Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Copyright by Vanderivcyde
By
Bernard Alderson
*
New York
Doubleday, Page & Co.
1905
Copyright, 1902
helpful interest."
These words apply with singular fitness to Andrew
Carnegie. /The story of his life is a record of high aims
and strenuous endeavor, disclosing constant indica-
tions of a master mind; so that the rising generation,
tion of his pithy paradox, "A man who dies rich dies
disgraced?^
Who can fail to admire that firm purpose to complete
his duties as he interprets them, which has reached a
noble climax in the fixed determination to put his mil-
lions to the most beneficial use ? He is anxious above
all things to prevent this mint of money from doing
harm, by disbursing it worthily during his lifetime, and
vii
226724
viii PREFACE
STEPPING-STONES . . 17
.....
&t II. .
S FORTUNE'S FLOOD 31
.....
III.
As AN EMPLOYER OF LABOR 61
jV V.
.... .
. .
CARNEGIE INSTITUTE 80
XI
Birthplace and Boyhood
Andrew Carnegie
THE MAN AND HIS WORK
CHAPTER I
3
4 'ANDREW CARNEGIE
* \
sympathy.
When he became possessed of great wealth she still
remained his constant companion, and accompanied
him on all his holidays, both at home and abroad.
8 ANDREW CARNEGIE
While she lived he remained single, choosing to lavish
upon her all the love and reverence of his nature.
Now that she has passed away, he is never tired of
No more work !
' '
The keen-witted boy knew what
that meant, and the news, with all its significance
and unspeakable misery, sank deep into his childish
heart. He there and then resolved that he would
strive with all his strength to drive the wolf of poverty
from his home. It was but the impetuous resolution
of a boy of ten, yet it was the spark of a strong
determination which had suddenly been kindled in
his nature, and which never ceased to exert its influ-
boys they decided to take all the risks and endure all
pure the home of honest poverty is, how free from care,
from quarrels, how loving and united its members,
that I sympathize with the rich man's boy and con-
that from the ranks of the poor the great and good
have always sprung, and always must spring. It
seems nowadays a matter of universal desire that
STEPPING-STONES
must be done. We
must mortgage the house. I will
take the steamer in the morning for Ohio, and see
uncle and ask him to arrange it." Her ability, pluck
and resource triumphed. The visit proved successful,
and the money was obtained. The shares were bought,
and the little home mortgaged "to give our boy a
start."
When the Civil War broke out Mr. Scott was made
Assistant-Secretary of War. Andrew Carnegie had
just entered his twenty-fourth year, and the position
given him by his chief was a very responsible one. He
had to see to the transport of the troops and stores,
negotiations was that two trial cars were run over the
FORTUNE'S FLOOD
ceived from his mother and his banker, and was now
free to make what use he thought best of his moderate
capital nor
;
had he long to wait before an opening was
afforded for this. Andrew Carnegie "struck oil," and
struck it to some purpose. From that profitable source
he extracted a return that far exceeded his utmost
expectations. He got in almost at the beginning of the
mineral boom, when the vast possibilities of the in-
oil
"
There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune."
dating enterprise,
/
/It is difficult to realize the full extent of this mighty
achievement and the influence it has exerted on the
7
The Steel Master
CHAPTERIV
THE STEEL MASTER
/ "It
/JR.
CARNEGIE, as the undisputed monarch of
JLVJL iron and steel, towered head and shoulders
above all his rivals. He was the chief of a trade com-
bination that enjoyed the distinction of being the larg-
estemployer of labor in the world/' The Carnegie Steel
Company, which was reconstructed at the beginning of
1900 with a capital of $100,000,000, owned three im-
mense-works the Homestead, the Edgar Thompson
and the Duquesne, and seven smaller ones. When in
* Whese
figures were compiled some years ago. The productions
of all the Carnegie properties have largely increased since.
THE STEEL MASTER 49
per annum.
In an address to the people of Pittsburgh, Mr.
53
superhuman efforts."
It was men of this caliber that were given a stake in
competition.
In attempting to review Mr. Carnegie's record in this
work twelve hours, and sleep and eat out ten more.
You can see a man don't have much time for anything
else. You can't see your friends or do anything but
work. That's why I got out of it. I used to come
home so exhausted, staggering like a man with a
disregarded./'
the second nor the third has any preference, all being
equally necessary. He who would sow discord
among
the three is the enemy of all." Thus spoke Andrew
Carnegie to an interviewer in March, 1901. From
time to time he has written freely on the labor ques-
tion, especially in reference to strikes and trade unions.
In 1886 he said: "My experience has been that trade
unions upon the whole are beneficial both to labor
and capital. They certainly educate the working-
at the time that along the top of the fence, which was
twelve feet high, a barbed wire was laid, which was
nicknamed the "live wire fence" because it was
charged with a degree of electricity sufficiently strong
to kill any one who touched it. But this was abso-
lutely disproved later. On the other hand, it was
stated that the men deliberately attempted to murder
all the non-union workmen by poisoning their food
latter who, armed with guns and pistols, shot down the
police, and so provoked reprisals.
the eyes of the men the trouble never would have hap-
"
Kind master, tell us what you want us to do and we
will do it"; but the riot had occurred before this
93
94 ANDREW CARNEGIE
In his book, "Triumphant Democracy," and in many
thing.
"The highest title that a man can write upon the
page of history is his own name. Mr. Gladstone's will
be there ; Gladstone he is ;
Gladstone he will remain,
even if he tried to make future generations lose his
family, the root of the upas tree from which springs all
these wrongs."
At one time it was rumored that he intended
to enter the British Parliament. That was when
Messrs. Bright, Chamberlain, Dilke and Labouchere
were fighting hard in the vanguard of extreme
radicalism. They had Mr. Carnegie's fullest sympathy
and support, and he entertained high hopes that the
dawn of republicanism for England was at hand. He
was on terms of friendship with all the lights of liberal-
government.
98 ANDREW CARNEGIE
On a blank page of one atlas he wrote:
"
Presented to
ANDREW CARNEGIE
NEWPORT, June 9, 1885.
11
To
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN
The leader of the masses and future Premier
of Britain, I send this record of the reign
of the people under institutions based upon
the only true doctrine, the political equality
of the Citizen.
ANDREW CARNEGIE.
"NEW YORK, November 18, 1885."
put to it."
spondingly.
Protection or no protection, Andrew Carnegie's
genius was bound to lift him to a high position. Much
more absurd and much more venomous is the insinua-
American Union.
A dominating factor in Mr. Carnegie's politics is his
love of peace. His hatred and abhorrence of war
amounted almost to a passion. In 1881 he said that to
him the America lay in the fact that she
real glory of
had no army worth the name, and that her navy could
boast of scarcely a single efficient warship. "What
has America to do," he writes, "following in the wake
of brutal, pugilistic nations still under the influence of
feudal institutions, who exhaust their revenues training
men how best to butcher their fellows, and in build-
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
in
ii2 ANDREW CARNEGIE
No American has made such an impress upon the
trade of the world as Andrew Carnegie. The greatest
iron and steel producer, he has led the American attack
on all the markets in its most important sphere, namely,
the region of iion and steel manufacture. The pros-
perity of a manufacturing country is to be measured
in the main by the prosperity of its iron and steel
industries, and it is in this realm of industry that
Andrew Carnegie has earned his title of King. His
ability to deliver promptly owing to his skilfully
equipped works, and the low price he could accept
as a result of having at his elbow cheap material and
Atlantic."
current"
The gist of his argument is that Great Britain should
have a Minister of Commerce, whose special work
would be to protect the interests of British traders,
and utilize to the full for commercial purposes their
world-wide possessions. This office will no doubt be
created when international competition has captured
these branches.
A
thorough commercial education is the strongest
foundation for business success, but Mr. Carnegie
believes that another phase of knowledge is also
requisite. He says :
' '
type on this side of the water, for what does not the
younger owe of its greatness and prosperity to the old
land. Bessemer, Siemens, Thomas the triumvirate
through whose inventions we have been enabled to
make and by the millions of tons at three
sell steel
hope to repay.
"
Wishing you speedy success,
"
Sincerely yours,
"ANDREW CARNEGIE."
The object of this broad-minded millionaire is to
129
1 30 ANDREW CARNEGIE
has an excellent excuse, and we must forgive him for
his modest interpretation of the title. But if he is
years ago, "What are the gifts a youth, who has the
ambition to make millions, should be endowed with at
' ' '
straight to the front and lead the world they are the;
maxim, "If thou dost not sow, thou shalt not reap,"
and gave a well-deserved reproof to the growth of
idleness and wasteful luxury. Socialistic theories
own lives."/
XOne of the most striking passages in the article was
"
the one which denounced indiscriminate charity. It
taining force.
"Mr. Carnegie has laid down what he considers to be
"
the duty of the man of wealth. First, to set an example
of modest, unostentatious living, shunning display and
extravagances to provide moderately for the legitimate
;
thus becomes the mere agent and trustee for his poorer
brethren, bringing to their service his superior wisdom,
/Th
'hat his gospel is sound and practicable the world
has already had many convincing proofs, not the least
in scope and results being Mr. Carnegie's own bene-
has written a list of
commandments,
factionsy^He
specially suited for millionaires, and we trust his gospel
will, yet find many One thing is certain,
adherents.
those who follow it will write their names indelibly upon
their country's history, and be venerated by succeed-
ing generations.
Mr. Carnegie has given his gospel the best possible
ing:
To found or enlarge a University.
"
Standing apart by itself there is the founding of a
To erect
Swimming Baths.
11
In another respect we are still much behind Europe,
A form of beneficence which is not uncommon there
is providing swimming baths for the people."
To build Churches.
"
Churches as fields for surplus wealth have purposely
been reserved until the last, because, these being sec-
tarian, every man be governed by his own attach-
will
ments therefore
;
it may be said gifts to churches are not
in one sense gifts to the community at large, but to
and many wealthy men realized for the first time the
GIVING
arts. It is an art, because before proficiency can
be attained much experience is necessary, and the judg-
ment needs to have undergone a strict course of training.
Liberality requires cultivation and care, like every other
quality, and this more particularly applies to the man
entrusted with millions of available wealth. It is
usefulness.
his letter.
great building.
We
have already mentioned Mr. Carnegie's hand-
some endowment of $4,000,000 as a pension fund for
the work-people of the Carnegie Steel Company. The
object of this fund is to provide small pensions or aids
annum.
The trustees appointed include some of the foremost
(chairman) ;
the Earl of Rosebery ;
Lord Balf our of
Burleigh; Lord Kelvin; Lord Reay; Lord Kinnear;
.Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, M. P.; Mr. A. J.
university education.
The trust deed states that one-half of the net annual
ment.
To insure the prompt publication and distribution of
reformer.
/In addition to a large number of lengthy and valu-
able magazine articles, he has written four books./'
His first publication, entitled "Round the World,"
which appeared in 1879, contained a picturesque
181
i8 2 ANDREW CARNEGIE
account of a trip across the Pacific to Japan, China and
India,and home again via the Suez Canal and Europe.
There is much in this book that shows the characteris-
tics of the man, his keen estimate of German nature,
his interest in and understanding of social and political
economics. Many of Mr. Carnegie's descriptions are
these are worth just now forty cents each, or say $1.60
(6s. 6d.) in gold for a month's service. Upon this a
man has to exist. Is it any wonder that the masses
upon the verge of starvation ? Women
are constantly
earn much less, and of course every member of a
times.
ment he says :
THE PEN OF A READY WRITER 187
in the following :
gives the same rights to all. The British flag was born
too soon to be close to the masses. It came before
their time, when they had little or no power. They
1 88 ANDREW CARNEGIE
were not consulted about it. Some conclave made it,
an illustration :
which was then filling the azure vault with music was
nowhere to be seen. It's worth an Atlantic voyage
to hear a skylark for the first time. Even luncheon
1 90 ANDREW CARNEGIE
was neglected awhile, hungry as we were, that we might
if possible catch a glimpse of the warbler. The flood
of song poured forth as we stood rapt awaiting the
descent of the messenger from heaven. At last a small
black speck came into sight. He is so little to see so
great to hear ?
Interested in workmen the world over, Mr. Carnegie
wormed the following from a carpenter whom he
happened to meet :
"
He was a rough carpenter and his wages were six-
teen shillings per week ($4). A laborer gets eleven
up the object of his fondest love and calls his new home
Boston, York, Brighton, Hartford, Stratford, Lynn,
"
was on Saturday, July i6th, that we went over
It
righteous indignation.
With an enthusiasm adopted country that is
for his
of the Ameri-
splendid, and from the point of view
canized Briton, he proceeds to tell the Republic's
greatness.
"The American is tolerant. Politics do not divide
quets."
As to the question of the maintenance of the purely
to tear himself away from the old home with its associa-
tions, to found in hospitable America a new home under
snapshot legislation.
place."
The two following quotations contain the gist of
Andrew Carnegie's feeling about churches and religious
services :
ing walls, but in full vigor, and acting with vital energy
and power, in the character of the leading men and
natural interests of the country/ Even if
judged by
the accommodations provided, and the sums spent
yet known."
Commerce isa word spelled large in Mr. Carnegie's
Poverty":
"Hereditary wealth and position tend to rob father
and mother of their children and the children of father
and mother. It cannot be long ere their disadvantages
more and more and the advantages of plain and
are felt
"
It is the chairman, situated hundreds of miles away
from men, who only pays a flying visit to the works
his
has not been the product of men who started like your-
selves to earn an honest living by honest work.
"And, believe me, the man whom the foreman does
not appreciate, and the foreman whom the manager
does not appreciate, and the manager whom the firm
does not appreciate, has to find the fault not in the
The
importance of the subject is suggested by the
fact that the habit of thrift constitutes one of the
refreshing slumber.
The retired capitalist speaks rather slowly and
clearly enunciates every word. The maxim, "Think
twice before you speak once," has great weight with
him. He is not one to be led unawares into making
a promise or expressing an opinion. He regards his
works.
As his book, "Round the World," proves, Mr.
229
230 INDEX (Continued)
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