The weekly Alaska citizen., 1919-12-08


 Clay Prick, one of the founders of the coke industry in the United States. and one of the original members of the old Carnegie Steel company, died at his home here this morning. If he had lived until December 18th he would have been 70 years of age, being born in 1849.
 The career of Henry Clay Prick hes formed one if the most fascinating chapters in the romance of industry in the United States. At ten, a boy or a farm in a family of only ordi- nary means, he was, at sixty, a man of so many millions that his fortune. like those of Carnegie and Rocke, feller, was largely a matter of guess work even to himself. It has been said he was worth more than $100,- 100000, perhaps as much as $200.- 100000.
 MT. Prick built up the greatest coke bushes in the world, and acquired such vast interests in steel that he was also one of the principal mag mates in that industry, and in round- ing out his career he became known as one of the worlds greatest collec tors of master paintings.
 Mr. Prick was born December 19, 1S49, at West Overton, Pa. This village was named after the maternal grandfather of MT. Prick. Abram, Overholt. whose original family name was Overholtzer, and who settled in Western Pennsylvania when that re- ion was regarded as the frontier ot civilization. As the settlements along the Allegheny and Monongahela grew, and Pittsburg emerged from It's swao- ding clothes, MT. Overholt became the leading miller and distiller of
 estern Pennsylvania. His daughter, Elizabeth, married John w. Prick, young man of Swiss ancestry, who at that time was working as an engineer in the Overholt distillery. It was from this union that the future capi- talist was born. The father attempted farming, but did not make a remark able success of it and as 8 result young Henry Clay Prick was prac- tically adopted into the Overholt fami- ly when he was about 12 years old. He received good basic schooling, but there was nothing in his boyhood to indicate the remarkable ability which characterized his latter life, ex- cept his eagerness to get into busi- ness. For a time he was bOokkeeper in his grandfather's distillery, and from this position he went to Morgan and Company, coke dealers, and at about 21 years of age he appeared in Pittsburg as their agent. The coke industry was in its infancy. The iron masters of Pittsburg were just beginning to appreaciate the value of coke for their furnaces. Young Prick had an opportunity to acquire limit ed interest in a plant near Broadford, nd out of the profits of this he ac- quired other holdings. He later join cd a company to build a railroad to penetrate the Connelsville coke re- zion. and in 1871, the year this road was opened. MT. Prick organized the corporation of Prick and Company, which bot coal land and coke ovens in the Connelsville region. That was the basis of the Prick fortune. The
 ivided attention of the rising fin ancier was given to coke until 1882.
 In the midst of this period there came the panic of '73 and the finan- cial crash of many ambitious opera tors. At a sheriff's sale MT. Prick purchased additional tracts of coal and ovens, and few years later the Melons. powerful Pittsburgh bankers, became interested in the expanding enterprise of the young operator.
 The Carnegies, then developing their great steel business in Pitts burgh, had taken large holdings in the Prick coke company. and in 1882 MT. Prick found the Carnegie broth CTS willing to admit him as member of their firm in consideration of his giving them further interests in his coke business. It was thus MT. Prick became also a great manufac- turer of steel.
 Thru the Homestead strike of 1892, MT. Prick came into national promi- hence. Differences had arisen be- tween the Carnegie Steel company and It's employees over a warge scale, eliminating in strike involving thousands of men; the calling out of the National Guard and the proclama- rion of martial law. It tried to as- assinate MT. Prick. Berkman walk cd into Tricks office, drew a revolver and fired. the bullet lodging in MT.
 'icks neck. Mir. Prick was shot a second time and then he grappled N-ith Berkman. During the encounter