The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-12-03
CARNEGIE HAS GIVEN AWAY
OVER S35O,OOO, 900

New York, Nov. 29.-Andrew Car
negie has a fortune today of $780,
100000. Of the vast wealth which
the iron master possessed when he
started giving away his fortune 20
years ago in conformity with his prin-
ciple of dying poor, that is all he has
left. He is now far down on the list
of Americas millionaires.
Mr.. Carnegie has given away about
$3.50, 100000. If interest were to be
included on some of the funds he has
set aside, the total would reach nearly
$400,000,000. This sum he has give
away in pursuance of his belief, as
expressed by DR.. Henry S. Pritch-
ett, president of the Carnegie founda-
ton, in his address Wednesday in
Pittsburgh, that the man who dies
possessed of great wealth, and who
devotes no part of it to the public use,
has failed in life.
Devised Remainder to Charity.
The fortune of $20,00O,O0O which
Mr.. Carnegie has left he has devised
in his will almost entirely to charity.
Very little will go to his family. Thus,
when his will is made public, it will
be found that he really made good
his boast of dying poor. There is,
strictly speaking, no record like his in
this or any other country. The actual
amount of Mr.. Carnegie's present for
tune was disclosed today by one of the
ironmaster's closest friends, a man
who has had the direction of the dis
posal of much of this great wealth.
While preferring that his name be
not used, this friend made it clear
that he believed the time had come to
make known the extent of Mr.. Carne-
gie's wealth today in proof of his
deep sincerity of purpose, and of the
manner in which he had carried out
his formula of the responsibility of
private wealth.
1t was the remarks made by DR..
Pritchett at the Carnegie birthday
celebration in Pittsburgh that led the
correspondent Of the Virginian to
make this inquiry as to the exact
wealth today of Andrew Carnegie. In
that address, occasioned by the eight
ieth birthday of the ironmaster and
Pittsburgh's bcnefactor, Dr. Pritchett
spoke of Mr. Carnegie as possessing
today only moderate fortune" af-
ter giving away nearly 100000, 900.
He declared he had made vital the
conception that the owner of great
wealth was trustee for the public,
obligated to divide it for the public
use.
Money Turned Back to Public.
= "The most noteworthy thing about
Mr.. Carnegie's preaching of the doc
trine of the conservation of wealth."
DR.. Pritchett added, 'is the fact that
his practice has squared with his
preaching. The great bulk of his ac-
cumulations, nearly $400,OOO,OOO, has
been turned back by him to the pub
lie to be used in the cause of human
betterment. He is today a man of
moderate fortune"
This utterance of the head of the
Carnegie foundation has served only
to increase the speculation concern
ing the actual extent of Mr.. Car
negie's present wealth, speculation
that has been indulged in generally
ever since Mr.. Carnegie began years
ago to announce his immense bene-
factions. That most of the compu-
tations made have been far from the
mark is indicated by the facts dis
closed today.
Gives Rea! Figure.
1t was when definition was sought
of President Pritchett's term "mod-
crate fortune" that this close friend of
Mr. Carnegie was induced to give the
zeal figures of Mr.. Carnegie's present
wealth. He coupled this with the as
sertion that, of course, fortunes were
largely relative, that the term mod
crate applied to fortune in the case
of man who had given away nearly
$4OO,O00,000, was not to be accepted
as meaning the same as in the case
of a person of the average compe-
tence.
But however small a fortune of
$4,000, 900 may be relatively in COM
parison with the amount of Mr.. Car
negie's total benefactions, it does not
mean, as this close friend of Mr.. Car
negie explained, that the latter be-
liev he has fulfilled his purpose. IL
was in this connection that this friend
made known tho fact thot NJ Co.