The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-22
NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD
A History Of the Carnegie Steel Company
That Doesn't Flatter MIR. Carnegie
A Minnesotan's Story OF HIS Summer
In Norway-ALesson In Japanese Pro-
nunciatIon.

That history Is scarcely good history
which shows an unnistakable bias against
one OF the chief characters, about whom it
Is written, almost at the outset. For that
reason James Howard Bridges The In
side History Of the Carnegie Steel Com
pany will hardly be accepted as final in
any search for light on the business out Of
which has grown the United States Steel
company, or at least that part of it re-
ting especially to Andrew Carnegie In
a PREDATORY note to the third edition the
author explains his former relation to Mr.
Carnegie as that Of an assistant In liter
airy work especially in the preparation Of
Triumphant Democracy He adds that
during that service 'he had neither the
opportunity nor the inclination to learn
the business secrets of the steel COM
panies." Nevertheless Mr.. Bridge ac-
quired dislike for Mr.. Carnegie that
/! Is very evident, and it has plainly colored
his history, tho his story may be true
enough as far as it goes.
Yet the book is tremendously interest
ing. 1t Is "a romance Of Millions" a tale
of magic. a well constructed narrative of
small beginnings, rapid growth, obstacles
overcome, wars, attempted assassination,
intrigue and success-success that once
would have been regarded as ''incon-
ceivably vast
The whole great steel industry started
from the little forge Of Andrew Kloman a
RUSSIAN. Klonan made good car axles
and his business grew. Soon a partner was
taken into the firm. The business went
on growing, but trouble grew, too. It was
here that Andrew Carnegie entered the
steel field. He was called in as a sort OF
arbitrator, and, according to Mr. Bridge
the results were such as to recall the
fable of the lawyer and the oyster-eacl
of the litigants got a SHELF
OF Mr.. Carnegie's claims as a pioneer ii
the American steel industry, Mr. Bridge
says:
"The prosaic fact is that the earlies
of the Carnegie steel enterprises was tn,
eleventh in America instead Of the frs
to use the BeSsemer process" .a
Having cast discredit upon Mr.. Car
negie's way of getting into the steel bust
ness, and caused doubt to rest upon hi
claims to honor as a pioneer in the u.s.
of the Bessemer process on this side of tn
water, Mr.. Bridge would seem to cast re
Elections in considerable measure upon MI
Carnegie's business sagacity by writing o
what he calls Carnegie luck.'' This piec
of luck" which after all seems to hav
been secured on very good bushes
> grounds, was the purchase of the Home
stead mills. 'It is illustrative of the un
failing luck of the Carnegies,'' writes MI
Bridge, that the Homestead works, thu
acquired when the steel trade was suffer
, ing an unparalleled depression, should pa
their cost within two years"
An element of the romance of wealt
is added again in the coming on the stag
. of the coke king, H. c. Prick. It wa
under the direction Of Mr.. Tricks genius
says the author, that the annual earning
; of the Carnegie Steel company, limited
, were brought from $1,941, 555 to 100000
I 900 in a dozen years.
The other history Of the great industr
= is too recent to need reference here.
= is plain from the emphasis laid upon M
= Carnegie's shortcomings and errors
: judgment that the original proposition {
:. to Mr.. Bridges bias cannot be far wronl
u Had he shown more genuir
y spirit of limpartiality his position wou
Z have had more force in the very directic
in which he has apparently sought to e.
: ert ali influence.