Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-08-11


cause of death was bronchial
Started in Factory.
Andrew Carnegie was born in hum-
BILE circumstances in Dunfernlipe,,
Scotland. on the 25th of November.
been Chartist, emigrated to America,
settling in Allegheny City. Pa, The
raw Scots lad started work at an early
age as bobbin-boy in a cotton fac
tory, and few years later was en-
gagged as a telegraph clerk and oper-
ator. His capacity was perceived by
T. A. Scott of the Pennsylvania rail-
tary, and in 1859 when Scott became
vice president of the company, he
made Carnegie superintendent Of the
western division of the line. In this
post he was responsible for several
improvements in the service; and
when the Civil war opened he accom-
panied Scott, then assistant secretary
sources of the enormous wealth he
subsequently attained were his intro
duction of sleeping-cars for railways,
and his purchase (1864) of Stoery
farm on Oil creek, where a large prof
IL was secured from the oil wells. But
this was only preliminary to the
success attending his development of
the iron and steel industries at Pitts
burg. Forseeing the extent to which
the demand would grow in America
for iron and steel. he started the Key
stone Bridge works, built the Edgar
Thompson steel-rail mill. bought out
the rival Homestead steel works, and
by 1888 had under his control an ,ex-
tensive plant served by tributary coal
and iron fields n
long, and line Of lake steamships
AS years went by, the various Carnegie
companies represented in this indus
try. prospered to, such an extent that
in 1901, when they were incorporated
in the United States Steel Corporation,
trust organized By ~ Pierpont Nor.
gan and Mr.. Carnegie himself retired
from business he vas bausift out9as
a figure equivalent to a capital Of
approximately f100, 100000.
I Becomes Prominent.
From this time forward public at
tentton was turned from the shrewd
business capacity which had enabled
him to accumulate such a fortune to
/ the public-spirited way in which he
devoted himself to utilizing it on phil
anthropic objects. His views on social
which great wealth involved, were al
ready known in a book entitled, "Tri-
umphant Democracy published in
1885. and in his Gospel of Wealth.
(1900.) He acquired Skibo castle, in
Sutherlandshire, Scotland, and made
his home partly there and partly in
New York; and he devoted his life to
the work of providing the capital for
purposes of public interest, and social
and educational advancement. Among
! the provision Of public Libraries in the
/ United States in the United Kingdom
(and similarly in other Engiish-speak-
ing countries) was especially promi-
nent, and Carnegie libraries" grad
ually sprang up on all sides, his meth
cd being to build and equip, but only
on condition that the local authorities
provides sites and maintenance, and
! thus to secure local interest and re-
sponsibility. BY the end Of 1908 he
had distributed over f10,000,000 for
! founding libraries alone.
Gave Large Sums.
He gave $4,000 900 in 1901 to start
the Carnegie institute at Pittsburg,
and the same amount in 1902 to. found
, a Carnegie institution at Washington.
and in both of these. and other cases.
, he added later to the original endow-
ment In Scotland he gave f2. 2.000.-
900 in 1901 to establish trust pro-
viding funds. for assisting education
at the Scottish university. a benefac-
! ton which resulted in his being elect
ed lord rector OF st. Andrews univer-
sity. He was large benefactor Of
the Tuskegee institute under Booker
Washington, for negro education. He
also established large pension funds
in 1901 for his former employees
at Homestead, and in 1905 for Amer
lean college professors. His benefac-
! tions in the shape of buildings and
endowments for education and re-
search are too numerous for detailed
enumeration. But mention must also
be made Of his founding Of Carnegie
hero fund commissions. in America
(1904 and in the United Kingdom
I90S), for. the recognition Of deeds
of heroisnl. his contribution Of $780,
900 in 1903 for the erection Of Tenn
pie of Peace at The Hague. and Of
in Washington. as home for inter-.
national bureau Of American repub-
lies In his ideas he was dominated
by an intense belief in the future and
influence of the English-speAking peo-
pie. in their democratic government,
and alliance for the purpose OF peace
and the abolition of war. and Ia the
progress OF education on unoectartAnt
lines. He was a powerful supporter
of the movement for spelling reform.
as means Of promoting the spread
of the English language. Mr. Car
negie married In 1887 and had one
daughter. Among other publications
by him were An American Four-in-i
Hand in Britain (1Ss3). Round the
ness. 1so2,,S'. "A Lie of Jamas watt
(1so5). and 'Problems OF To-day.
(lsoS) j
PURCHA NEED i lfY1Ie