New-York tribune., 1911-11-26
.CARNEC|E'S VIEWS At IS.
Would Like to Live to the Age OF
John BigeloW.
TALKS OF C0UNTRY'S DUTY
Meanwhile My Friend the Sage
Is Spending Quiet Day with
Family and Few Callers.

Most people labor under the impression
that youth is the happiest time OF life, put
two men whom the world accounts great
celebrating yesterday an aggregate OF IO
years spent on this planet, bore witness 10
the contrary.
"If could only secure life insurance,
said Andrew Carnegie, with seVenty-slN
years 10 his credit ITO keep me to the age OF
my friend. the sage. John Bigelow, ana my
faculties as unmpaired as his, | should De
prepared 70 pay very heavy sum out OF
my surplus and think 1t was money wei
spent"
Mr.. Carnegie lay back in the corner OF a
luxurious lounge before an open wood hre
in the private library where he lives ana
works when at his Fifth avenue house.
On the desk beside him lay pile of tele-
grams and letters nearly foot I'm height
sent by friends all over the world to Wish
him many happy returns Of the day. on
the table a half opened basket of purple
fruit showed that one friend at least had
remembered the old custom OF giving BIRTH
day presents, while In the main library ad-
Joining three vases OF pink roses gave
visual evidence Of the many that had ar
rived.
Four miles downtown like scene greet
ed those who were fortunate enough 10 pe
received by my friend. the sage at MS
home in Gramercy Park. MIR. BigeloW
ninety-four winters weighed bit more
heavily upon him than did Mr.. Carnegies s
eighteen less and forced him to take the
festive occasion a bit more quietly, out
flowers were I'm evidence just the same and
the pile Of congratulatory messages IL
vailed. II IL did not exceed, that OF the
ironmaster
There was a buzz Of conversation around
the house of the older man, too, that was
lost in the great recesses of the uptown
palace. Two sons and two daughters were
there TO attend the birthday dinner ana
they brought with them one daughter-in-
law. five granddaughter and the husoands
Of two of them. they were Major Johh
Blgelow, jr., and his daughter, Jane; Mr.
and Mrs. Poultney Bgeow, Miss Grace
Bigelow, Mrs. c. +. Tracy and "er two
daughters. one of them Mrs Thomas G.
Cook Miss Charlotte Harding, whose moth
er was unable to be present; Miss Lucy
Dodge. whose mother Mrs. Lionel Guest, Is
abroad Mr. and Mrs. Newall Tilton and
Thomas c. Cook
They, with the exception OF Mrs. Tracy.
were the happy family that gathered
around the ceremonial board at midday 10
drink TO the grand old man, but the grand
old man was not among them then. lie
was eating quietly in the library upstairs,
and Mrs Tracy was with him. II was just
after the meal that he received more call
ers than at any other time during the day,
and among those who saw him for a few
moments were j. Pierpont Morgan, Mrs.
Clifford Pinchot, Daniel c. Beard, DR.. Ed
ward Robinson and Admiral French Ensor
Chadwick.
Toward the end of the afternoon Dr. ST.
Clair McKelway editor of The Brooklyn
Eagle" an old friend of Mr.. Bgelow, came
into the entrance parlor with a bundle in
his hand.
'I don't know what these arc" he re-
marked in a tone that made one doubt him
violently, as he removed the paper from a
bunch of American Beauty roses, but
guess I'll take them upstairs;
Then he paid a graceful tribute to Mr..
Bigelow's eternal youthfulness. 'Its only
through conspiracy between his father
and mother that he has the better OF me
in years" he said. 'I'll wager I'm older
than he is in everything else"
That other disciple OF youth. Mr.. Car
negie. was found in mine own library