The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-01-25

felloW-workmen. Shortly after Andrew
Carnegie graduated from the woollen
mills of Allegheny and became mes
senger boy in the Pittsburg "Tele-
graph office, he had his own first ex-
perience with libraries and librarians
in his attempt to acquire knowledge.
At that time there was Wretched little
free library in Allegheny on Federal
street, just above Colorado Row, the
property made famous in the Jack Rob-
inson will case in Media. Andrew Car
negie made APPLICATION for books, and
was refused on the plea that he was
not a working boy" At that time
clerks, telegraph operators, and other
boys and young men not employed in
mills, factories, or workshops were not
regarded as working boys, and as
he was telegraph operator young Car
negie was refused the privilege of the
library. At this time young Carnegie,
as he subsequently confessed, had a
burning desire to become a reporter
and subsequent the editor of a news
paper. He did not achieve his ambi-
ton, but he has always been exceed
ingly ready with his pen and tongue.
Stung by his rebuff at the Allegheny
library young Carnegie made an attack
on that institution in the Pittsburg
"Dispatch," over the signature Work
ing Boy" with such signal success that
he forced the librarian to ask an inter-
view, at which the differences were ad-
justed and Carnegie was admitted to
it's privileges on the score of being
working boy"
One Of the three "don'ts'' credited to
Mr.. Carnegie is don't speculate" The
other two are don't drink" and don't
indorse" And yet Andrew Carnegie's
colossal fortune is based on speculation.
With a number of others, shortly after
the oil excitement broke out In north
western Pennsylvania, Mr.. Carnegie
took flyer" in petroleum, and pur
chased 300 shares of stock in the Storey
Oil farm, on Oil Creek. Oil was as
great a. gamble then as it is today,
and so Mr.. Carnegie took the risk. Luck
was on his side, as it has ever been.
At first the venture did not promise
to be a. success. He became discour-
aged. and sold one third Of his stock
at a nominal figure. He went to Scot
land on a. visit, and while there some
big wells wer struck, and he came back
to find that his shares were worth
hundreds Of thousands of dollars. His
ultimate profit was $1,000 While a
great deal has been said about Andrew
Carnegie, very little is heard about his
brother, Thomas, or "Tom," as he was
Familiarity known in Pittsburg. Thomas
Carnegie was the antithesis of his
brother Andrew. He was tall and slen-
der and did not bear the marks of his
Scottish origin as plainly upon his face
as his elder brother. He was nervous,
wiry man, whose inseparable compan-
ion was a Pittsburg "stogle." He was
a partner in the Carnegie interests,
president in fact, and was lifted into
financial and social life by Andrew as
the latter rose. Thomas Carnegie has
been dead a dozen years, and is almost
forgotten now by all save his associates
of that time.
The old Hope cotton mill in Allegheny
where candy" Carnegie worked Is still
standing, although it is not in opera
ton. From the cotton mill he rose to
be a messenger boy, and it all came
about through his fathers love of play
ing checkers. The elder Carnegie used
to visit Pittsburg to meet some check
er-playing cronies, among whom was
John Brooks, then a clerk or manager
in the Pittsburg Telegraph office. One
night Mr.. Carnegie, in speaking of his
elder son, said that he did not know
what he was going to do with Andrew.
"Send him over and will make mes
senger boy of him. replied Brooks.
That is how Carnegie got into the tele-
graph business. In the same office with
him as messenger boys were four other
lads who have since become famous
in one way or another. They were
Robert Pitcairn, now superintendent Of
the Pittsburg division of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad, and many times a mil
ionaire; Henry w. Oliver, another great
iron master Of Pittsburg, whom it is
said Senator Quay has selected for his
successor in the senate; David M'Cargo,
another railroad man, and William c..
Moreland, for many years a leading
lawyer Of Pittsburg. Andrew Carnegie
was one of the little handful Of men
who witnessed an epoch in telegraphy
As years ago. 1t was the sending Of the
first message from New Orleans to New
York. It was considered g. wonderful
thing, almost impossible Of achieve
ment.
In those days operators worked on
short circuits, but the managers de-
cided to try the experiment of wiring
from the far south to the north. James
D. Reid was general superintendent of
the telegraph line, with headquarters
in Pittsburg. On the day set for the
trial, Superintendent Reid, David
Brooks, and Carnegie, M'Cargo, Oliver
Pitcairn, and Moreland, who were then
operators, gathered round the instru-
ment adjusted for the purpose. At a
signal, New York called Philadelphia,
Philadelphia called Harrisburg, and
then in quick succession Pittsburg, Gin
cinnati, Louisville, Memphis, and New
Orleans opened. In describing that
scene, one of the number said recently:
For a moment there was absolute
silence in the office. No one seemed to
breathe. so great was the tension. Then
came few faint ticks growing louder,
and an instant later an unbroken mes
sage was sent between the north and
the SOUTH" In every instance the men