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In 1880, at the age of 24, Cooper arrived in San Francisco from St. Louis.

In 1883, after a successful debut as a Bohemian Artist in the Barbary Coast district, he moved to San Jose. He soon evolved into San Jose's premier man-about-town. In addition to frequenting myriad saloons, he was an accomplished violinist who would invite vaudeville troupes and opera singers to his home for after-hour performances.

Cooper's great interest was Indians. He was fascinated by them, and their environment. And he was very much aware that their time was almost up. Geoffry Dunn, in an article in the Metro, describes his outlook as follows,
"For Cooper, Indians and buffaloes were symbols of a great American tragedy. Throughout his life, he portrayed their passing as paradise lost."

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