The Washington times., 1919-08-11

awakened from a dream in which /
saw a white-hafred Scotch laddie in
a blue jacket, walking with his faith
er into a Pittsburgh telegraph ioffice
to apply for a position as messenger
boy.
''If you want an idea OF Heaven
upon earth, imagine what it was to
be taken fro n a dark cellar where I
fired the boiler from morning until
night and dropped into the Office
where light shone from all sides,
books, paper, and pencils in profu-
sions ana. on! the tick OF those mYs-
terious brass instruments on the desk
annihilating space and standing with
throbbing spirits ready TO convey the
intelligence to the world. This was
my hrst glimpse of Paradise"
MOther's sole support.
Shortly after that Carnegie's father
died, leaving him a boy Of fourteen
the sole support OF a mother and
younger brother. He was undaunted
by the task. He worked hard to learn
tslegrsphY,- and soon was earning the
princely sum OF S25 a month. Some
months he did a little better by copy
ing news reports for a paper.
1t wasn't long until the Pennsyl-
vania railroad hired him as a telegra-
pher. IL was in. this position that he
came into contact with Superintendent
Scott, head OF the division.
When Scott became vice president
OF the road, Carnegie was made divi--
sion superintendent at the princely
salary Of $50 month.
It-was. on an inspection trip in this
capacity that Carnegie encountered
T. Woodruff, inventor, of the sleeping
car. He became interested in the in-
vention and enthusiastically tried to
interest Scott, but SFas repulsed. Then
offered a share in the manufacturing
company, he accepted, borrowing the
necessary $217.50 from a local banker.
He paid back this money from stock
dividends, and within a short time he
was making a great deal of money.
''Thus did I get my foot upon for
tunes ladder" said Carnegie. 1T
was easy to climb after that"
wounded In Civil War.
BY this time. Carnegie had reached
the year 1851, and the civil war broke
out Scott was made an Assistant
Secretary Of War and Immediately
drafted Carnegie to take charge Of
military roads and telegraph lines.
1t was in this capacity that Car
negie, while freeing the tracks into
Washington from obstructing wires,
gained the distinction OF being the.
third man wounded in the war on, the
Union side. Carnegie also saw active
service at Bull Run. His health broke
down after the war and he was forced
to take long rest.
Carnegie had a wonderful capacity
for attracting, developing and hold
ing men in every department Of busi-
ness. Charles N. Schwab, former head
OF the United States Steel Corporation,
now chairman Of the Bethlehem Steel
Company, is an example Of the sort Of
men Carnegie developed.
Carnegie never helped a man. He
always made il possible for the man
to help himself In the home of An old
friend in Pittsburgh is an essay on
capital and labor, written by Car
negie when he was ffteen-. It con-
tains the same principles Of business
procedure the philanthropist ex-
pressed after he had won his fortune.
He had to fight for the education that
enabled him to put them into effect.
Made Bridge Experiments.
Soon after this the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company made experiments
with q bridge OF cast iron, and Mr..
Carnegie WAS convinced that the use
of that material would become gem
eraL He organized the Keystone
Bridge Company, borrowing money
to raise his share Of the capital. and
began the Keystone Bridge Works
The frst great bridge over the Ohio,
at Steubenvtlle, was built by this COM
pany. A few years later the Union
Iron Mills were erected. In 1886 Mr..
Carnegie visited England, and finding
that in that country steel was sup
planting iron for rails, he returned to
introduce the Bessemer process in his
mills. Later he become the owner Of
the Homestead Steel Works of Pitts
burgh. and by 1888 he had control Of
seven great plants, all within radius
Of i've miles of Pittsburgh. The Vari-
Gus enterprises were combined into
one corporation, the Carnegie Steel
Company, with an aggregate capital
OF 1000 900. The company also
owned more than two-thirds OF the
Connellsville coal field and several of
the greatest ore mines Of Lake Su-
perior.
About 1890 Mr.. Carnegie introduced
the system Of paying for labor on q
sliding scale, based upon the prices
obtained for the product manufac-
tured, thus making the workmen
partners in the business Of the COM
pany to a limited extent Men who
rendered exceptional services were
promoted and given personal inter
est in the business. Only one serious
strike, that at the Homestead Works,
occurred in the first thirty years of
the firms existence.
Became o. 8. Citizen.
Mr.. Carnegie became a citizen OF
the United States in 1883, while he
was a minor, through the naturali-
zation Of his father. He showed
great love for his adopted country,
and was often honored by being ap-
pointed to important official posi-