Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-26
CARNEGIE ANECDOTES
Newly Told Incidents Of the
Rich IronmaSter.
MADE A MILLIONAIRE
GOOD FORTUNE FOR A MAN FROM
DUNFERMLINE.
Reward He Gave a Chemist Becaues
He Did Work He
Liked.
MADE A MILLIONAIRE

Written for The Evening Star by Thos. @. Clayton
| Numberless anecdotes have been told OF
Andrew Carnegie Some have been true
others of the whole cloth. Here are few
| heretofore unchronicled ones that have
| been obtained from and are vouched for by
several of Mr.. Carnegie's old business asso.
| ciates.
| Mr.. Carnegie once made a millionaire OF
a man who, all unconscious of the fact that
| his visitor was born In the same town, hap
pened to say. Il am from Dunfermline."
| The story goes back to the time when Mr.
| Carnegie's fiancee was purchasing part OF
her rousseau IN Brooklyn. After she had
| been shopping for several days the clerk
who had been waiting on her told her in a
sudden burst of confidence that she, too,
| was soon to be married, but I'll not have
such nice things" she added, as she fin
gered the delicate fabrics laid out before
the customer.
| The clerks confession struck a sympa-
thetic note in Mr.. Carnegies fiancee. She
| in turn told who was to be her husband
and when. and then asked:
And will you tell me whom you are going
to marry?'
Mr.. Peacock" was the reply Hes the
| floor manager here. and when we are mar
ried I'm not going to be here any more"
A few weeks later Mr. and Mrs. Carnegie
went abroad on their wedding trip and were
gone several months. When they returned
Mrs. Carnegie went to the store where she
had bought her trousseau to do some shop
ping. and all Unexpectedly she ran across
/ the clerk who had helped her select her
wedding fnery.
Why" she exclaimed. "how is it that
you are still here? thought you were not
going to stay after your marriage. Didn't
you tell me you were to be married few
weeks after my wedding?'
Yes was the reply, but Mr.. Peacock
became i'll shortly after our wedding and
I've taken my old position again and will
keep it till he Is able to get back to work.
That evening" when she went home. Mrs.
Carnegie told her husband the story of
the clerk who had helped her select her
trousseau and ended by asking him to call
with her at the Peacock home.
A few days later when the Carnesics
made the call they found Mr. Peacock in
bed. and while the two ladies chatted to-
gether in an adjoining room, MIR. Carnegie
seated himself by the bedside. He had
been there short time when he asked:
Mr.. Peacock. from your pronunciat ion,
I'd say you are from Scotland Are you?"
Yes" the reply. Il was born in
Dunfernline.''
You don't say sou exclaimed Mr. Car
negie. why. that was my birthplace.
also"
That settled it. Before he left the house
II.
low townsman that he was to leave his all
and follow him. A. G.. Peacock did as he
was told. and today he is one Of the mil
lionaires of the steel industry, and lead
ing citizen Of Pittsburg.
Cranes Were Useless.
When electricity was first being put to
commercial uses the Carnegie Steel Com
pany invested in electric travelling cranes
to the extent of a quarter of million
lNIl-, i -. IL
livered and paid for the discovery was
made that they wouldn't work. AS result
the men who had talked Mr.. Carnegie into
giving his approval to the purchase of the
cranes sat up nights trying to find a way
: to make them travel, and incidentally Won
dering what would happen to them if they
did not discover the way.
While these heutenants were thus occu-
pied, little. transformations chemist in the
Edgar Thomson works, who had recently
come over from Germany. spent his spare
time in making a set Of plans for some
sort of mocha meal construction. When he
had finished, he rolled up his work placed
it under his arm, went to Mr.. Carnegie'S
Pittsburg office. and sought admission. In
the course of time he got TO his employer
Mr. Carnegie he said, after he had in
troduced himself, Il can make the electric
cranes go"
Mr.. Carnegie looked at his visitor in as
constituent.
You make them gor' he said. incredu-
lousy. do you know that the best cleo
trical experts in America can't make them
go?"
II do" was the reply. but I can make
them go just the same"
Then tell me how" said Mr. Carnegie,
impressed by his employees earnestness
With that the little chemist, who hadn't
been given credit for knowing anything be-
yond the range of his mortar and tubes,
unfolded his blue print plans and started
to explain his scheme. Before he had got
fairly we'll started it was evident to Mr.
Carnegie poor mechanic that he is that
the German had hit upon the one idea that
would make the cranes CO. He turned to
his desk. and while the man at his elbow
kept up his struggle with the English Ian
guage he wrote out this order:
"Mr. - is to have any material and any
men that he deems proper at his disposal
until further notice.
Take that" he said. as he handed the
paper to the German and broke off the in