The morning news., 1899-01-01

private operator The young man said he
aldnt think so. But when this same
young man told me what had occurred, I
asked him to so and tell Mr. Scott that 1
would be glad to enter his service. was;
1 saw chance to better myself
The salary was $50 a month, $40 more
than | had been getting. There is never
a boy or man employed whose chances
does not come to him. The thing is to
know 1t and seize it.
Beginning OF a Hobby.
1 have spoken of a constant determina-
tlon from the first, to get on in the world
There is a great deal more in feeling that
way than some people think. There was
another determination that I formed in my
ooyhood in Pittsburg which l have been
able to carry out a gentleman named
Col Anderson let it be known to the work
ing boys that he could always be found in
his library Saturday afternoons and would
be glad to see them there. l went, as soon
as heard of this. Strange to say, there
was some question about my right to come
in under the head of working boys as
was now telegraph operator. That
made me indignant So / sat down and
wrote my first contribution to print in
letter 10 the Pittsburg Dispatch. l in
sisted that any young man or boy who
worked, whether with his head or his
hands, was entitled to be known by the
honorable designation of Working Boy"
as signed myself. After that had no
trouble. And i found that Col Ander-
son permitted us to take his books home
with US. l saw how much good he was
doing and l determined then and there
that if were ever able to do it, l would
provide free libraries for people who
worked. That has been one of my hobbies
that | have carried out in Allegheny,
Bradford, Johnstown, Pa, Fairfield, Ia,
Edinburgh, Dunfermline-the home of my
boyhood-Aberdeen, Peterhead. Inverness,
Ayr, Elgin, Wick and Kirkwall And if
live there will be more yet, especially in
and about Pittsburg, libraries combined
with art galleries and halls.
From Mr.. SCOTS private telegraph op-
orator 1 became his private secretary. I
worked with him and under him and j.
Edgar Thomson for thirteen years, from
1854 to 1867. 1 soon became attached to him
and learned to look up to him almost as
father l went wherever he went, trav-
eled with him, slept in the same room with
MIN, and could not help feeling, from his
attachment to me-almost dependence on
me- that had won his affection.
Another Opportunity Accepted.
One morning Mr. Scott was little late
getting to the office, and there had been
an accident on the eastern division. to
the best of my recollection a bridge had
been burned, or washed away, and the
through express was away behind time
There was only one track and the freight
trains were on the sidings all along our
western division waiting for the express,
which had the right Of way. L CLEANED
the situation from the kilograms l found,
and sat down at once to do what I knew
Mr.. Scott would do if he were there I
wired to the conductor of the express
that I was going to give the freight trains
three hours and forty minutes of his
time, and told him to answer me, so that
might know that he understood the sit
uation He answered me that he did I
then wired to the conductors of each
freight train and started the whole string
of them. Every telegram was signed
Thomas A. Scott"
Presently Mr. Scott, who had heard
about the trains all being late and an ac-
cident on the road. came hurriedly in and
sat down to the pile of kilograms.
Here it is 10 O'clock" said he, "and
the express not in and the freights hung
up and the devil TO pay. Wire"
Excuse me, Mr.. Scott" said I. 81 wir-
ed the orders 1 thought you would send.
Here are the telegrams, and l think youll
find the through freight already in the
yards.%
He looked at me and never said a word.
He looked through the kilograms l had
sent in his name and he kept on being
silent. I wondered what he was think
ing but / didn't say anything.
few days passed. One morning ].
Edgar Thomson the president, came into
our office in Pittsburg 1 felt a hand
on my shoulder and looked up. rs this
Andy?" he asked. Eyes, sir" said l.
well" said he, ''I've been hearing about
you. Scott told US the other night about
what that little Scotch devil of his had
been doingr' And with that he laughed
and l felt [ had a friend in him, as well
as in Mr. Scott
On another occasion, when Mr.. Scott
was away from the office on business, and
| had left me behind, held court, dismissed
| two men-there had been a bad collision,
and censured several others. All this
time 1 was a boy only, looking even young
er that 1 was
Carnegie's First Investment.
| One day Mr.. Scott asked me if I could
| get $500 to invest l didn't have the money,
| and / didn't know where l could get it,
! but I wasn't going to throw away the
| chance of my life, the opportunity of in
vesting with my chief.
"Oh, yes, sir" l answered him; Il can
| get it,
well" said he, "get it as soon as you
| and l can help you out little, if you
| can't raise it all. A man has just died
who owned ten shares of Adams Express
! stock 1t costs only $50 a share and it
pays per cent a month. You must buy
! it,"
/ felt that his was crisis in my life
my chance to become independent, TO get
! away from the slavery of salary TO the
! Independence of competence. And for the
means TO accomplish this l turned TO my
! one unfailing, faithful friend my mother.
| l knew she could get the money l didn't
| think there was anything she could not
| do. l also felt that if Mr.. Scott had
known how utterly out of the question IL
was for me. or my family to have $500 on
hand he would have advanced the whole
sum for me. But my Scotch pride would
never have permitted me to tell anybody
| how poor we were. Our savings $500, we
had gradually put into our home-the best
| Investment, anywhere, for anybody, is real
estate-and 6hIs was now paid for. Should
4 we mortgage Il to raise the money for
/ this Investment? My mother said yes
! unhesitatngly What Is more she said