The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-07-11
II. q. PRICK.
The oaroOr of the aIOmbOF of the Carnegie
Firm Most Prominently identified With

The Cnroor OF the mOmbBr OF the Carnegie
Firm Most Prominently identified With
tho Troube.
PlrTsDuRau, PA, July 10.-Henry
Clay Frick, the chairman Of the Car
negie Steel Company, limited, and the
member Of the firm most prominently
identified with the present trouble at
Homestead, is a man Of indomitablo
courage and will-powor. He is native
Of Pennsylvania, born at West 0verton,
Westmoreland county, December 10,
lS49. His father, o farmer OF means,
gave him good education and O chance
to know the world, SO that at twenty
years OF age he was fairly we'll
equipped for life. He began it with
small display as clerk in dry goods
store at Mt. Pleasant, and in 1869 inn
proved his business knowledge as book.
keeper at his grandtather's flour mill
and distillery at Broadford, in Fayette
county. While there he discovered the
possibilities Of the coke business. With
such capital as he could command ne
bought an interest in coal tract near
Broadford and with some other young
men bnitt fifty coke ovens. Encouraged
by his experience with these, the num-
ber Of them was doubled; then more
coal land was bought and the number
OF ovens again doubled. In 1873 tho
panic came, That was the source as
well as the ruin OF fortunes. II was
the tide which overwhelmed the weak,
but carried the strong on to renewed
strength. Mr.. Frick's partners, embar-
rassed by endorsements, had to sell
their interests, which he induced GER
tain friends to buy.
As the financial distress increased,
others in the coke business were COM
PEELED to sell, aud Mr. Frick was at
hand to buy, and ovens which he could
not buy he leased. Meantime his on-
terprise was called rashness and there
were predictions that the time would
oyerwhelm him next, but ne kept heart
and struck ous the more vigorously. In
answer to the predictions, when the 70.
vivai OF business occurred, he pointed
to the annual profits oil the leased ovens
as greater than the value OF tho ovens
themselves.
He carried on the business in his own
name until 1878, when he sold share
OF it to i. NJ. Ferguson, OF New York,
when it was known as that OF II. @.
Frick & Co. In 1882, the Carnegies
bought large share init, and the. name
was changed TO the Il. @. Frick Coke
Company. twas the largest coke COM
pany in the world, controlling $4,000
acres OF coal land and more than 4, 900
ovens, giving employment to more than
5000 hands. Willie eRlRrging the out
put every means was used to make it
the best in the world, To obtain pure
water works were erected, costing q
quarter Of million. As q result the
coke was demanded for steadily in
creasing variety Of uses, and itsfeputa.
tiou fixed firmly.
1t is said that no other man ever
saw $50 far into the future Of the great
Connellsville industry MS ho did," and
certain that no man ever ventured up
on 1t with more confidence, pursued it
with moro energy, or reaped from it
greater reward.
A ow years ago hc bought an interest
in .no firm Of Carnegie, Phipps Il Co.,
and when W. l. Abbott retired iow
months ago. he succeeded him as chnir-
man,N On July let Of this year, all tho
Carnegie interests were consolidated
with capital stock OF S25,00O,0OO, and
Mr.. Frick was given absolute control OF
the gigantic concern. His wealth is va
riously estimated 1t from i've TO eight
million dollars.