Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-08-24
HAS REMARKABLE CAREER
H. c. Frick a Man of National
Prominence.
BEGAN LIFE AS A CLERK
When u Years Old Engaged in Coke
Business AS an Operator On His
Own Account.

prominence. When President Cassatt
of the Pennsylvania railroad company.
was taken i'll last ummer and il
seemed that he was no longer alb e
with his old vigor to struggle with
the vast problems presented TO the
head of that great system, the direc-
tors, it is said. cast about for a pos
sible in the event Of Mr..
Cassett's death. They fixed upon
Mr.. Prick. Whether the former steel
magnate accepts the title of presi-
dent or not, it is quite certain that he
is to be the dominating force in the
affairs of the Pennsylvania. He 9
already a director and the largest in
~dividual owner of stock.
Mr.. Frick is a remarkable man and
has had a remarkable career.
Not only national but international
attention was riyeted upon him for
the first time in July, 1892, when the
anarchist Bergman attempted to as
sassinate Mr.. Frick in his office in
P%ittsburg. 1t was during the famous
Homestead steal strike.
In 1904 it was heralded broadcast
that Mr.. Frick had procured the APP
pointment af Attorney General Phil
| ander G. Knox as United States sen
ator from Pennsylvania, and although
this was not the fact, yet for a second
time was Mr.. Frick thrown conspic,
uously into the limelight of publiciay.
A year ago attention was again
directed toward Mr.. Frick by his APP
pointment as chairman of the inves-
tigating committee of the Equitable
Life Assurance Society and by the
announcement that he was to desert
Pittsburg to spend the remainder of
his life in New York.
AS to Mr.. Tricks career
He was born in Fayete county, Pa,
in 1S49, and while a boy became II
of the trusted clerks in Overholt's
distillery, When barely q years old
he engaged in the coke business as an
operator on his own account. He
made his first great strike in 1872
by building a coke road from Broad
Ford to Mt. Pleasant. The Balti-
more & Ohio saw the value Of the
road and bought it in at handsome
profit. Mr.. Prick at once invested
his entire capital in coal lands and
additional coke pants. In 1882 the
coke interests held by him and e.
NJ. and Walter Ferguson reached
such an enormous size that CarHe-
gle Bros. and Co. paid s~1,500,000 for
a half interest therein. He then
bought a number of other works,
bringing into one interest from 20
600 to % 1000 acres of Connellsville
coal. Later the holdings We're in
ceased Sc per cent. In busy times
the company produced from $4,000
to 10000 tons of coke daily. On the
death of David Stewart, Mr.. Carni-
gle, recognizing the great business
ability of Mr.. Prick, succeeded in
getting him to take an interest in the
firm of Carnigie Bros. and Carnegie,
Phipp and Co, and he accepted the
position of chairman. When the com
panies consolidated with a capital
stock of $685. O0, 600, Mr.. Prick became
chairman of the new organization and
active head of its vast interests.
'Well-advised men in the world of
business say the building up of the
great Carnegie concern to it's pres
emit gigantic proportions was due to
the genius of Mr.. Frick and to his
holiness in innovation. Quick 10
see and appreciate the value of any
new method, he was swift to acquire
and install it in the Carnegie plant,
frequently in direct opposition TO the
judgement of Mr.. Carnegie, who is the
epitome of conservatism. AS a mat
ter of fact Mr.. Flick and Mr.. Carne-
gle were never in thorough sympa,
thy o, accord in the conduct of their
business. Various points of differ
ence continually arose, and the fric-
ton arising from these finally resulted
in conditions that made it impossi-
BILE for the two men to longer work
together.
The predominant traits in Mr..
Tricks character are his fearless
ness and tenacity. Once having made
up his mind that a certain course of
action is expedient or necessary, he
will adhere to his determination with
unfinching persistency and a bulldog
courage rarely found. Although I'M
dersized he shows the possession of a
robust constitution. His eyes, clear