Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-19
FIVE MESSENGER BoYs.
Csrnegie. Oliver. Pitcairn. McCarEo ss<
Moreiand In = PItsburx once.

osrnegte. oliver. Pitcairn. McCargo sp<
Mor~isnd In = Pt,-burx once.
Prom the New IOrk sun
The story Of Eve messenger bows begiss Ar
the early days of telegraphy. In a dingy ofscs
In P1ttsburg about ls4s Andrew Carnegie,
Henry W. Oliver, Robert Pitcairn. Major vi
liam c. Moreland and David McCargo sere
messengers. Ii is said that they took the op-
posite of other boys. and spent their spare mo-
ments in learning useful lessons Andrev
Carnegie is the oldest Of the lot. and he was
the smArtest, leading al in learning how 10
telegraph. he one OF the first orerstor.
in the country 10 learn TO take the Morse sys-
TEN by sound which in those dAys was eoa-
sidered a remarkable achievement IL did not
take Thomas A. Scott long to snatch Mr..
Carnegie from the telegraph Office in Puts
burg into his Office private secretary
when the great railroad genius took
charge OF the Pittsburg end OF the road. The
education The young Scotchman received from
greater mind lifted him from a secretHrys
seat into the place Of division superintondeut
when MIR. Scott was made wee prtrident 81 tho
railroad. The industry. the subtle cunning
ana watching faith ~ scott taught him O. lay
las hnes IN other directions than watching
the DIVISIONS OF railroad. and scott Lciped
Nun. HIS place gave hlm the opportunity 10
look into other lines Of industry and he dove
driit into an iron mill. Has pickax vas not
large but his cunning and thrift made up fOr
The size OF his AK. j. Elrar Thompson. WhO
was the president OF the penusylyanla railroad.
then gave a great name and money 60 the works
now dominated by MIR. Carnegie At that time
Col Scott was power In the nation. a. wei as
the railroad, and Carnegie began to CASHIER
wealth.
MY ambition in those DAYS" he said re-
Gently, was 10 write for newspapers. I tf.ok
In material in that direction Whenever n vas
possible. haunted the publIc library IN Alle-
gheny aud caught on 10 the fact Il az a dis
tinction made by the attendants between
the poor bows anu the sons Of wrll-to-do par
ents. IL made me indignant l wrote my nrst
public letter 20 the beard OF control, aul .
change was ordered. This result more tann
ever resolved me to follow journalism. bus IN
accident driited me elsewhere. and became .
manufacturer"
Thrift and industry were the derricks which
lifted Harry W. Oliver out OF the telegraph
chair next TO Mr. Carnegie aud made hitn a
clerk for big iron firm. tie u al lilshulan.
with head fun of cunning about the business
economies Of life. Ii did not take long iur
him TO realize the possibilities OF the iron
trade. and one day silica working block aud
tackle hOlsted hIm out Of he seal az the desk
Ia the big firms workshop and landed him in
business that has since grown 10 be one 81 the
greatest concerns Ia the world. lie has grown
very rich, and one railroad and seven maFu-
featuring concerns nov feel tEe touch OF his
hand. lie lives IN the finest house IN the wrst
but be works too hard 10 enjoy himself lie
Inust be about fifty-hv ytars of age and lew
notches lower than My. Carnegie IN the scale
Of years. lie once came near being United
States senator. lie WAS tire brains Of f1e
tariff commission winch. senator Sheruan
Gays, framed the best and ialrcst bill ever pre-
scented 10 Congress.
Another Scotchman OF the famous five Is
Robert Pitcairn. who sits IN the sat once o.
cupled by Col. Tom Scott ana Nh. Carnegie.
de went from a telegraph chair into tie rad
road business aud lac has been d master n "A
the best conditions OF railroad life He IL
many times a millionaire. out he lives TO- las
railroad, although interested, lac Mr.. UIvfr.
IN many large manutao turing enterprises 10
does tine work OF about three men Overy dnt,
and takes recreation oaly when he wants 90
talk with a big friend OF indulge VIII Is
countrymcn IN the melodies OF Scotland lie
has denied himself promotion many tIInas h.
cause he likes to cling to the location where 81
began as a messenger boy and has had - may
trlumphs.
The fourth member Of the group is Datd
McCargo, she general manager OF the Allegheny
railroad. his strong Scotch character iGtd
hlm i;its big railway concerns early. He "
the telegraph Office soon after the other bis
and took place on TIE railway.
Think % IL, SAID Mai William p. Morolaa,
the last. but not least, OF the famous five. L
stood at the key with Carnegie, Oliver, 10
calrn, McCargo, and heard the fret Inesigs
pass ovsr the wires that sent betweenhe
north ald south. James ID. Reid. who was Ell
eral SUI ierintendent, David Brooks. now ling
in Philadelphia, aud Jackson Duncan Of "a.
cinnati had charge OF the experiment. We az
10 worA on snort circuits in those days. EnoSe
thought il inn ossible send "A message
to New York IrOm New Orleans. Brooks M
Reid walked over and inspected the line flIa
the crescent city to litisburg. After
irving here and assuring themselves thaths
line was perfect, the effort was ordered n
every telegraph operator on the line, andin
fact, the whole country, was waiting IN a.
pense TO known the success failure Of be
effort. Every magnet was adjusted, and sxTF
electrician ON the line stood q his key listening
for the result. At the signal New lork called
Philadelphia, the Quaker city slgnhled Har-is-
burg ana then in quick succession llttSbra.
Cincinnati, Louisville and New Orleans N.re
opened to the metropolis. No one drew .
breath scarcely until the tick came, and N
minute an unbroken message was sent between
the north and south. That may seem prInli-
tive in these days. when there Is no measuring
electric power. but then Il was the talk OF lts
nation. This Is a bit OF untold history; but
shall never forget that hour.
MIR. Carnegie never forgets the old BOYS,
and we shall never forget celebrating his
twenty-iirst birthday. He was SCOTS coma.
dental clerk then and he invited his iormst
compaLiCas in the Telegraph Office TO hIs honlt
in Allegheny. where ms mother and brothtI
lived We had good time aud parted wIu
mutual wishes tor each others success.
think there are no regrets among Us, eXcep
that ve cannot live always"