THE LATE ANDREW CARNEGIE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2114, 13 April 1920, Page 4

THE LATE ANDREW CARNEGIE.

When Andrew Carnegie died, few months ago, he was rapidly approaching a realisation of his oftexpressed desire to end, as he began life —poor;- Born in Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1837, he, at the age of 11, accompanied his father, a weaver whom the steam loom had brought to destitution, to the United States, where they settled in Allegheny City. Carnegie’s first job was as bobbin-boy in a cotton mill, at a wage of 1.20 dollars a week. After two years he became a telegraph messenger. When he was fourteen his father died, and Andrew became the sole support of bis family,, During the civil war, when only 26, he was appointed director of the Government railways and telegraphs. His lifelong hatred of war may be traced to the carnage and suffering which he witnessed during this period. His first big stride on the road to fame and fortune was made at the age of 30, when he became interested in a vast tract Of oil land

which paid the syndicate, of which he was a member, a profit of almost 1,000,000 dollars, on an investment of 40,000 dollars. But it was on steel that the foundation of Carnegie’s enormous fortune was laid. He started the Keystone Bridge works, built the Edgar Thompson steel rail mill, bought out the rival Homestead steel works, and by 1888 had under his control an extensive plant served by tributary coal and iron fields, a railway and a line of lake steamships. 'When J. P. Morgan decided to organise the U.S, Steel Corporaiion in l!)0i, he found it necessary to buy Carnegie’s interests, which were the most important in the industry, at the little Scot’s own price. The sum of 420,000,000 dollars was finally paid, of which Carnegie’s personal share was about 250,000,000 dollars. In less twenty years he managed lo give away for various philanthropic purposes more than 300,000,000 dollars, and so far reduced his vast wealth that his total estate at the time of his death was less than 30,000,000 dollars. The secret and method of Carnegie’* success are best expressed in his own words: “1 organised my business into departments. I put the bo/t man I could Sind at the head of each department, held him responsible, and judged him by results. I have started more than fifty men on tiic road to millionaires."