New-York tribune., 1912-01-11

leases. AND MT. Ndfn'Sie N'"NNN>'
while his auditors enjoyed the laugh
with him.
Like Romance Of High Finance
Talking Of millions until every listener
feIt almost plutocratic and unfolding
life story that reads like a romance OF
high finance. Mr.. Carnegie was pictu-
rescue witness.
The ironmaster made a wry face when
told that he must appear again to-mor-
row He was fatigued, he said. but he
oxnressed candid desire to get
through" The committee insisted on
asking questions about small details
anyway. and time and again Mr. Car
regie declared that he knew nothing OF
such trivial matters as trial balances
cost sheets. ledgers and plant Nalua-
tions -.
"I had thirty-fve young partners; "
they couldn't keep the books what couiu
a., old man Ike myself do? l never
turned a page of one Of my company s
hooks in my life" he finally declared
For almost an hour the committee mao
attempted to pin Mr. Carnegie down 10
q statement of the real value ot the
Carnegie companies when the Morgan
,.,,d;cato Maid Si2O 600 900 for them, in
1901.
Earlier in the day Mr. Carnegie had
remarked. apropos Of the present prohtS
of the steel Corporation. WASN'T
fool to sell for S42c.0o0,0oo?"
- thought the business was worth
more ALI along" he volunteered, half re-
gretfully. who was right? LOOK at
the reports of the Steel Corporation To-
dav and determine for yourselves
crowded committee room greeted the
ironmaster. Many women were IN the
audience, and some of them stood FOR
hours as the Laird of Skibo, han
crouched I'm the witness chair strokinS
bic gray beard and banging the tapie
told the story OF now Hl,ooo'
borrowed in 1863 had grown TO sf-'-
ooo oo0 IN thirty-Odd years. Mr. Carne-
gle INDUCED in pleasantries' was quick
at repartee. used many epigrams ana
otborwise gave an exhibition OF re-
narkablv active and alert mind.
The wiry ScotChman, small IN stature
coIp, and impetuous in turn. anxious 10
erieh his story and get away Woulu
Ndeet in his chair a while and theh SET
Io hack for a few minutes untll some
r,onber of the committee expressed MS
Inability TO ndcrstand the ramihcauohS
=, high finance. Then Mr.. Carnegie
,,.o,,ld lean forward with but my good
,riord" " or but, Judge" Several times
the ironmaster forgot and called Chair-
man Stanley MI President
N.ver Looked Over His Books
,rno committee gasped in surprise when |
A.. carnegie declared that he had never !
,oo,od over his books lie knew nothing |
=, tho actual value of this plant or that
rnoee were details for my partners
..,ybat, You put through a Si2OOoo,-
ooo sale and had no trial balances nc
Inventories. nothing TO show what you
,,,ore really worth?" asked Chairman |
Stanley incredulously.
.I never saw an inventory in my life. |
AZ chairman. couldn't look after |
those thing5. What were my partners I
for?"
Iuet as an illustration of Mr.. Car
reeie's aptitude in hitting only the high |
n,acos he said at the morning session /!
thot he received $43O0Oo0O0 from the !
Morgan syndicate. In the afternoon he
1t was S420. 900, ,0O0-a mere
difference of $10O000O0.
Telling of the time he got the better OF
pockefeller through my dear friend
Harry Oliver" Mr.. Carnegie testified he
rod hocome interested in owning his
o,,r ore mines. Rockefeller had an ore
eo,d Of a few thousand acres out in the
lake Superior region. Mr.. Carnegie said
ba sent lanes Gayley, then one of is
hr,ybt Young men, to New York with in
.truct,ons not to return to Pittsburgh |
until no brought a lease OF the Rocke-
,ollsr ores Mr. Gayley came back after |
leasing the Rockefeller holdings for ID to |
20 cents a ton.
Sale TO Steel Corporation.
Mr. Carnegie was particularly en-
phatlc in his testimony relating to the |