The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-26

separating from MS pdIbnelSs he Adu
thousand men working In the establishment
where, at the start. be was frightened by
the pay roll Of seventy.
But his troubles with official Prussian
stupidity were not yet over. The nincom-
poops intrusted with the technical details
ordered Krupp to construct their guns after
a certain impossible fashion, and. as a con-
Sequence, several Of them burst during the
Dar.sh-Prussian and Prussian-Austrian
war If the Franco-German war had not
followed so closely upon the last named
cast-steel would have been once more
abandoned for bronze But the day Of Sc
dan. when 2.O0O Krupp guns. built after the
masters own plans. battered down one en-
pire to create another settled the case once
and for ali; not a single Krupp gun burst
during the war of 1S70-1S71.
WAR PROMOTES WORKS OF PEACE.
Doubtless many do not look upon gun
making as an industry calculated to pro-
mote the welfare of the nations and the
worlds advance in general, but krupp
record as inventor and originator OF novel
methods in steeI-making proves that even
works OF war may promote works of peace
No sooner had he received the regents or
der, for instance, than he doubled the ca
pacity of his works, adding a mammoth
forge, so immense and unthought of that
ironmakers all over the world shook their
heads, prophesying disaster. The new ham,
mer had a capacity of a hundred thousand
pounds and cost $4,000. When it descend
ed for the first time a small army of invited
guests and sightseers, among them numer-
Gus English. American, French and Bel
gian engineers, ran away, dazed and over
powered by fright. Alfred Krupp alone re-
| manned close to the untried giant, fer moth
| Ing could shake his confidence in its con-
struction. Then followed furnace after fur
mace, forge after forge, each succeeding one
bigger than it's predecessors; shops were
added by the mile and workmen engaged
| by battalions and regiments Even before
| Krupp guns roared the requiem of Ma
| pOleon's power Alfred had astOnished the
Emperor of the French and the host Of
| monarchs attending his brilliant exhibition
| at Paris IN 1867 by a cannon OF such dimen-
| sions as no other manufacturer had ever
| attempted, no war office had dreamt Of.
! The monster weighed 10000 pounds, and
| AIfred's English competitors cried in terror
that it was impossible to keep pace with
| him At the same time Armstrong came
L
against Krupps before an international
| board of artillery experts. while the Wool
witch arsenal complained that Sheffield steel
did not come up to the Essen brand. With
England wasting time and energy in fruit
| less lamentations, Krupp realized another
new and daring idea He established drill
| ground for his long range guns at Meppen,
covering ten square miles. and invited the
under his own supervision.
| ALFRED KRUPPs PRINCIPLES.
| In business and life Alfred Krupp was
guided by the following principles. often
| expressed in his conversation and writings:
Luck? I foresaw the coming of the rail-
way era and gagged my endeavors in the
| line of invention and manufacturing &C
| cordingly. AS to gun-making, 1 based it
| all on original lines. originated it all
| 81 never asked for protective tariff-the
| excellence of my products placed them
above protection.
II was a born fighter and always willing
| to risk my last penny, my last suit of
clothes for an idea, after its feasibility and
practicability was once firmly established
in my mind.
IT once took back three hundred guns
from Prussia that had proved nonsuccess-
full, because of faulty construction. ordered
by the Prussian government. 1 might have
charged my loss up to Prussia, but re-
| Trained in the expectation of future busi-
ness. 1 got it.
| IT always made the best-always tried to
| go my competitors one better.
| Everything I earned in the business !
| put back into the business after deducting
my personal expenses, kept at the lowest,
/ as long as such was essential to success.
| At the start 1 leased twelve and a quarter
acres of landed property; when L retired
owned $50 acres for business purposes, 1271s
| of which were under roof.
| 'I always made the factory pay for the
| growth and enlargement Of the business.
| Never had a partner or stakeholder after
1S4s when needed money I borrowed it on
mortgage. Once 1 paid off mortgage of
thirty millions within five years out of the
| profits of the business.
Through twenty-five years, up to the
4
| ing myself, technical, financial, diplomatic,
| etc, etc. In 1862 1 hired my first repre-
| sentative, and from that time on began
| placing such responsibilities as L could not
| myself attend to upon younger shoulders.
| But it was done gradually, after selecting
| the best man suited for each branch and
after trying him severely without letting
| him know that he was under observation or
slated for better place.
Business was always before me, and
| when couldn't sleep at night I did not
hesitate to employ the otherwise wasted
hours in work.
II never left anything to accident, and
| gave as much heed to scientific as TO prac-
| tical considerations The millions 1 paid to
chemists and artillery experts were we'll in
| vested. At the time must confess
that had neither scientific nor technical
| training.
Yes, I always believed in advertising
| My exhibits at the different worlds fairs
| were among the most costly ever placed
| Visitors of consequence were always treat
| ed with the most distinguished considera-
! ton at my factory. / was always lavish
with samples. Governments contemplating
| buying guns had no difficulty in expert
| menting at my cost
HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD LABOR.