Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-12-14
CARNEGIE 0DSIED Mr.. FRICk
HE OBJECTS TO HIS MANAGER
HAVING ANY OUTSIDE IN
TEREsTs.
Others walked the Plank-Resigna-
lions of all Employees Kept ON
Hand For Immediate Use, and
Many of Them Have Been Used.

PITTSBURG, Pa, December H.
That Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay
Prick, partners in the Carnegie Steel
Company, Limited, have quarreled and
parted company is as sure as If both
men had stood on top of the fourteen
story Carnegie building and shouted it
through megaphones to the crowds that
pass below. but neither of them has
said one word to e%nlighten the public
as to what it is all about nor how it
will end.
During the years that Mr.. Frick has
had an Office in this city whenever a
newspaper writer brought him a story
for denial or confirmation he invariably
said it was or was not so, and that set
tied it. When approached on the sub
ject of his recent retirement Mr.. Prick
was silent.
When Mr.. Carnegie's Jolly mood dur
ing his visit to Pittsburg about three
weeks ago is contrasted with his sudden
departure in the fog of the morning
this week after a meeting in the Carne-
gle Office the day previous, n need
look no further for an explanation OF
this peculiar procedure. He had issued
to Mr.. Frick an ultimatum concerning
his relations with A. w. Mellon, the
banker, and w. H. Bonner, formerly
of the National Tinplate Company. who
recently organized the Union Steel
Company. Tt is said that Mr.. Carnegie
objected to Mr.. Prick having any 9TH
err steel works before him but that of
the Carnegie Steel Company. 1t is al
legged that he demanded of Mr.. Frick
that he drop the enterprise. Mr.. Prick
refused. Hence the split.
FRICK OWNS COAL LANDS.
1t is generally supposed that the H.
C. Frick Coke Company, Of which An
drew Carnegie is a large stakeholder,
own the thousands OF acres of coal
lands in the Connellsville region that
will maintain that concern for a CEN
fury of more. But Mr.. Frick is known
to own just as much Of the coal land
in his own right, and should the H. c..
Frick Coke Company squeeze him. out
he would be a strong factor with his
private holdings.
1t is generally supposed that the Car
negie Steel Company is the largest
owner of bottom land along the Mon.
ongahela river, judging from the num-
Der Of miles covering the territory, yet
H. C. Prick is said to own just as much
land of just as desirable a nature.
KLOOMAN HAD TO GO.
There is a parallel of the Frick in
cident in the history of Mr.. Carnegie's
career. His first business association
in this city in the iron industry was
with Andrew Klooman in the early
seventies. The firm was then Carnegie
& Klooman, and a mill was operated
in the L~awrenceville district of Pitts
burg. Klooman, who is dead, invest
ed in property in the Lake Superior
region near the ore mines to start a
blast furnace without taking his part
ner, Mr.. Carnegie, in. The latter was
opposed to the venture and Klooman
had to go.
HOMESTEAD NOT A FACTOR.
Stories to the effect that the quarrel
between the magnates originated with
the Homestead strike is not borne out
by facts. Nor does it appear probable
that the men disagreed over the re-
fusal of Mr.. Carnegie to sci, the pro
perty when he gave an option on 1t
for ST. 00,O 200.
Messrs. Prick, Mellon and Lauder,
the latter the new director, visited Mr..
Carnegie at Skibo Castle, Scotland,
during the summer The option for
the sale of Carnegie's interests was al
lowed to expire and while Mr.. Frick
was at his desk in Pittsburg word was
sent out that $4,000, 900 was to be ex-
pended in the erection of new blast
furnaces, openhearth furnaces and
steel mills by the company. Contracts
were let for this work, portions of 1t
being under construction while Mr..
Frick acted as chairman of the Board
of Managers.
THE WEEK BEFORE THE ROW.
When Mr.. Carnegie arrived In New
York from Europe he was in no hurry
to visit Pittsburg. His coming was
announced, and Mr.. Prick was among
those at the station to welcome him
home, the two riding to MIR. Tricks
house in the latter's carriage. This
did not appear as though the men had
quarreled in Skibo Castle.
Mr.. Carnegie came back to Pitts
burg fully a week ahead of schedule
time, unannounced, and, instead OF Wis
iting Mr.. Tricks residence or being
net by him, he went to the home Of
George Lauder. During the day the
meeting was held. and before anyone
could realize what had really happen
ed he was off again for New York.
LIESHMAN HAD TO GO.
The hurried visit was made like the
one Mr.. Carnegie made here in 1886,
when j. G. A. Lieshman, president Of
the Carnegie Steel Company, now min
lister to Switzerland, resigned from the
company. At that time an unfortunate