westchester County, January 11, 1807, of Quaker parentage. His father was a potter, and young Ezra assisted him at Tarrytown, and afterwards in Madison county, where they removed in 1819. The advantages of early education then were small, but the boy made the most of them. In 1826 he left home to work for himself, and found employment at Homer, but removed to Ithaca in 1828, where he worked in the machine shop of a cotton factory at eight dollars per month and his board. He worked alternately at agricultural and mill work until 1842, when he became interested with F. O. J. Smith and Professor Morse in telegraphic enterprises. He was appointed Assistant Superintendent of the line between Baltimore and Washington, and first suggested the substitution of poles for the pipe that was originally intended. In 1845 the line was extended to New York City, and Mr. Cornell was put in charge, and in the same year he superintended the construction of a line of telegraph from New York to Philadelphia. In 1846 he constructed a line to Albany, and another in the year following from Troy to Montreal. By these operations he made money, and having faith in the telegraph he invested it largely in stock, and so reaped a fortune. Honors came to him also. In 1863 he was a member of the Assembly, and in 1864-5 a State Senator. But the crowning glory of Mr. Cornell's life is the University that bears his name. He endowed the college with the munificent gift of $760,000, and also took upon his own shoulders the location and sale of the agricultural land scrip with such success that the ultimate endowment from this source will probably reach $2,000,000. Ithaca owes to him a public library with an endowment of $50,000. Ezra Cornell's life was not only busy and honorable, but most useful to his fellow men. He has left such an example of a noble life as best illustrates the genius of our free institutions.