The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-24

business, much less o. the pugnacity
% carry on determined fight Yet bis NE
shows him 10 have adopted Cnestetheids RUE
o. acting armIy in matter. but gently IN man
ner His manners are snisble, be Is pohte 70
everybody, but he sticks to his point. "nen ne
wants To tell anything he tells it; If he wishes
20 keep IL to himself he politely refuses TO Talk
and changes the subject.
M Frick Is yet q young nan, having been
born on December l9, 1sf9, at West Overton,
westmoreland county, Pa His father, a well
TODD farmer, gave him good education ana
opportunsty 70 know the world. At the age OF 70
he started In life as a dry goods clerk at Mount
Pleasant in his native county, the town which
was destined 70 be the scene OF some OF the
stornles. incidents Of his struggles WIFE DIS
employees. Then be went to bfoafoiofd, q
neighborinz town, as bookkecper at his gran1-
father Overholts distillery and -four MILL
That was when the coke business was In Its
Infancy. He saw the possibilities of that In
dusfry and with his small capital bought tfacs
OF coal land In partnership with several other
young men he built fifty coke ovens at Broad
ford. Tho business was a success, the number
OF ovens doubled, more coal land was bought
ard the plant was again doubled
Then came the panic OF 1873 Mr.. Frick rode
IN sueeexs on the wave which overwhelmed
thousands His partners were embarrassed oy
Endorsements and sold their interest to
certain friends of his. Others were simi-
larry In trouble and compelled 10
sell and Mr. Prick readily bought or leased their
nlsnts. HIS business grew by rapid strides. He
made a study of coke manufacture, continually
made improvements and surrounded himself
with the ablest assistants When tne
coke boom began in the Connellsville region,
q strip about fifty miles long and one and one
half to five miles wide every farmer put up MS
little COKE works and mined the coal under his
own farm. Farming and eoke-making do not mix,
and when oyer-production brought down prices,
the man with the best appliances Tor cheap
manufacture lived while his competitors went
70 the wall. Then Mr. Frick bought out those
in distress and extended his business all over
the region. In 1878 he gained additional capital
by selling an interest in the business 70 4. d.
Ferguson, of New York.
1t was in 1882 that Mr.. Friek became partner
of Andrew Carnegie. The latter bought large
interest in the business, and the name was
changed TO the Fl. c. Frick Coke Com
pany. 1t from that time supplied the great blast
furnaces of the Carnegie company. II owned
400 acres OF coal land and 1900 coke ovens,
employing 5000 men, and was the largest con-
Germ of the kind in the world. The quality OF
the product was kept up, water costing a
quarter of a million dollars were built near
Mount Pleasant 10 supply the WORKS
there and everything done 70 promote
economy in production In the early
days coke plan. has paid for itself in one year,
but now profits were down to a normal basis.
Early in 1884 the Conuelisvilie coke business
was almost all in the hands of four big concerns
and they organized syndicate with an agree
ment to limit production. when necessary, and
maintain prices at a paying basis. For some
months coke had been selling below the cost OF
production and several smaller operators had
come to grief.
A ew years later he bought an interest In the
nrm-of Carnegie, Phipps & Co., and when w. l.
Abbott retired three months ago he succeeded
him "a chairman. On July OF this year all the
Carnegie interests were consolidated with
capital stock Of s25y000,OO0, and Mr.. Frick was
given absolute control OF the gigantic concern.
His wealth is variously estimated at from S.,
100000 to sso0o,000.
Ten years ago he was married to Miss Ada
Chiids, daughter OF the late Asa p Childs.
prominent citizen OF Pittsburg, and for many
years at the head of the Pennsylvania Cot
ton Mills. Mr.. Frck's union was
blessed with three children. He resides OH
the corner of Pennsylvania and Homewood
avenues, in one OF the handsomest residences
of the East end. He Is a member of the Du-
quesne and Pittsburg Clubs, and takes but little
recreation.
Mr.. Frick IL q veteran in battling with
strikera In 1882 the coke-workers of the whole
district, who were but indifferently organized,
struck against q reduction OF wages, and for
months bitter struggle was kept up One
OF the leaders in that strike relates that
whenever he would get permission
from q farmer TO hold a strike meeting in his
field. Mr.. Frick would buy tho field and have the
meeting dispersed. At last he found farmer
who had grudgs against Mr.. Frick, and swore
by all that was holy that he would not sell out
There the meeting was held, and a lively one
II was. Whenever striker strayed
over the fence q deputy sheriff would
entered the field . constable would seize
him The strikers, who were mainly Ameri-
cans. English, Irish and Scotch, were gradually
replaced by swarms OF Hungarians aud Poles,
secured from employment agencies in New
York Thus new element replaced many Of
them.
Peace raigned until January 1886, but mean
while the old leaders gained a hold ON the
Huns and explained their grievances to them.
Some of the latter learned English aud acted as
interpreters Coke went up all the ovens
were In blast and q strike for higher wages
occurred. 1t was bitterly severe winter with
two feet Of snow on the ground Some men re-
manned at work and then Mr. Frick and
his fellow operators reaped the whirl-
wind. Great bands OF drunken, en-
ragged Huns marched through the coun-
try, brutally beating non-union men
and roasting one in coke oven, fighting
pitched battles with policemen and deputies
and putting them to flight. They were uncou-
troilable. and terror reigned After month OF
such scenes the operators surrendered and con-
ceded every demand of the strikers.
Then the whole district WAS organized and a
strike fund was built up. the Huns becoming
tho most enthusiastic union men. New de
mands were made and granted without a
struggle. Flushed with victory the workmen
in the spring OF lSSS presented de.
mand for new advance. Ii was submitted
60 an arbitrator, who decided against the work
men. They refused to sbIde by tho decision
and struck. Then began new struggle. After
some weeks Of idleness, privation forced many
of the strikers back to work The Huns went on
the rampage again, drove out the workers, burned
coal ttpple AZ BrosdlOri and beat many men.
This prolonged the fight Carnegie was bound
u have coke. and Frick withdrew from the
syndicate and granted the strikers demands
H. was bitterly denounced by his associates
who continued the fight They brought in
Pinkertol men. Hnd under their protection the
strikers gradually Grit,ed 10 work again.
Ia 1871 new struggle occurred, the workmeu
resisting reduction OF wages. The incident.
OF it viii Be fresh ia many minds. An attac
by the strikers on Fricks Norwood works al
Mount Pleasant was repulsed with fata
results by band OF pinkert0r
men Tho militia was called out arc
occupied tue region for some weeks, but still
riots occurred at many L aces, caused BY eve
tous Of the strikers. Finally the militia Wal
withdrawal, deputy shcrtGs ana Ptnkertcn meu
srsiR occupied tAe4r places; Italians and ne
gfecs were Imported - replace the strikers and
tie operators were once more IA control.
II ~as during this strike that the FriCS Com
pany bought cut Two OF tie other mcmoars q
the deianct syndicate 80 well ~ several lnde
pcndvnt operators. and gained possession o
threc-t0urths 81 the 1904 ovens IN the region
lie is now literally the coke King IS well as th