OBITUARY.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 August 1919, Page 5

OBITUARY.

ANDREW CARNEGIE, STEEL KING. By Telegraph.—Press As3n.~ Copyr'jht. New York, August 11. 111". Andrew Carnegie died at Lenox, Massachussetts, of bronchial pneumonia, after three days' illness. His daughter was unable to arrive before his death, which was not expected. He was 84 years of age.

Mr. Andrew i Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1835, and went with his family to America (Pittsburg), in 1848, His first work Was as weaver's assistant in a cotton mill, then he became S telegraph boy (1S51), and later entered the omploy of the Pennsylvania Railway a3 telegraph operator, advancing until he became superintendent of the Pittsburg Division. He joined Mr. Woodruff, inventor of the sleeping car, in organising the Woodruff Sleeping Car Company, gaining through it the nucleus of his fortune; careful investI ments in oil lands increased his mean's. During the Civil War he was superintendent of military railways and telej graph lines in the East. In ISG2, he founded the Union Mills, Pittsburg, for the manufacture of steel rails. He also acquired the Edgar Thomson Steel Works, and in 1875 all the concerns he was interested in | gamated under the title of "Carnegie Brothers and Co." In 1883, the Homestead Steel Works were acquired, and, along with several other works, were formed into one concern under the tit!" "The Carnegie Steel Company, Lt<l.," capital (paid up) live million sterling. In 1802, the Frick Coke Company was amalgamated with it, and the company's capital raised to twelve millions, to be still further raised to twenty-eight millions in 1000; while in lflOl the whole o; the Carnegie enterprise was taken over by "The American Steel Trust," Mr. Carnegie endeavoured to use the money he had made for the benefit of his fellow men, and he became what might bo described as a professional philanthropist. He spent throughout the world a sum of ten millions on libraries alone. To the Scottish Universities ho gave two millions for the payment of student fees, and a similar sum was given to provide pensions for teachers In American universities and colleges. One of the latest of his foundations was "The Hero Fund," for providing for the families of those who performed any heroic deed. He took a great interest in schemes to substitute arbitration for war, and erected the Palace of Peace at The Hague, at a cost of £300,000. He lhade numerous other benefactions, but was hardly able to spent his income in spite of every effort to make good use of it.

He was the writer of a number of books, including "Triumphant Democracy," "The Gospel of Wealth," "Problems of Toiday," and others. He leaves one daughter, who was recently married, to take up the burden of the wealth he left behind.