The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1919-08-13
CARNEGIE DIES
AT LENOX HOME
One of the Greatest Philanthropists of
the World Dies at His Summer
Home at Lenox. Mass.
Associated Press

=
.ndrew Carnegie prepared by the I
'arnegie Endowment for Internation- l
/ Peace, showed that he gave $780, t
95 $50 up to June 18th. 1918. I
LENOX, Mass, August 11-An-
rev Carnegie died at his summer
lome here this morning. The cause
# his death was bronchial pneumonia.
Carnegie was ill less than three
lays. His death was SO sudden that
ais daughter, Mrs. Roswell Muller,
unable to reach his bedside be-
fore he died. His wife and private
secretary were with him. Carnegie,
who was in his Saith year, had been
an invalid since 1917, when he sucer-
ed an attack of la grippe.
Andrew Carnegie began a race
against time when, in 1901, at the
age of sixty-five, he resolved to give
away his enormous fortune. He held
it "~disgraceful" for a man to keep on
idle millions. In the COM
paratively few years which the act
uary could allow him, he would dis
embarrass himself of practically all
he had. No man had ever launched a
philanthropic campaign of such di-
mansions.
His was then a fortune of just
about quarter billion dollars, the lar
gest ever acquired by a foreign-born
American, second only to the John
D. Rockefeller wealth as the largest
individual accumulation in the United
States, and, built, as it was, of five
per cent steel bonds, it would, with
out so much as turning over ones
hand, have approached half a billion
by the time Carnegie could call him.
self an -octogenorian on November rs,
1915.
To give this ~stupendous sum away,
in about half the time he had taken
to gather it, was a purpose Carnegie
had fairly we'll fulfilled when death
overlook him today. He had distri-
buted about $500, 900, 900. 1t was CIV
ing money away at the rate OF over
2O,OOO,OO0 a year, or more than
$4,000 a day.
The answers which Carnegie himself
gave and backed up with his millions
have made him the most original II
not the greatest of philanthropists.
Before he sailed for Scotland in 1901
he left letters announcing gifts OF
SO, oOO, 900. His first big gift was the
setting aside of 1900, 900 to supply
pensions and relief for the injured
and aged employees of his steel
plants-"a1r acknowledgement of. the
deep debt which I owe the workmen
who have contributed so greatly to
NV success" He added an extra mil
lion for the support of libarles Tor
his workmen, and looked up his library
hobby in a wholesale way by giving
S., zoo, 900 to Ne wYork City for the
erection of sixty-five branch libraries
in the metropolis.
He remembered Pittsburg, the
scene of his steel-making triumphs,
by establishing there a great lnstl-
tute, including the largest of his lib
~raries, a museum, a magnificent n
cert hall, and the Carnegie Technolo-
cical Schools, with a total endowment
OF $16,O 900, OO6.
He built a great national institu-
ton i washington, which should be
the fountain head of advanced work
in investigation, research n dis
covery," and placed in the hands OF
it's trustees a tota endowment of
some $40, 200, 600.
To his native Scotland his largest
single gift was a fund of 100000
to aid education in Scottish UNIVERSE
ties.
He carried out his pet idea of a
Hero Commission, endowed in 1905
with 5000, 900 by which hundreds of
men, women and children have been
rewarded with Carnegie medals or
pensions for acts of heroism in the
rescue of imperilled persons. He later
extended similar benefactions to sew
eral foreign countries.
One of his latest and greatest ideals
was the abolition of war, a hope that
he cherished in the face of interna-
t:onal conflicts. He gave $4,000, OOj
toward an International Peace Fund,
and built the Peace Palace at the
Hague which was dedicated in 1913.
He gave $685. 900 for the Bureau of
American Republics at Washington.
In the background of these 20 years
of philanthropy there is the familiar
story of Scottish thrift, a little luck,
and steel, which made such generos-
ity possible.
Andrew was IL when his father, a
master weaver, was brought almost
to restitution. The steam looms drove
him out of business The family num-
bered four, including ANDY and his
younger brother William. The par
ents decided to emigrate at Allegheny
City, Pa, across the riverr Tom Pitts
burg, in 1848. The father and An
drew found work in a cotton factory,
I-~~ Il ryn his