The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1901-1901, 1901-08-07
CITY OFFICIAL PAPER.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7. 1901.
cARNEGIE's LIBRARY SCHEME


cARNEGIE's LIBRARY SCHEME.
Probably the name no American
of recent years, of those citizens who
have attained prominence outside Of
political lines or through aspira-
lions in the direction of public Office,
has been so often mentioned in the
newspapers of the country and in pri-
vate discussion as that of Andrew
Carnegie. His career from the time
he worked for two dollars a week
until the present has furnished
theme to innumerable writer's and
orators in all walks of life, with the
result that an atmosphere has been
created around him in which elements
imaginary and real, fantastic and Sc
date, gay and grave are curiously
commingled While there have been
a number of philanthropists through
out the world, notably in Great Bri-
tain and the United States, who have
seemed to view themselves as merely
trustees of the great wealth they have
through their thrift in diversified d.
rections accumulated, Andrew Carne-
gie's conception of the same idea has
been SO openly expressed, and he has
SO munificently dealt out a goodly
share of his wealth, particularly to-
ward founding libraries and other
institutions of an educational charac-
ter, as to leave in the background at
least temporarily all of his predeces-
sors along philanthropic lines. 1t is
true that the magnitude of his gifts
is easily explained by the extent of
his wealth, as with the probable ex-
ception of Baron de Hirsch no public,
benefactor in financial directions has
had at his command so great a for
tune, and possibly the sum total of
his dispensations, judged from the
standpoint of means at command,
would not be so Impressive as that
of others; but his methods of action,
his ignoring of UNCONVENTIONAL bound
aries and the wide territory covered
have united to give him unusual dis
tinctiOn.
The foregoing are facts in Mr.. Car
negie's case that probably will and
have given rise to no difference of
opinion. 1t is when consideration is
given to the conditions under which
his great fortune was accumulated,
his bearing toward the workingmen
who were his assistants in becoming
wealthy, and as to whether his distrl-
button of part of his fortune, since
he evidently feels called on to .distri-
butte it, might not be accomplished in
a manner less quixotic and more lust
and permanently beneficial to those
whose welfare he processes to have in
view, that wide divergence of ex-
preston is met with. AS an example.
we observe in newspaper published
in town to which Mr.. Carnegie has
donated some thousands for library
building, an editorial in which he is
characterized as a christian gentle
man," IAN exemplar of systema,
beneficence" and a public benefactor
ct unexampled record" while a dis.
patch from the east informs us that
the EastOn, Pa, labor federation
brands him as "a foe to labor" and
protests against the city authorities
accepting any of his money. And this
is not an unusual or rare difference OF
opinion, as other newspapers and
other labor organizations have endors
ed the opinions of their fellows.
It would seem hardly possible that
q man of Mr.. Carnegie's sound sense
and business acumen would fail II
recognize that il any one has RICH