The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-28
HE INSPIRED CARNEGIE
THE MAN TO WHOM THE MILLION
ARR OWES HIS LIBRARY IDEA.
'Colonci Anderson. of Allegheny
Influential Citizen of Indiana.

In Andrew Carnegle's book. "The Gospel
of Wealth.. he attributes his satisfaction
In giving libraries as the best form of
public benefcence TO the fact that when
he was a poor working boy in P%ittsburg
Colonel Anderson. of Allegheny. opened
his little library OF four hundred books TO
boys. Mr.. Carnegie extols the precious
generosity of Colonel Anderson, whose
name" he adds. II can never speak with
out feelings Of devotional gratitude. /
then resolved that II wealth ever came
TO me it should be used to establish Ii
braries that other poor boys might receive
opportunities similar to those for which
we were indebted TO that noble man"
1t should cerainly interest Indiana people
to know that Colonel Anderson, of Ale
gheny,' the man behind Andrew Carne-
gie's muniacent library gifts to the United
States, spent nearly twenty years OF the
prime OF his life ia educational work In
this State. From 1910 until 1858 John By
ers Anderson was a resident OF New Al
bany; and there maintained two collegiate
schools, then unequalled in the West or
S~outh-"the Anderson Collegiate Institute
for Boys" and the Anderson Female Sem
mary" These schools, as the catalogues
stated. were designed "to be permanent
English and classical schools. in which
pupils might be prepared for the advanced
classes in college, or for entering upon
the business Of life. professional or other
wise" An able corps Of professors had
charge of a fine curriculum I'm English,
Latin, Greek, mathematics, music and
French, and the schools drew large patron
age locally. as well as from all over the
country, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi,
Missouri. and even New York being repre-
sented. In 1853 fifty graduates were regis
tered In the Anderson catalogues. IL is still
a hallmark of Intellectual prestige In New
Albany 10 have been a pupil at the Ander-
son colleges.
A CLERICAL ANCESTRY.
Mr.. John Byers Anderson was born in
Washington, Pa. He came of "a family of
~clergymen, his father. Rev. DIR. John An
derson, and his brother, Rev. William G..
Anderson. both having been prominent In
the Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania,
Indiana and Kansas. He was educated
at the historic Washington and Jefferson
College, and had a legal career in view;
but soon discovered. as he was wont jo-
cosely TO say, that he was too honest to
make a good lawyer" In B~randenburg,
KY. where ne first taught school a short
time, he married Miss Cecilia Alexander.
and then established the hourishing acad-
emies in New Albany. In the schools Mr..
Anderson was assisted by his wife and
by his sister. Miss Nancy Anderson, both
| representatives of the small and ancient
fraternity of gentlewomen." Miss Caroline
Cornelia Cooke, Of New York, afterward
the wife OF Indiana's Governor, Ashbel
z. Willard. was "a teacher in the Anderson
Female Seminary. Colonel William IA.
Hillyer, of General Grants staff during the
war, was one OF the Anderson pupils; also
Professor Charles w. Shields, now
of Princeton. N. j.; Judge Alexan-
der Bowling. Mr.. Jesse j. Brown.
Col. W. w. Tuley. Mr.. Harry Crawford, OF
Chicago, and many other men prominent
In and out of Indiana. In New Albany MIR.
Anderson also was connected with a thriv-
ing book store and printing office, the firm
name being Warren * Anderson. He was
also Indians's first past grand master in
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. and
his name is always honored at the state
oonclaves.
Personally Mr.. Anderson was a man Of
tall and impressive stature and fine bear
ing. a noticeable man anywhere among
men. He had heavy black hair and a
black mustache, with kind but keenly OBJ
servant black eyes. AS a schoolmaster ne
evinced a strong mind and great learning,
and was unusually well beloved. For sew
eral years he maintained in school at his
own expense two boys and a girl from
New Orleans, whose parents had ceased TO
pay their board and tuition fees. When he
removed from New Albany he left in
charge of trustees some lands to be held
and sold for the benefit of any colored
church which might in the future arise in
New Albany.
HE ABANDONED TEACHING.
In 1858. from i'll health, Mr.. Anderson
closed the colleges and became builder
and manager of railways. He was general
manager OF the old New Albany & Salem
road, then filled a similar position with the
T~ittsburg, Fort Wayne q Chicago road.
During the war Secretary Stanton recog-
nized Mr.. Anderson's fine grasp of affairs,
cool Judgment and remarkable executive
ability. and pressed him TO accept a com
mission as brigadier general. This honor
he declined. but was appointed general
manager of military railways for the Army
of the Cumberland, with headquarters at
Nashville, retiring at his own request III
1861 With the Title or colonel, conferred OH
him in 1865 by Secretary Stanton. After a
short residence in New York Mr.. Anderson
went 10 Manhattan. Kan. where he was
identified with the Kansas * Pacific Rail-
way. and also had large landed interests.
At the time of his death in 1897, at the age
of eighty. he had been for ten years pres
ident of the First National Bank of Man
haitian. He was one of the founders Of
the Emporia College. and the library 10
which Andrew Carnegie had access i'm Pitts
burg was presented by MIR. Anderson as a
nucleus for a college library. After Mr..
Anderson's death Andrew Carnegie wrote
Mrs. Anderson. stating that he contem-
plated putting an addition TO the Pittsburg
library. defeating the same 10 the memory
of John Byers Anderson, and he asked her
If she had any suggestions to offer. She
replied that the library at Emporia College
was insuficiently housed, and she would
prefer that Mr.. Carnegie's memorial take
the form of a library building and endow-
ment for that college. whereupon the one
time working boy under Colonel Ander-
son. of Allegheny" gave 10 the town Of
E,mporia a $4,000 library building and an
endowment fund of $4,000. John h. Ander-
son was an exceedingly modest man. AMI
though, in Kansas. he had been heard 10
talk or Andrew Carnegie, II was not known