The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-04
HOW CARNEGIE SELECTED
HIS LIEUTENANTS
Apparently Trivial Incidents Caused the Great ronmaster
to Choose the Men Who Have Become Known
as the Carnegie Group Of MiIIonaires.
By THOMAS @. VISK.
Copyright, 1908, by Thomas G. Visk.

Andrew Carnegie was recently
blunty asked the question:
What Influenced you most in the
selection of your lieutenants in the
steel Industry"
Apparently trivial incidents" was
the laconic reply.
Then, after a moments pause, he
added, by way of explanation:
Il watched young men with whom
1 came in contact, and whenever !
ran across one who, all unconsciously,
by some small action or word uttered
in ordinary conversation, made me
feel that he had the qualities demand
ed in my business, / gave him a chance
to prove that he really had them. And
when he did, then he became one of
my lieutenants, and in return for his
assistance l endeavored to let him
have a fair share in the profits of my
business"
This, In brief, is the story OF the Sc
lection and making of the so-called
Carnegie group of millionaires.
Charles M. Schwab is one of these
men. James Gayley, vice president of
is anotAar. Thomas Lynch, successor
of II. G. Prick at the head of the
worlds biggest coke company. is a
third; Mr.. Frick himself a fourth, and
William E. Corey, the youthful pres
ident of the Carnegie Company and
the Carnegie Steel Company, a fifth.
Then there are H. P. Bope, Daniel M.
Clemson, A. r. Peacock, F. T. F.
Lovejoy, w. w. Blackburn and Thorn
as Morrison, a Carnegie cousin brought
over from Scotland and given a hum
o-l NJ
Moreland, George Lauder, Albert G.
Case and Joseph E. Schwab, brother
of Charles; Lawrence Phipps, who,
though a nephew of Henry Phipps,
Mr.. Carnegie's life long partner, had
to start at the bottom and work up
with men who had no rich relatives;
A. R. Hunt, w. e. McCausland, who
began life as a messenger in mer-
camille agency Office, and many others
A Remark That Led to Fortune
The incident that led Mr.. Carnegie
to select A. +. Peacock, formerly hold
ing the important post of purchasing
agent of the Carnegie properties, a!
a lieutenant, is typical Of the man
ner in which the majority of the mem
bers of the famous group were picked
out.
Mr. Peacock owes his millions to E
remark that his last employer liked.
Twelve years ago Mr.. Peacock wa:
salesman for New York decorating
house. At that time Mr.. Carnegie ar
rived in the metropolis to see about
some decorating that he wanted done
in the Fifth avenue mansion that he
recently discarded for the more mag
nificent one further UP the avenue
He asked the firm that had Mr.. Pea
cock in it's employ to send him sam
pies of wall paper, and Mr.. Peacock
was assigned to take them.
The salesman's manner of display
ing the samples and conducting bust
ness so favorably impressed the pros
pective customer that a few days
later, when he wanted to inspect more
samples of wall paper, he expressly
requested that Mr. Peacock be sent
with them. His second talk with the
salesman pleased Mr.. Carnegie more
than the first, and just as Mr.. Peacock
was leaving, the millionaire said
apropos of nothing that had gone
before:
Young man, you will be rich some
day"
Mr.. Peacock laughed.
MIR. Carnegie" he answered, "if
1 thought so, I'd be willing to give the
man who helped me to riches a liberal
discount"
Mr.. Carnegie's reply all but took
away his hearers breath:
I'll take you at your word. Go ia
your employers, resign at once and
come with me-"
Mr.. Peacock did as he was bid. and
judging by results, he gave Mr.. Car
negie a liberal discount in work; for
his fortune is conservatively estimated
at $4,000, 000
H c.. Prick not long ago named Mr..
Peacock as one of the thirty men in
Pittsburg who are worth this sum
and over. He has recently moved into
a new house which cost 100000 and
which is said to contain the finest in
terror woodwork of any private resi-
dence in America.
why a Farrier Was Made Lieu
tenant.
Daniel NJ. Clemson is another of these
fortunate two-score men. He got the
good will of Mr.. Carnegie, and, ergo,
his millions, because he could shoe a
horse well and wasn't afraid of work
Mr.. Clemson was born on a farm in
Central Pennsylvania. When he was
nine years old he was apprenticed to a
blacksmith. The recompense was all
that he could eat and an occasional
suit of homespun. He bloSsomed out
as an accomplished "smithy" on his
nineteenth birthday. AS his pay was
still his board, he went out into the
world to seek his fortune.
He drifted to one of the Carnegie
mines.
what can. you do?" asked the
superintendent.
"Shoe horses" was the reply.
Mr.. Clemson shod horses so well
and so many in a day that when Mr.
Carnegie was Inspecting the mine, the
Superintendent said:
THAT fellow shoeing horses - over
there is the fastest and best man in
the shop. He's not afraid of work,
either he'll work all day and all night,
if necessary"
Give him a chance in the mechani-
cal department" ordered Mr.. Carne-
gle.
Mr. Clemson soon had charge of all
the mining machinery. Next he be-
came the mine superintendent. In
1885 he was transferred to Pittsburg.
Now he has charge of the lis riber
and lake vessels owned by the steel
trust and is head of a natural gas
company whichAhas under lease 9S, 900
acres, operates 1870 wells and produces
40 1000, 900 cubic feet of gas each day
in the year. He still lacks year Of
being fifty. Like the great majority
of Pittsburgs men of money, he Is
comparatively young