Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-25
Facts in the Life of That
Sterling Scotchman An
drew Carnegie.
EXAMPLE FORYOUNG MEN
What Pluck, Industry, Thrift and Con-
centratlon Have Done Can Be Done
Aeain-Rise of One of the Worlds
Greatest Figures.

Asain-Rise of One of the Worlds
Greatest Figures.
Andrew Carnegie, whose name is
on Ottumwans' lips today, be-
gan life a poor boy, like
many others who have risen
from Obscure places to positions of
much prominence in the world He
was born at Dumfermline, Scotland,
November 25, 1897, being the elder of
the two sons of Scoth master weaver.
The invention of machinery, which
was destined to make him a power on
the earth, ruined his fathers business,
for when weaving machinery came
into use the parent Carnegie had to
stop the motion of his four hand looms
which had won the bread for the
family for several years, and resign
himself to the inevitable progress of
civilization
Deciding that sit would be best
for the boys" to start life in new
country, the family left the land Of
the heather and removed to Ameri-
ca, when Andrew was lad of 10
years. The Carnegies settled in Allie
ghany City, Pa, upon arriving in the
United States, and Andrew began
work almost at once, securing posi-
ton as "bobbin boy in cotton fac
tory 1t is almost impossible to be-
lieve, and in any other land than
progressive America it would be i'm
possible that a boy starting at this
mental position, should arrive at the
prime CT life and find himself among
the worlds richest men.
His First Promotion.
After few months as "bobbin boy"
Andrew received his first promotion
and became engineer and fireman at
the cotton factory. Here he worked
from morning until night shut UP in
gloomy basement. living the life of
a stoker 1t is not hard to imgine,
then the Joy with which he gave up
this position when the family removed
from Allegany City to Pittsburg, and
he became messenger boy in the en-
ploy, of the Ohio Telegraph Co. In
writing of this step he says:
Taste of Paradise.
''If you want an idea as to heaven
On earth imagine what it was to be
taken from q dark celler, where l
fred the boilers from morning till
night and dropped into an Office
where light shone in on all sides and
around me books, papers and pencils
in profusion. This was my first taste
Of Paradise"
Father Dies.
When Andrew Carnegie was IA years
old the first great sorrow of his life
came upon him. His father died, and
the boy was left at this tender age
the entire support of his widowed
mother and his younger brother. But
adversely only sharpened his eager
ness to become success in life.
Starts Upward Career.
BY means of night study and applica-
ton to his business the boy gained the
confidence of his employers and also
learned telegraphy. He became an OPP
orator and received good increase in
salary. He was then able to save lit
tie money, which, needless to say, was
boarded carefully by his faithful
mother who. the great man often says,
furnished the will power which he
tired and sometimes almost discour
aged, failed to possess, and pushed
him on to ultimate success when he
would have faltered and perhaps failed
His First Investment.
Andrew Carnegie's first investment
was in ten shares of stock in thu
Adams Express Co., which he Dough
on the advice of friendly employer
for $500. To obtain the money the Lit
tie home in which the mother and he
two devoted sons lived was mortgaged
However. this was the first time thu
Young man had ever realized tina
money could be made otherwise thar
by manual labor He began to learl
the value Of capital and re-doubled hi
energies to save, with the result tina
in a comparatively short time tn
home was free and the Carnegie treas
ury was receiving additions on eacl
pay day.
An Eager Reader.
1t would seem that; to boy witt
SO many matters to engross his facul
ties, educational research would b
impossible But not SO with AndreS
Carnegie He was all, eager reader,an
the long evenings at home, after tn
completion of the days grind in tn
telegraph office, were spent in sell
prescribed reading course which deve
oped the brain and gave the boy a.
education which has been added t
ever since that time in the same way
1t was thus that he learned by actua
experience the great good of libraries
being allowed the privilege of DRAWN
on the excellent collection of John Z
Anderson, PENNSYLVANIA who kne'
and became interested in the amb
tious young Scotchman.
This benefaction fired Carnegie to
resolve to emulate the -giver. and h
decided that If opportunity ever offere
he would found public libraries an
make possible the self-education {
many more boys with advantages, O
lack of advantages like himself.
Becomes Railroad Man.
After having learned the telegrap
business, it was only natural that Car
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