The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-05-15
Carnegie's Young Men.

In the current issue Of the Saturday
Evening Post Pull Latzko. in an arti.
Gle entitled Carnegie S Thirty Young
Partners, gives some interesting
facts about the system of promotion
by which special merit was recognized
IN the management Of the great steel
works. 1T was my privilege" he
says, ito be in the Office Of the Car.
negic Steel Company at Pittsburg
when there occurred an event that to
my mind has rarely been e1ualed for
dramatic interest. 1t was the making
OF millionaire. a plain, uudersized
young mao, bearing about him all the
ear marks of a hard working mechanic.
came into the outer office where was
seated. His shoes were heavy and
covered with the dust peculiar to the
man who labors in iron works. He
wore an old blacl. derby hat. A heavy
overcoat, much the worse for wear,
hung loosely from his shoulders.
Below the ovcrcoat there showed a
pair of gray trousers innocent of the
taiior creasing iron and eloquent of
long service in mill atmosphere. He
was perhaps27 or28 years old.
MIR. Schwab telegraphed for me-
the man said to the attendant.
Yes, he is waiting for you in
side.
"The man disappeared through a
door to the left, and as it closed be-
hind him one Of the officers of the
company to whom / had been taking.
said
Did you notice that man? You
did? Well, he went ir there an ordi-
nary mechanic, foreman in one of
our mills, working at foreman's
wages. In about half an hour, if you
remain, you will see him come o.t
partner in the Carnegie Company,
with the income Of a millionaire.
But for man who is about to
step from mechanics position to
that OF millionaire's he was about
the most uuconcerned person 1 ever
saw
That was because he knew no
more about it when he came in than
you did. His first information will
come when Mr.. Sehwab tells him what
the Company has concluded to do. He
has been with the concern about seven
or eight years. Most of that time he
has been employed as an electrician.
He has made many valuable sugges
tions and his worth was recognized by
his promotion to the position of fore
man. He has shown rare capacity in
that position for handling men; this,
combined with his merchanical knowi
edge, has appointed to him as the
proper man for taking hold of a new
enterprise on which the ccapsny is
about to embark
almost every one of the 30 bril-
liant young men who make up the
Carnegie Company came into partner.
ship under very much the same cir.
cumstanccs as was the case with the
latest member. The stories of their
success read like chapters in a oontin-
uous fairy tale. Mr.. Schwab, who
passed from the presidency of the Car.
ncgie Company to the presidency of
the billion-do concern, was a stake
driver for surveying party at 18 and
general manager Of tho Homestead
Steel Works at %. He it was who
really conceived that idea of the huge
combination that has swallowed up
nearly all the great steel.working pro.
perties of the company. resulting in
the formation of the United States
Steel corporation. Fifteen yesrs ago
W. Il. Corey, general superintendent
of the Homestead Steel Works and a
partner in the company, was water
boy, one of the humblest places in the
works. A. II. Peacock, tie fret vice
president and general s.les agent Of
the company, but 35 years old and
worth from five to seven million dol
lars, was II years ago alinen salesman
in New York, with no knowledge of
the steel business. He secured
c'erkship in the sales department Of
the Carnegie Company and worked
himself up to his present position.
The same story Of merit and promo
tion is repeated in the history Of all
the other partners. :.