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The National cyclopædia of American biography : being the history of the United States as illustrated in the lives of the founders, builders, and defenders of the republic, and of the men and women who are doing the work and moulding the thought of the present time, edited by distinguished biographers, selected from each state, revised and approved by the most eminent historians, scholars, and statesmen of the day . eto obtain a university the meantime he earned hisown living by private was successful at college,graduating at the head of hisclass, but he seriously impa
The National cyclopædia of American biography : being the history of the United States as illustrated in the lives of the founders, builders, and defenders of the republic, and of the men and women who are doing the work and moulding the thought of the present time, edited by distinguished biographers, selected from each state, revised and approved by the most eminent historians, scholars, and statesmen of the day . eto obtain a university the meantime he earned hisown living by private was successful at college,graduating at the head of hisclass, but he seriously impairedhis health, and in particular in-jured his eye-sight, which wasnever afterward perfect. He rest-ed for a while, and then beganthe study of law, while retainingthe position of tutor in the col-lege. In 1843 he was actingprofessor of mathematics in thatinstitution, and while holdingthe position succeeded in saving up about $1, this money in 1844, and accompanied byEdward Cooper, who was son of Peter Cooper anda member of his class at college, he made a visit toEurope. Returning on board a Mobile packet, theywere wrecked and drifted about in an open boat fortwelve hours before they were picked up by a pass-ing vessel, which brought them to New York. In1844 Mr. Hewitt was admitted to the bar, but hesoon found that his eye-sight was so defective itwould be impossible for him to practice that profes-. C^jryr^ OP AMERICAN BIOGEAPHY. 295 sion witl success; in the meantime his intimatefriendship with the Coopers had continued, and itwas determined that the two young men should gointo a business partnership, whereupon Peter Coop-er gave over to them the iron branch of his own busi-ness. The success of this undertaking in the handsof Messrs. Cooper & Hewitt became marked. Thefirm was in fact a pioneer in successfully manufact-uring iron in the United States. Theirs was the firstfirm to make iron girders and supports to be used infire-proof buildings and bridges, and at thei
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Keywords: ., bookauth, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidcu31924020334755