The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-08
MAKES OFFER
TO CARNEGIE.
Clergyman Wants 10 Surrender
His Thinking Machine.
WORTH s5,ooo,OoO, he SAYS.
Clerical Crank From Baltimore tlacted From
Hall When the American Authors Sc
clsy Was EnloyIng Dinner.
WORTH s5,ooo,ooo, He SAYS.

New York, April S.-A clerical crank,
or at least a very peculiar-minded man
in clerical garb, called Andrew Carnegie
a philanthropist TO his face in the Hotel
st. Denis last evening in the presence OF
a few hundred people attending the dim
ner of the Society OF American Authors.
and there was merry little to-do at once.
Any one remembering Mr.. Carnegie's
definition OF a philanthropist, "a man
with more money than brains might
have expected something to happen. and
II did. Mr.. Carnegie repelled the attack
upon his intelligence and swiftly and as
aggressively as If II had been an assault
and battery upon his person.
Mr.. Carnegie was the guest OF honor at
the dinner, and he had just taken his
seat after short after-dinner speech.
when the man i'm the clerical clothes
arose and, addressing Rastus S. Ransom.
president Of the society and chairman of
the dinner. asked permission TO make
request of Mr. Carnegie
Mr. Ransom politely asked II the re-
quest might not be made after the cerS-
monies OF the evening were over. but the
stranger brushed the chairman's remark
aside and went on talking.
MY name is Crawford Frost, OF Balti-
more" he said. II want TO offer Mr.. Car
negie, the great philanthropist, an invita-
ton
Mr. Ransom-won't you wait?
Crawford-Frost (crescendo)--I want to
offer him S., 900. 900
Mr.. Ransom-Won't you wait?
Crawford-Fro (crescendo)-I want TO
ask him II he will take IL.
Voices-Put him out! Sit down. Stop,
Crawford Frost-I want TO ask this
philanthropist-
Mr. Carnegie. rising in his place at the
table and speaking with the greatest en-
phasis: "I will answer the gentleman by
telling him that he is making a mistake
in calling me a philanthropist. I reject
the name. / am no such foolish fellow"
What more Mr.. Carnegie might have
said was lost In the next assault of
Crawford-Frost, who having got. as he
thought. a rise" out of the "philan-
thropist," did not propose TO lose his
chance to follow 1t up, and addressing
Mr.. Carnegie directly from his place, half
way back in the room, he said Il offer
you S., 900, 900. VIII you take IL? offer you
an invention"
Cries-Sit down! Go out!
Crawford -Frost-An invention whereby
/ can take a thought and have IL auto
matically recorded on paper. VIII you
take -; and the rest was lost in an out
burst of laughter.
Mr.. Ransom-Wil you go out or will
you be removed?
Crawford-Frost-Ill go.
why" exclaimed Mr.. Ransom, did
you ever come in?"
-hn haI 4t,rn hfc
clerical waistcoat toward the exit. wheel
ed and hurled back in the diction OF a
melodrama hero-In order to convict this
assembly of stupidity.
To the outburst OF laughter which
greeted this thust he retorted, but
you'll invite me back some day"
The peculiar cleric said in the corri-
dor that he was the Rev William Alber
Crawford-Frost rector of the Protestant
Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter
of Baltimore, and that he was staying at
the Waldorf-Astoria. He had so many
names for his invention. which he wanted
to give TO Mr.. Carnegie, that the report
ers could not take them all in as he shot
them out. The invention, he said. was a
printograph, vitograph typeyriter
which was 10 do away with all other type
writer's.
"The spacing and shifting" said he 'is
done with the feet and knees. You make
the CapltaIS with your leIt Knee anu 10
the spacing with the your right
The invention, he explained was sub
stitute to think thoughts with and make
them objective at once. Humanity could
not do without IL. lie had come here to
offer IL To Mr.. Carnegie and 10 humanity.
He had offered IL TO Mr.. Carnegie once.
and Mr. Carnegie would have one more
chance at IL, he said.
And then William Albert Crawford
Frost walked out OF the hotel The clerks
at the ST. Denis said they knew nothing
about him and had never heard of him.
Baltimore April S.--Rev. Crawford-F Frost
Is pastor of one OF the most influential
Protestant Episcopal congregations I'm
Baltimore. His sermons and sayings,
| while bordering on the sensational. have
attracted considerable attention I'm this
| city, to which he is n newcomer. Recent
| ly, he ridiculed the Carnegie library gifts
| saying the people needed employment and
| not books lie is well thought OF i'm Bal
| timorc.
| nDCAT Old OplcE