The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-03


his experiences, except the toughness
of them. He didn't want to whine. ~
picture of the poverty of the family at
that time is quantity told by Mr.. Car
ncgie himself: There was no servant
in the family" said he, and several
dollars per week were earned by our
mother by binding shoes. after her
daily work was done. Father also
worked hard" and he adds with char
acteristic simpleness: why should !
complaint"
The man who employed him to run
the engine in the factory was John
Hay. MIR. Hay soon found what a
bright fellow young Carnegie was, and
finding he could write a good hand,
made him his clerk. Mr.. Hay also
found that he had a good head for
figures, and was quick in most every
way. The work at the clerks desk and
as bobbin boy, however, did not suit
Mr. Carncgie's ideas. Evidently there
could be no pent-up factory for him.
His future was in the world beyond, in
a wider and more active field. SO ne
became a messenger boy in telegraph
office at Pittsburg at the age of four
teen. While serving this apprentice
ship to a great career which was to
follow it, Mr.. Carnegie did not loaf on
the corners, delay messages by indulS-
ing in games of marbles or hop-oVer-
the-stick or any of those other devices
which have so often delayed not only
the messages of telegraph boys but
their own careers. He was prompt,
aSrt, bright and, as he says, happy.
His only dread was that he should
some day be dismissed because he did
not know the city.
THOROUGHNESS.
However, he made up his mind that
he would learn to repeat sucCesslNely
each business house in the principal
streets. "And," says he, II was soon
able to shut my eyes and begin on one
side of Wood street and call every firm
! successfully to the top; then pass to
the other side and call every firm 10
| the bottom. My mind was then at
rest on that point"
But the tick of the telegraph instru-
ment caught the quick ear Of the mes
senger boy. His ambition was insat-
| late; he wanted to become a telegraph
operator and began TO practice on the
| instruments in the early hours in the
morning before the operator arrived al
the office; it required a very little time
to make him an efficient telegraph
operator. In talking of these early
days Mr.. Carnegie says:
zone morning / heard Philadel'
phian calling Pittsburg and giving the
signal death message'-great atten'
tion was then paid to death messages
and / tried to take this one. l sue
ceeded in doing it before the operator
| arrived. After that the operator some
| times asked me to work for him."
This message, however, was taker
on the tape, but young Carnegie soor
began to be able to take messages by
ear, which at that time was considered
a very extraordinary achievement. ..
think" said Mr.. Carnegie, in discuss
ing his early struggles, "only two per
sons in the United States could do this
and this brought me into prominence
and was given a position at the enor
nous salary of S25 n month"
A GREAT FORTUNE.
To young Carnegie this was a grea
fortune. He had often thought tina
the family could live on $500 yea
and be quite independent, but this wa
only a drop in the hat. He was giVel
the additional enormous sum of 81 pc
week soon afterwards for acting as
telegraph operator for the six associ
ated newspapers Of Pittsburg. TIL
man who paid him this 81 to do tn
work himself received So for it. Thi
brought him into contact with tn
newspaper world. Among the busines
men who came to the little office 4
which Mr.. Carnegie worked as an op
orator was a man named Thomas A
Scott. some years after that To b
known as the greatest railroad ma
in the country Mr.. Scott then hel
a somewhat subordinate position an
had occasion to use the young opera
tor in his communications with hi
chief at Altoona. At that time tn
Pennsylvania Railroad company ha
no wire of it's own. but soon after
ward built a telegraph line thrOug
to Altoona and thence to Philadelphia
Mr.. Scott then asked young Carnegi
to become his clerk and operator, an
thus began his connection with tn
Pennsylvania railroad, which led hiI
to fame and millions.
My salary" said Mr. Carnegie
"was enormously increased. / wa
paid $35 a month" Says Mr. Carnegi
quantity: Mr. Scott was then rC
ceiving $l25 month, and l used I
wonder what he could do with so niue
money" For thirteen years Mr., Can
negie remained with the Pennsylvani
Railroad company and then succeede
= to the superintendency of the Pitts
burg division on the promotion Of NJ
Scott to the presidency Recall
ing these old days Mr.. Carnegie says
"One day Mr.. Scott, who was tn
, kindest of men, and had taken a gres
fancy to me, asked If 1 had or coul