autobiography ... andrew carnegie

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AUTOBIOGRAPHY ...
OF
ANDREW CARNEGIE
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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