The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-02-15
Something Of millionaire Mackay.

Mr.. Mackay, as most Americans arc
aware, is Scotchman by birth, his
nativo town being Airdrie, Hummelshine,.
| had known his family all my life, and
last spring had many LONG talks with his
brother, Robert Mackay, who is MEM
Der OF largo engineering firm in his
native town, and is regarded rs ono of
tho greatest practical mechanics living.
But MIR. Mackay is very unsclfish and
modest man, otherwise he might have
,,ocn as rich to-day as his brother.
though no has experimental and
invented all his life, he has never sought
TO reap tho just rewards of his talonts.
He is content with discovering new
methods of applying forco and to let
other people reap the benefit And tho
United States arc not little Indebted to
his inventive genius He it was, in con-
junction with Mr.. Gray, who first con-
structed locomotive for ascending steop
grades: and it was from plans furnished
by him and explanations given to Amcri-
can mechanics who visited him in Scot
land, that tho locomotives were built
which first crossed the Rocky Mountains.
But he is ono of those men, as l have
said, who set no store by such achieve
ments as these; he speaks Of this new
invention rs ii it was very small mat
ter. Between him and his brother,
though remarkably like each other in
personal appearance, there is no com
munlty of feeling, or even of friendship,
lar less kinship. Tho only talent that
MS brother possessed, to hear him speak
oi nm, was stnglncs8 and the power to
cloSc his hand on every penny which
crossed it. OF intellectual points he had
was incapable of cultivating tho few he
had been endowed with. But it is SOW
cral years since millionaire Macliay broke
of correspondence with his father and
mother and family. OF the many times
he has visited England during the past
ten years, he has never visited his family
or his native town. Two years ago,
nevertheless, he sent his secretary down
from London to Airdric to inquire after
ms mother and relatives. This gentle
man put Ur Mt the Royal Hotel in great
state, and after he had abused everybody
about the hotel for the mcanncss of the
accommodation they could offer, he sent
Tor his employers brother, the person l.
have spoken of above. His surprise
may be readily imagined when he was
informed by Mr.. Mackay that if his
brother could not condeSccnd to come to
Alrdrle i'll person to see his friends, he
would receive no information from him;
furthermore, Mr.. Secretary was specially
instructed to inform his master that
since he had forgotten his family so
long, tho latter had now no better mes
sage to convey to him than this, to-wit,
that, for all they cared, he could go to a
climate where the temperature was
always above ninety in the shade, or
words to that effect. But L think Mr.
MN,ack"y Judges his rich brother hnrshly.
Ihoug II a man of plain speech, and Gil
trcly innocent Of oil usagC@ of grammar
i'll communicating his thoughts orally,
he seems to possess plenty Of good,
hard, practical sense, and, CONSIDERING
how rich he is, he is certainly not proud;
but what he lacks il this latter respect
hls wife makes up. No Queen that ever
lived could be proudcr or more impcri-
ous than shc.-London C0rrcSD0,ttlcnt
Cf BuDaiO CU,Wicr.