Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-06
RISE OF A MESSENGER BOY.
He is Now the Possessor OF a
Fortune of Many flillions.
This is the story OF successful Man,
which Every one WIN Read With
Interest-The Brilliant Career
OF Andrew Carnegie.


giant. Commencing life as telegraph mes
senger boy, with stock Of Scotch foresight
and shrewdness as his only capital, he has
been so successful that to-day he's twenty
Ave times millionaire and the largest coke,
iron and steel maker in theworld. His name
Is Andrew Carnegie, and in Europe that
name Is better known than OF the great city
which he claims as his home.
Back in the forties there came TO Plttsburg
from the village OF Dumferline, in Scotland,
an iron molder by the name OF Carnegie, who
brought with him his wife and two sons, An
drew and Thomas, aged twelve and ten. The
elder Carnegie was very fond Of II quiet game
Of checkers, as was David Brooks, then man-
ager Of the telegraph and railroad Offices in
that city. This mutual fondness often
brought the two men together, and one night
Carnegie asked Brooks II he couldn't find
something for his son Andrew to do. "send
him down to my office and will make him
messenger boy" replied Brooks. Young
Andrew was on hand bright and early the
next morning to commence his duties. A
lot OF pretty sharp youngsters were then en-
ployed as messenger boys In the office.
Robert Pitcairn, now general superintendent
Of the Pennsylvania Railroad, was one OF
them, and David McCargo, for many years
past president Of the Allegheny Valley Rail-
road, was another, but Andrew was the
brightest one among them.
Manager Brooks had an old telegraph in
strument rugged up In the office for the use
Of the messenger boys, and the little Scotch
man pounded away on 1t so diligently In his
odd moments that he soon became an expert
operator. Not long after the late Thomas
Scott, then superintendent OF the Pennsyl-
vana wanted an operator In his private
office, and Brooks recommended Carnegie.
Here the young man showed such aptitude
In moving trains that he attracted the favor
able attention OF Scott and Edgar Thompson,
president of the Pennsylvania, that he was
transferred to Altoona, and became in turn
chief telegraph operator Of the road and sup
erintendent Of the western division. When
the Drake well was struck Scott and Thomp-
son put their money against Carnegie's bus
mess ability and the trio engaged In oil
operations. which made the younger of the
three millionaire before he was thirty.
With Scotchman's canniness and caution
the young millionaire possessed an Ameri-
cans push and enorgy. With his younger
brother, Tom, he saw that the iron and steel
industries We're only IN their infancy in this
country Together they built the Edgar
Thompson Steel Works and big iron mill at
Braddocks, Pa. Then came the war, and with
1t u big protective tariff and an ever increas-
ing demand for iron and steel, which caused
a corresponding increase in prices Andrew
Carnegie in five years doubled, trebled and
quadrupled his already large fortune and his
brother also became immensely rich. The
hold which he then obtained upon the iron
and steel trade he has ever since retained. He
Is the absolute owner Of the Edgar Thompson
Steel Works. which furnish employment to
5000 men, and turn out yearly 200, 900 tons OF
steel. The steel works are fed from five OF
the largest blast furnaces IN the world and all
are heated by natural gas supplied from Mr.
Carnegie's own wells and transported through
his own pipe lines. He owns controlling
Interest In dozen other Of the largest iron
and steel plants in plttsburg, and five years
ago the temporary embarrassment OF young
Henry Prick, TO whose energy and sagacity
the present dimensions Of the coke trade is
due, enabled him to also gain control Of that
important industry. That nearly all of these
enterprises have grown from small beginnings
to their present vast proportions under his
personal direction and supervision indicates
a man OF splendid executive capacity, and
such he is. Moreover, he is such warm
friend OF the woriingman and so ardent a
supporter Of the labor movement that he is
sometimes called the millionaire socialist. A
believer in scientific socialism he undoubtedly
is, and that he practices what he breaches is
shown by the fact that at the enterprises con.
trolled by him,there has been but three strikes
In twenty-five years
Some years ago l was sent TO Cresson
where Mr.. Carnegie has built castle after
the style Of the Scotch barons of 900 vears
ago, at cost Of 81 900, 600 or more. to inter.
view him' and during the conversation had
with him l asked him how much he was
worth. 81 declare he replied, II can hardly
tell hut at least S25,OOo, OOO NY income is
over $4,000 a day Such figures as these
almost take ones breath away. pretty fair
showing aren't they, for a Scotch emierant
Boy who began life less than forty years AGO
with neither money nor friends? With all his
wealth Mr., Carnegie is a many-slded man
ana knows well how to use wisely the great
fortune AZ his command. He has founded
nee libraries and cooperative stores among |
nus WorRmen without number. He has given |
sloOu'ooo to the Carnegie libraries in PITTS |
ours and Allegheny, and before these institu-
uohs are opened to the public he will prob |
any give as much more Edinburgh has |
received $500 600 from him for tho same nn,,. |
pose and TO his native town of Dumferline
ior which he has always had warm side he |
"as given at various times aud for yarions |
purposes something over $4,000 He has
"'W@ys been a warm admirer OF literature |
"uu art and his home is adorned with the |
inNsterpleces OF American, French and
English painters. Although he left school
Wheh he was twelve years OF age, he is one of |
.he most scholarly OF men and on intimate
'efns with the leading literary men Of
Aineriea and England. Some years ago be
,laue coaching tour through Scotland IN n
with William Black the novelist
I Matthew Arnold, the poet. and wrote a
' uoek on their experiences which was pub-
hshed on both sides OF the water and riaalv
reaa because of its easy and delightful stvle
All IN Andrew carnegle's career has been
que 20 be studied with profit by every Amerl.
-" IVY RuFus R. WILSON.
insuiar English.