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AUTOBIOGRAPHY ... OF ANDREW CARNEGIE TOVT BiCM OV lEM 't.' ."'ri. '-V'. , :• . AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ANDREW CARNEGIE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ANDREW CARNEGIE Fo'pular Edition boston and new YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY CamfiribBC PREFACE After retiring from active business my husband yielded to the earnestsolicitations of friends, both here and in Great Britain, and began to jot down from time to time recollections of his early days. He soon COFYaiOBT, 1920, BYLOUISBWH1T71SLD CARNBOIB found, however,that instead ofthe leisurehe expected, AZ.Z. RXOHTS HBSBRVBO hislife was more occupied withaffairs than everbefore, and the writing of these memoirs was reserved for his I play-time in Scotland. For a few weeks each summer we fl retiredto ourlittle bungalow onthe moors at Aultnagar to enjoy the simple life, and it was there that Mr. Carnegie didmostofhiswriting. Hedelighted in going backtothose earlytimes, and as hewrotehe lived them allover again. Hewas thusengaged inJuly, 1914, when the war clouds began to gather, and when the fateful news of the 4th of August reached us, we immediately left our retreat in the hilla and returned to Skiboto be more in touch with the situation. These memoirsended atthattime. Henceforthhe was never able to interest himself in private affairs. Many times he made the attempt to continue writing, but found it useless. Until then he had lived the life of a ftian inmiddlelife —and ayoungoneat that —golfing, fishmg, swimming each day, sometimes doing all three m one day. Optimist as he alwayswas and tried to be, ®yen in the face of the failure of his hopes, the world disaster was too much. His heart was broken. A severe attack of influenza followed by two serious attacks of pneumonia precipitated oldage upon him. It wassaidof acontemporary who passed away afew months before Mr, Carnegie that "he never could have VI PREFACE bometheburdenofoldage." Perhapsthemostinspiring partof A^r* Oamegie shfe^ to those who were privileged toknow it intimately, was theway hebore his "burden EDITOR'S NOTE ofoldage." Alwayspatient, considerate, cheerful,grate The story of araan's life, especially when it is told ful for any little pleasure or service, never thint-inj, of himself, but always of the dawning of the better day, by the man himself, should not be interrupted by the hecklings ofan editor. He should be allowed to tell his spirit ever shone brighter and brighter until "he the tale in hisown way, and enthusiasm, evenextrava was not, for God took him." gance in recitation should be received as a part of the Written with his own hand on the fly-leaf of his story. The quality of the man may underlie exuberance D^uscriptare these words: "Itis probable thatmate of spirit, as truth may be found in apparent exaggera rial for a small volume might be collected from these tion.Therefore, in preparing thesechapters for publica memoirs whichthe publicwouldcaretoread, and thata tion the editor has done little more than arrange the privateand largervolumemightpleasemyrelatives and material chronologically and sequentially so that the friends. Much I have written from time to timo may j think, wisely be omitted. Whoever arranges these notes narrative might run on unbrokenly to the end. Some footnotes byway of explanation,some illustrations that should be careful not to burden the public with too ofiPer sight-help to the text, have been added; but the much. Aman with a heart as well as a head should bp narrative is the thing. chosen." This is neither the time nor the place to character _Who, then, could so well fill this description as our ize or eulogize the maker of "this strange eventful friend Professor John C. Van Dyke? When the manu history," butperhaps it is worth while torecognize that script was shown to him, he remarked, without hav the history really was eventful. And strange. Nothing ing read Mr. Carnegie's notation, "It would be alabor oflove to prepare this for publication." Here, then the stranger ever came out of the Afabian Nights than the storyofthis poorScotch boywho came to America and Aoicewasmutual,and the manner in which he haa'n.^.. step bystep, through many trials andtriumphs, became formed this "labor"proves thewisdom of the choice the great steel master, built up a colossal industry, a choice made and carried out in the name nf o, and beautiful friendship. ® ^ amassed anenormousfortune,and then deliberatelyand systematically gaveawaythe whole ofit forthe enlight Louise Whitfield Carnegie enment and betterment of mankind. Not only that. He established a gospel of wealth that can be neither ig New York nored norforgotten, andseta pace indistribution that April 16,1920 succeeding millionaires have followed as a precedent. In the course of hiscareer he became a nation-builder, a leader in thought, a writer, a speaker, the friend of vm EDITOR'S NOTE workmen, schoolmen, and statesmen, the associate of both the lowly and the lofty. But these were merely interesting happenings in his life as compared with his great inspirations—his distribution of wealth, his pas CONTENTS sion for world peace, and his love for mankind. Perhapswe aretoo nearthis historytoseeitinproper 1 I. Parents and Childhood proportions, but in the time to come it should gain in 20 n. Dunfermline and America perspective and in interest. The generations hereafter 32 III. Pittsburgh and Work mayrealize the wonder ofit more fxdly than we ofto IV. Colonel Anderson and Books 45 day. Happily it ispreserved to us, andthat, too, inMr. 54 Carnegie's own words and inhis own buoyant style. It V. The Telegraph Office isa very memorable record —a record perhaps thelike 65 Railroad Service . of which we shall not look upon again. vn. Superintendent of the Pennsylvania 84 John C. VanDike vm. Civil War Period 99 115 IX. Bridge-Building 130 X. The Iron Works Neu) York 149 August, 1920 XI. New York as Headquarters xn. Business Negotiations 167 xni. The Age of Steel 181 XIV, Partners, Books, and Travel 198 210 XV. Coaching Trip and Marriage XVI. Mills and the Men 220 xvn. 228 The Homestead Strike xvm. 240 Problems of Labor XIX. The "Gospel of Wealth" 255 XX. Educational and Pension Funds 268 XXI. The Peace Palace and Pittencrieff 282 xxn. 298 Matthew Arnold and Others xxm. 309 British Political Leaders XXIV. 318 Gladstone and Morlet X CONTENTS XXV. Herbert Spencer and His Disciple 333 XXVI. Blaine and Harrison 341 XXVn. Washington Diplomacy 350 XXVni. Hat and McKinley 358 XXIX. Meeting the German Emperor 366 Bibliography 373 AUTOBIOGRA?HY Index 377 OF ANDREW CARNEGIE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ANDREW CARNEGIE • • • CHAPTER I PARENTS AND CHILDHOOD F the story of any man's life, truly told, must be I interesting, assome sage avers, those ofmyrelatives and immediate friends who have insisted upon having an account of mine may not be undidy disappointed withthis result. I mayconsole myself withtheassurance thatsuch astorymustinterestatleastacertain number of people who have known me, and that knowledge will encourage meto proceed. Abook of this kind, written years ago bymyfnend. Judge Mellon, of Pittsburgh, gave me so much pleasure thatIaminclinedtoagreewiththewiseonewhoseopin ion I have given above; for, certainly, the story which the Judge told has proved a source of infinite satis faction to his friends, and must continue to influence succeedinggenerationsofhisfamily tolivelifewell. And not only this; to some beyond his immediate circle it 1^q\S.s rank with their favorite authors. The book con tains oneessentialfeature ofvalue —itrevealstheman. It was written without any intention of attracting public notice, being designed only forhis family. Inlike manner I intend to tell my story, not as one posturing before the public, but as in the midst of my own people and friends, tried and true, to whom I can speak with S AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ANDREW CARNEGIE OPTIMISM 3 the utmost freedom, feeling that even trifling incidents in the village, being surprised by a disguised face sud may not be wholly destitute of interest for them. denly thrust in at the window, looked up and after a To begin, then, I was bom in Dunfermline, in the moment's pause exclaimed, "Oh, it's jist that daft attic of the small one-story house, comer of Moodie callant Andra Carnegie." Shewas right; my grandfather Streetand PrioryLane, on the 25th of November, 1835, at seventy-five was out frightening his old lady friends, and, as the saying is, "of poor but honest parents, of disguised like other frolicking yotmgsters. good kith and kin." Dunfermline had long been noted I think my optimistic nature, my ability to shed as the center of the damask trade in Scotland.^ My trouble and to laughthrough life, making " all myducks father, William Camegie,was a damask weaver, the son swans," as friends say I do, must have been inherited of Andrew Camegie after whom I was named. from this delightful old masquerading grandfather MyGrandfather Carnegiewaswellknownthroughout whose name I am proud to bear.^ A sunny disposition the district for his wit and himior, his genial nature and is worth more than fortune. Young people should know irrepressible spirits. He was head of the livelyonesof that it can be cultivated; that the mind like the body his day, and known far and near as the chief of their can be moved from the shade-into sunshine. L»et us joyous club — "Patiemuir College." Upon my retum move it then. Laugh trouble away if possible, and one to Dimfermline, after an absence of fourteen years, I usually can if he be anything of a philosopher, provided remember being approached by an old man who had that self-reproach comes not from his own wrongdoing. been told that I was the grandson of the "Professor," That always remains. There is no washing out of these my grandfather's title among his cronies. He was the "damned spots." The judge within sits in the supreme very picture of'palsieJ eld; court and can never be cheated. Hence the grand rule of life which Burns gives: "His nose and they threatened ither." "Thine own reproach alone do fear." As he tottered across the room toward me and laid This motto adopted early in life has been more to his trembling hand upon my head he said: "And ye are me than all the sermons I ever heard, and I have heard the grandson o' Andra Camegie! Eh, mon, I ha'e seen not a few, although I may admit resemblance to my old the day when your grandfaither and I could ha'e hal friend Baillie Walker in my mature years. He was asked looed ony reasonable man oot o' his jidgment." by his doctor about his sleep and replied that it was far Several other old people of Dunfermline told me sto ries of my grandfather. Here is one of them: * "There is no sign that Andrew, though he prospered in his wooing, OneHogmanaynight®an old wifey, quite a character was specially successful in acquisition of worldly gear. Otherwise, how ever,hebecameanoutstandingcharacternotonlyinthevillage,butin the *The Eighteenth-Century Camegieslived at the picturesquehatnlfet adjoiningcityanddistrict. A 'brainy' manwhoreadandthoughtfor him ofPatiemuir,twomilessouthofDunfermline. Thegrowingimportance6f selfhebecameassociatedwiththeradicalweavers ofDunfermline, who in the linen industry in Dunfermline finally led the Camegiesto move to Patiemuir formed a meeting-place which they named a coUege (Andrew that town. was the 'Professor* of it)." {Andrew Carnegie: HisDunfermline Ties and ^ The31stofDecember. Ben^actions, by J. B. Mackie, F. J. I.) 4 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ANDREW CARNEGIE : GRANDFATHER THOMAS MORRISON 5- from satisfactory, he was very wakeful, adding with a called upon me, to shake hands with "the grandson of twinkle in his eye: *'But I get a bit fine doze i' the kirk Thomas Morrison." Mr. Farmer, presidentof theCleve noo and then." land and Pittsburgh Railroad Company, once said to On my mother's side the grandfather was even more me, "I owe all that I have of learning and culture to marked, for iny grandfather Thomas Morrison was a the influence of your grandfather"; and Ebenezer friend of William Cobbett, a contributor to his "Reg Henderson, author of the remarkable history of Dim-^ ister," and in constant correspondence with him. Even fermline, stated that he largely owed his advancement as I write, in Dmifermline old men who knew Grand in life to the fortxmate fact that while a boy he entered father Morrison speak of him as one of the finest orators, my grandfather's service. and ablest men they have known. He was publisher I have not passed so far through life without receiv of "The Precursor," a small edition it might be said of ing some compliments, but I think nothing of a com Cobbett's "Register," and thought to have been the plimentary character has ever pleased me so much as first radical paper in Scotland. I have read some of hisi this from a writer in a Glasgow newspaper, who had writings, and in view of the importance now given to, been a listener to a speech on Home Rule in America technical education, I think the most remarkable of which I delivered in Saint Andrew's Hall. The corre them is a pamphlet which he published seventy-odd spondent wrote that much was then being said in Scot years agoentitled "Head-ication versus Hand-ication." land with regard to myself and family and especially It insists upon the importance of the latter in a manner my grandfather Thomas Morrison, and he went on to that would reflect credit upon the strongest advocate say, "Judge my surprise when I found in the grandson of technical education to-day. It ends with these words, on the platform, in manner, gesture and appearance, a "I thank God that in my youth I learned to make and peiiectfdcsimile ofthe Thomas Morrison of old." mend shoes," Cobbett published it in the "Register" My surprising likeness to my grandfather, whom I in 1833, remarking editorially, "One of the most valu do not remember to have ever seen, cannot be doubted, able communications ever published in the 'Register' because I remember well upon my first return to Dun- upon the subject, is that of our esteemed friend and fermline in my twenty-seventh year, while sitting upon correspondent in Scotland, Thomas Morrison, which a sofa with my Uncle Bailie Morrison, that his big appears in this issue." So it seems I come by niy scrib black eyes filled with tears. He could not speak and bling propensities by inheritance —from both sides, nlshed out of the room overcome. Returning after a for the Camegies were also readers and thinkers. time he explained tliat something in me now and then My Grandfather Morrison was a born orator, a keen flashed before him his father, who would instantly politician, and the head of the advanced wing of the vanish but come back at intervals^ Some gesture it was, radical partyinthe district —a position which his son, but what precisely he could not make out. My mother my Uncle Bailie Morrison, occupied as his successor. continually noticed in me some of my grandfather's More than one well-known Scotsman in peculiarities. The doctrine of inherited tendencies is

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