The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-10
CARNEGIE WAS POOR
THE GREAT MANUFACTURER ONCE
WORKED FOR s1.2O A WEEK.
How He Served His Early Apprentice
ship as n business Man and Ac-
quire nm Enormous Fortune.


Ny Apprenticeship as a business Man." 1t
Il as follows:
II is a great pleasure TO try 70 tell the
readers OF the Youths Companion How
Served Ny Apprenticeship as a Business
Man" But there seems TO be a question
preceding this: Why did become business
man? / am sure that 1 should never have
selected business career IL had been per-
mltted to choose.
The eldest son OF parents, who were them
selves poor. had. fortunately. to begin to
perform some useful work in the world while
still very young. in order TO earn an honest
livelihood, and was thus shown even in early
boyhood that my duty was to assist my
parents. and like them become as soon as
possible also ''oread-winner'' in the fam
ily. What I could get to do. not what I
desired. was the question.
When L was born my father was we'll
TODD master weaver in Dunfermline, Scot
land He owned no less than four damask
looms and employed apprentices. This was
before the day OF steam factories for the
manufacture OF linen. few large mer-
chants took orders and employed master
weavers." such my father, to weave the
cloth, the merchants supplying the materi-
ais.
As the factory system developed, hand
loom weaving naturally declined. and my
father was one OF the sufferers by the
change. The first serious lesson Of my life
came TO me one day when he had taken in
the last Of his work to the merchant and
returned to our little home greatly dis
tressed because there was no more work for
him to do. / was then just about ten years
OF age, but the lesson burned into my heart.
and 1 resolved that "the wolf OF poverty
-.
i could do IL.
The question of selling the old looms and
starting for the United States came up in
the family council, and heard IL discussed
from day to day. 1t was finally resolved TO
take the plunge and join relatives already in
Pittsburg- / well remember that neither
father nor mother thought the change would
De otherwise than a great sacrifice for them,
put that lit would be better for our two
In after life, IL you can look back and
wonder at the complete surrender of their
Of their chdren yon must reverence ege tSer
memories with feelings akin to worship.
EARNING THE FIRST DOLLAR.
Arriving in Allegheny City, four OF US
father mother. my younger brother and my
self-father entered cotton factory. soon
followed and served as a "bobbin boy" and
this is how began my preparation for sub
sequent apprenticeship as a business man.
received sL20 a week, and was then just
about twelve years old
cannot tell you how proud was when 1
received my first weeks own earnings. One
dollar and twenty cents made by myself and
given to me because I had been of some use
in the world. No longer entirely dependent
upon my parents, but at last admitted to
the family partnership as a contributing
member and able TO help them! / think this
makes man out or boy sooner than al
~ ss anytning else; ana real man. too.
him: II Is everything to feel that you are
I have had to deal with great sums. MANY
millions OF dollars have since passed through
my hands. But the genuine satisfaction ]
FAD rom ron, that *i:2o outweighs and subse-
direct reward OF honest, manual labor; ii
represented week OF very hard work. SO
hard that but for the aim and end which
strong term TO describe It.
For lad or twelve TO rise and breakfast
every morning except the blessed Sunday
morning. and go out In the streets and find
his way to the factory. and begin work
While it was still dark outside, and not be
released until after darkness came again in
the evening, forty minutes interval being
allowed at noon. was a terrible task.
But was young and had my dreams, and
something within always told me that this
would not. could not, should not last
should some day get into better position
me happy. -'''''''
man, who knew some OF our relatives made
ooboins and took me into his factory before
I was thirteen. But here for time it was
even worse than in the cotton factory, be-
cause was set to fire boiler in the eel
lar, and actually to run the small steam
engine which drove the machinery.
BAD DREAMS ABOUT A BOILER.
The firing Of the boiler was all right. fol
fortunately we did not use coal, but the re-
fuse wooden chips, and I always liked tC
work in wood. But the responsibility o.
keeping the water right and OF running the
engine. and the danger OF my making 6
mistake and blowing the whole factory Il
pieces caused too great strain, and
often awoke and found myself sitting up IL
bed through the night trying the steam
gauges. But never told them at home tina
I was having hard tussle" No! no
everything must De bright to them.
This was a point OF honor. for every mem
Der OF the family was working hard, except
OF course. my little brother. who was ther
child. and we were telling each other onl,
al the bright things. Beside this. no mai
would whine and give up-he would die first
There was no servant in our family. AM
mother" by binding shoes after her dali
work was done Father was also hard a
work in the factory. And could complain
ashesl soon relieved me of the undue strain
for ne needed some one to make out bill
ana Keep MS accounts, ana 0nQlng that
could write a plain. schoolboy hand, an
could cipher" became his only clerk. Blu
still 1 had TO work hard upstairs in tn
factory, for the cler<ing took but little time
You know how people moan about pow
erty being great evil. and 1t seems TO b
accepted that II people had only plenty o
money and were rich. they would be happ
and more useful. and get more out OF life
AS a rule. there is more genuine satisfac
>tion, truer life, and more obtained fror
life In the humble cottages OF the poor thai
In the palaces OF the rich / always pity tn
sons and daughters OF rich men who ar
attended by servants. and have governesse
at later age. but am glad to remembe
that they do not know what they hav
missed.
They have kind fathers and mothers toe
and I think they enjoy the sweetness Q
these blessings to the fullest, but this the
cannot do; for the poor boy. who has /
father his constant companion, tutor an
model, and in his mother-holy name-hi
nurse, teacher, guardian angel, saint all /
one. has a richer, more precious fortune i
life than any rich mans son who is not 5
favored can possibly know, and compare
with which all other fortunes count for it'll,
IL Is because know how sweet and lar
Ply and pure the home OF honest poverty /.
how free from perplexing care, from socIt
It's members may be in the common interes
Jf supporting the family, that / sympathi7
with the rich mans boy and congratulate
the poor mans boy; and 10 is for these res
scas that from the ranks OF the poor S
mahy strong, eminent. self-reliant men hay
always sprung and always mus spring.
III you will read the list of the "Immortal
who were not born to die" you will fin
that most OF them have been born to I'll
NJ