The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-12-03
HENRY CLAY ERICk
Continued From Page one.)

York. Burial will be made In f'''S-
WaIl street was stunned at the deatn
Of tho man who had done SO Wu'" "a
huild up the steel industry put W.
only n sentimental affect on STOCKS. M:
Ltri!,l, ra,dinrI his interest III business
ninth he was stricken ana frequently az.
tended directors meetings. h,ne NJ ana
vas known Of his affairs, ne was ut'I
~ The wealthiest men III America an.
his fortune was CohSci Na'N'''
.,t OO,000.0OQ. .> ,oord
, Ebert IL. Gary chairman Oh Ihc Uo 80
, of the United states steer toIi . 9" i.a,i
! and James \. Farrell. the presideLl VIZ
= among the llrst 10 can ~ Wv
, this morning. % tho
finest in the world. and valued az n',"S
millions OF dollars. Will be Kept mag
-; the Prick home and probably wlil De
Irnueathcd either TO the city or statr 81
Now York, as a permanent lcStini"i,"'
Of his affection for his fellow ct,a%SH ~,
according 10 Il statement maue tou"S ~
n close friend of the family.
Mr.. Erlck's Career o
/ Mr. Frick was born December lo,
. 1913, at West Overton, Ia. This NilIaGe
was named after the matt "| ovsrhmIt
whuse original family name was OoCI
%niTzsr and who settled in western
l,rnnsylyania when that region was &c
,rardcd as the frontier OF clviiizaSloii.
Is the sc,tluiucuts along the Allegheny
~ 'WonnItrnlyia grew, and Pittsburgh
emerged from its sWaddllns ciutntS, tnt
, OvelhUlt became the iead'hs nlIiac' liz IL
. 1istiIlCr CT Western iennS ylyanla. IFS
3 daughter, Elijah, tn. married Johh w.
ITriCk. q young man of SWISS ahCestr!
who at that time was "ofklns us a..
engineer in the Overholt dIsttllery. IL
was from this union. that the future
! capitalist was born. The father at
! tempted farming. but did not make a
! remarkable success OF II. and as result
young Henry Clay f'rlck was practic3lly
! adopted into the Ovcrholt family when
he was about l. years old. he received
! a good basic schooling, but there was
nothing in his bUyhood to Indicate lns
. remarkable ability which characterlZeu
, his later life, except his cagerness 10
! get into business. For time he was
. bookkecper in his grandfathcrs dlstil-
cry and from this position he Went 10
Morgan 4 Company coke deoIrrS, anu t,i
at about 81 years of age he appeared III
Pittsburgh as their agent. The coke IN
dustry was in its infancy. The iron
masters of Pittsburgh were just besin-
ming to appreciate the IalHe OF GOk S LOT p
opportunity to acquire limited interest,"
in a plant near Bradford and out or
the profits of this he acquired other
holdings. He later Joined company
, to build railroad to penetrate the Con
] nelIsville region. That was the basis
of the Frict fortune. The undivided at
tcntion of the rising financ!er was given
TO coke until 1857.
In the midst Of this period there came
: the panic Of 10 and the financial crash
Of many ambitious operators. AT
shcriff's sale Mr.. Frick purchased addl-
tional tracts OF coal land and ovens, and
: q few years later the MELONS. powerful
Pittsburgh bankers. became interested
in the expanding enterprise or me
. young operator.
! The Cariegles. then developing their
great steel business in Pittsburgh, had
; hDllinpS the Frick Coke
company. and in 1888 Mr.. Frick found
the Carnegie brother willing To admit
him as a member Of their firm In con-
sideration OF his giving them further
interests in his coke business. 1t was
thus Mr.. Frick became also a great
Manufacturer Of steel.
Through the Homestead strike OF
1892. Mr.. Frick came into national
prominence. Differences had arisen be.
tween the Carnegie Steel company ana
it's employees over a wage scale cul-
minating in q strike, involving thou
sands Of men: the calling out or the
National Guard and the proclamation OF
martial law. 1t was at this period. July
% 1892, that Alexander Berkman.
New York anarchist. tried TO assassinate
Mr.. frick. Berkman walked into Nit.
Tricks office. drew a revolver ana hr1n
; the bullet lodging in Mr.. Tricks neck
Mr.. trick was shot second time nnd
then grappled with Bcrkman. during
the encounter Mr. frick was staDpcI
three times, but he QoNncd ms dSSalidHt
and held him until the police arrived.
Berkman was tried and sent TO the
Western penitentiary In Pittsburgh for
81 years.
| Thirteen days after the attack Nj.
| FriCk walked 10 his office unattended
and resumed the direction Of the great
strike which continued until November
! q Of that year. Mr.. FriCk was unmored
! hy the violence and protests of the
! public Of the distress OF the famili les
! of the strikers. He won and never be-
grudged the price OF victory.
| When Mr.. Prick entered the Carnegie
I Steel company he decided to make 1t
the most powerful concern in the steel
! world. Two OF ihs immediate ventures
Melted the Carengie concern many mil
lions Of dollars without scarcely any
investments.
I'D to this time the switching charges
between the various Carnegie plants had
been very profitable to the railroads and
expensive 10 the Carnegie company. MT.
Prick built the Union railroad to weld
the scattered Carnegie plants closer to-
gether. This eliminated the switching
charges and saved enormous sums Tor
the Carnegie coLnapny.
1t was Mr.. Frick who later took over
q large portion of the Mesabi ore fields
on Lake Superior in big deal that
|; guaranteed the Carnegie company fol-