Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-11-03
BOYS AND GIRLS.
CARNEGIE'S EARLY DAYS.


The first money Andrew Carnegie
earned was to him the greatest prize
of his life. Not all the millions of
dollars he has earned and bestowed
in libraries, books, paintings and
charity since have given him so much
pleasure and real satisfaction as the
first $1.20 he took home for weeks
work when twelve years old. He lived
with his parents in humble little
dwelling in Rebecca street, Allegheny
City, Penn, which long since disap-
peared, and two sets of buildings have
since occupied the site. He had Sc
cured situation as "bobbin boy" in a
cotton factory. Allegheny City before
the Civil War, was one of the greatest
cotton manufacturing towns in the
country. There were no eight hour
work days and half holidays on Satur-
days then. The working people Ia
bored from the earliest peep of dawn
until darkness prevented the further
use of the tallow dips which fickered
uncertainty about the machinery.
Being "bobbin boy" was hard work.
1t kept young Andrew busily engaged,
and he had no time for play or the
reading of books. He did not like
his employment, but he kept his hard
working father and mother from
knowing his dissatisfaction. He said
to himself: ''It cannot last all the
time. Some day will get better
position. Some day will be able to
earn $25 a month and that will keep
father, mother and little brother"
For one whole year Andrew perse-
vered as "bobbin boy" In the win
ter mornings he had to grope his way
about the streets going to work, as
there were no lights. The streets
were not paved and the cotton mills
were dark and dingy. Andrews sec
ond job was even worse than his first.
A Scotchman who knew Andrews
father and family made bobbins for
cotton mills, and Andrew engaged
with him. He got little more money,
but he was condemned to feed boiler
in a dark cellar with shavings and
chips to keep up steam. He had no
engineers license, and a sense of
dread hung over him that the boiler
might explode some day and blow up
the whole building. But he never let
his parents know that he was afraid
of the boiler, and worked away help
! ing to maintain the family.
Andrew was small for his age, and
at thirteen did not appear more than
ten, but be steadily looked for a
broader career. < And as to all who
work while they wait, the opportunity
came to him, and he left the grimy
factory for the open air life of mes
senger boy.
The building in which Andrew Car
negie made the start in his successful
career still stands at Third avenue
and Wood street, Pittsburg. The
great fire which swept over the city
in 1S45 burned the buildings in this
street, and the brick structure which
occupies the corner was one of the
first erected after the fire. In 1851
Andrew Carnegie applied for work to
the O'Reilly Telegraph Company,
which occupied the lower floor of the
building. Within few days he knew
the name of every firm and individual
in Wood street, and was able to de-
liver messages promptly, and the
managers depended on the memories
of the boys.
Young Andrew was the most am
bilious boy of all the messenger
force. He learned to read and write
much better by constant practice, as he
had not much chance to go to school
BY studious attention he learned to
send messages and it is said that he
was the third telegraph operator in
United States to learn to take mes
sages by sound. He soon became g
most proficient operator, and while
yet boy he had positions of trust il
the telegraph office. But he never
spent his earnings foolishly. His am
bition to help his father and mother
and to educate his younger brother
was the ruling passion with him. HI
honored his mother while she lived
and reveres her memory to this day
This was one of the main secrets o
his success. His ambition to carr
money and be great man came from
a desire that he might help thos'
whom he loved .-Erchange
Cut this out and take it to 81. G. Pierce:
B. U. Wells, d. w. Hildreth's, @. Wheeler
or /. Stephenson's and get free sample O
Chamberlain's Stomach and Liver Tablet: