Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-08-29
THE CARNEGIE FORTUNE

Some years ago Andrew Carnegie publicly expressed
the desire to die a poor man. That expressed wish has
been the subjec. Of a good deal Of popularity, and one
frequently ran across the Impression that the state
mont was to be taken with a good deal Of allowance.
1t was quite frequently felt that, notwithstanding MI.
Carnegies great gifts of one sort and another, he would
zee to it that his principal was not greatly impaired.
The provisions OF the Carnegie will have just been
made public. together with a statement of the value
Of the estate bequeathed and the approximate total Of
previous gifts. 1t appears that the estate left by the
former manufacturer was worth from s26.ooo,ooo to
$4,000, 900, a sum which will strike most Of Us as Tar
from poverty. But it also appears that during the later
years of his life Mr.. Carnegie gave away more than
$3.50, goo, 600. The total value of his possessions, there
fore. may be placed in the nedghborhood of $500, 600, zoe.
Mr.. Carnegie therefore gave away 80 Fer cent Of his
wealth, which is not so very far from making a clean
sweep after all.
OF course no rational person ever understood Mr..
Carnegte's meaning to be that he wished to become a
that the possession OF that wealth entaiied certain obi
cations. He knew that the wealth must pass into other
hands. He wished such a disposition of it to be made
ss would be least harmful and most beneficial. He be-
lieved that it should be distributed rather than be con-
centzatsd in a few hands. And he wished to enjoy the
p,sasurc Of supervising its distribution a, person. The
small percentage Of his capital which he retained was
ample for all his own needs. and fee the making OF be-
quests Of a personal nature, but Got large enough to
make its distribution a difficult problem. .
Suppose Mr.. Carnegie has felt. as sore actually
profess to feel, that such a large fortune should have
peea distributed to the general public. share and share
alike. What would have been the result? Each In
hahitant of the United states-if tho distribution had
been confined to this country-wou!d have received
something less than four dollars. That would have
lasted aoEe people a few minutes, and others a few
DAYS. 1t would have made a perceptible change in the
condition or standard OF living Of scarcely a single hu-
mar being. It would have been Of permanent benefit
70 no one. The pittance would have come and gone,
without leaving a trace, As It Is, the fortune which was
accumulated by this man has left It's permanent rec
ords In public libraries by the, hundred. in endowments
fax schools and colleges. in hospitals where the xick and
banned are treated, in institutes for scientific rMsarch
and In provision for the maintenance Of social ana
philanthropic work OF many kinds. By a process Of care
full Ealect3on II has been made a real benefit to 4 ~re.+
mulLtude OF individuals who were In need Of such helm.
And let 1t not be forgotten, that throughout this ya..
distribution Of wealth there has constantly been annlied
the principle that the value OF a gtft depends verv
largely on the degree to which 1t enables the rscipiant
to- make effective use Of his own powers. ana A. q
sannsIates IN him tA dssirs to do 20.