The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-03-22
CARNEGIE'S GREAT WORK

Andrew Carnegie seems to be max
ing good his expressions of late years
about giving away his wealth for OBJ
jects of benefit to the general public.
He does not know, it is said, just how
much money he has given away to
public objects during the past few
years, but it is estimated at about
S52, 600, 000 This sum includes "a,
900, 600 which he has given as a trust
fund, the income of which is to be
used as pension fund for the benefit
of employees who have grown old in
his employ and through ill-health or
for other reasons are unable to take
care of themselves. Also those who re-
ceived permanent injuries while in his
employment. The trust fund will yield
about 5000, 600 per year, which it is
estimated will be sufficient for the pur-
poses intended. There are about go,
900 hands employed by the Carnegie
company. Last year the Pennsylvania
railroad company expended 1914, 500. 30
for allowances to it's rs, 900 employees
east of Pittsburg.
But the public had hardly time to
grasp the full meaning of this great
offer, which was coupled with one of
81, 000 600 as trust fund for libraries
he had previously given to Homestead,
Braddock and Duquesne before the
| announcement came that he had offered
So, 200, 900 for the erection of So branch
| libraries in the city of New York pro
viding the city will furnish the sites,
! and provide for the support of the
same. This will be considerable of an
undertaking and yet if that great city
could shake off the grasp Tammany
has at its throat it could easily save
more than enough to keep up these
libraries and so give to both young
and old of that city one of the greatest
opportunities for intellectual growth
ever offered in great city.
Swift upon the heels of this magnifi-
cent offer come that of $1,000, 900 to
the city of st. Louis for great
library building upon the condition
that it raise $3.50, 900 for its mainte-
nance. 1t is difficult Tor the public to
grasp the full meaning of this great
work of Mr.. Carnegie. His great gifts
have come so fast within the past few
days the people have not had time to
fully appreciate the great benefits
that have thus been spread out before
them.
But close upon these comes the
statement of his friends that it is Mr..
Carnegie's intention to give at least
$50, 600, 900 for buildings and endow-
ment of the proposed technical school
at Pittsburg. This he intends to make,
it is said, one of the finest of it's kind
in the world. And why shouldn't it
be. Its endowment will be greater
than that of any other college or uni
versity in the country. In fact it is
greater than the endowments of Har-
ward, Yale and Chicago University
combined. 1t would be such an insti-
tuition as would make Pittsburg the
future Mecca of thousands of young
men who desire to fit themselves in
the highest possible degree for life's
great work. The idea of Mr.. Carnegie
is if his plans shall be fully carried out
that those who attend shall be led
along from the primary manual
training to the highest eduaction of
the mechanical engineer. In short
that the mechanic shall have the best
possible chance to fit himself for his
chosen vocation. Such an institution
would provide an education for multi
tudes OF young men, the need for
which has long been felt, and is grow
ing greater with each passing year.
1t will be an institution that will do
more to raise the intellectual level of
the mechanic along lines of life than
anything else that can be done, and great
as will be the monuments which Mr..
Carnegie is erecting for himself by the
libraries he is causing to be built in
cities throughout the country, this
proposed institution, if built on the
| plans which have been set forth, will
stand out through the years to come as
Mr.. Carnegie's greatest work.