Reid (of blessed memory to old-time telegraphers), visited Pittsburg and met the young messenger-boy, who learned that Reid was born near Dunfermline, Carnegie's native town. This fact no doubt served to improve Andy's prospects in the business. Forty years afterward, he secured for his old employer the appointment as United States consul at Dunfermline. Young Carnegie soon learned the Morse alphabet and practised making the telegraph-signals in the early morn

ings before the operators came. It was not long before he was able to send and receive occasional messages by means of the Morse register, the dots and dashes being embossed on a narrow strip of paper by a steel pen which moved up and down as the electric current opened and closed. At that period the art of reading the signals by sound was in its infancy, and only a few operators here and there were able to abandon the paper strip. But Carnegie soon learned to read thoroughly

and well by sound, an accomplishment he still retains. In fact, the careful, skilled operator, no matter how long he may have forsaken the key, cannot forget the Morse alphabet, and whenever he is within hearing of the signals he involuntarily translates them in his mind.

Carnegie not only became an expert telegraph operator, but, as Mr. B. F. Woodward informed me, he had the "student habit: his mind was active, he attended school, studied grammar and composition, read much, and wrote letters to Eastern newspapers, giving local and political news." In line with this, Mr. T. B. A. David1 informed me that about that time Andrew Carnegie sought the privilege of using the library for working boys which had been established by a Colonel Anderson in Allegheny, but was refused on the ground that he was not "a working boy." He attacked the administration of the library in a communication to the "Pittsburgh Dispatch," which he signed "A Working Boy." The librarian responded in the columns of the "Dispatch," defending the rules, which, he claimed, meant that "a working boy should have a trade." Carnegie's rejoinder was signed. "A Working Boy, though without a Trade," and a day or two thereafter the "Dispatch" had an item on its editorial page which read: "Will 'A Working Boy without a Trade' please call at this office?"

Mr. David added: "I am under the impression that the editor was so pleased with A.C.'s performance that he offered him a place on the paper." And, recently Mr. Carnegie, on being shown the letter, made this comment: "All correct. This was my first appearance as a scribbler for the press. My ambition was to be a reporter, and at last an editor like Horace Greeley. I raised a club for the 'Weekly Tribune,' was an ardent 'Free-Soiler,' and my second article for the press was in the 'Tribune.'

John Phipps, brother of Henry Henry Phipps, one of Carnegie's early partners in the iron and steel business, was bookkeeper for Isaac Dripps, Master Me

1 Mr. Woodward has died since giving the above information. He and Mr. David were employed as operators in the Pittsburg office in 1852 and 1853. 2 Thomas Morrison Carnegie also learned to tele

LXXVI-34

chanic of the Fort Wayne Railroad, whose office was at outer depot, Allegheny. In those early days the master mechanic was looked upon as the most important official of the road next to the superintendent, and Dripps used the telegraph very freely. In his absence, his bookkeeper signed the despatches, "I. Dripps per Phipps." In the Morse alphabet these characters consisted entirely of dots with the exception of a single dash in the letter D. So, when the double signature was transmitted over the wires, the long succession of dots was bewildering to both the sending and receiving operator, and the signals produced a curious effect upon the ear. Mr. Carnegie has recalled this feature of his telegraph experience with deep interest.

Mrs. Carnegie has found among her household gods and relics of his early days a photograph, taken in 1851, of her husband, then sixteen, and his brother Thomas, then ten, while the former was employed in the telegraph office, and has permitted the writer to have it reproduced for this article.2

Before railroad trains began running into Pittsburg from the East, passengers were compelled to travel part of the distance by stage, the last section of the old stage route being from Beatty's Station, near Greensburg, to Turtle Creek, twentyfive miles out of Pittsburg.

Thomas A. Scott was superintendent not only of the railroad company, but also of the stage-line, his office being at the Pittsburg Outer Depot (burned in 1877 by strikers in the great riots). The railroad telegraph line had not yet been built, and Scott frequently went down town to the public telegraph office at Third and Wood streets, where Carnegie was employed as operator, to be in direct communication by telegraph with railroad officials at Altoona. In this way Scott frequently met Carnegie, who did most of his telegraphing. The former was attracted by the personality of the young Scotchman, who on many occasions had gone out of his way to help the railroad superintendent in his telegraphic correspondence. When the Pennsylvania

graph, but was never regularly employed in that capacity except for a brief period in connection with his clerical duties in the office of the superintendent of the railroad company at Pittsburg.

our Atlantic Cities to the Great West. It forms a continuous line from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, and here connects with Western roads and the Ohio River. Mr. Scott, the Sup't of it, with whom I became acquainted while in the office, by often talking for him on business by telegraph, offered me 35 dollars per month to take charge of their telegraph office, which the Co. has in this city for its own exclusive use, and also, to assist him in writing and auditing accounts, which I accepted. The Telegraph Co. would have increased my salary to $400. per year if I had remained there, but we all thought that the new situation held out better prospects for the future. I resigned my station on the first of February, and have been employed at my new place since that time. I am liking it far better than the old one -instead of having to stay every other night till 10 or 11 o'clock, I am done every night at 6, which is a great advantage, and am not so much confined. Although I thought my old berth a very good one for the present, still for the future, I felt it did not hold out great inducements. I must always have been an employee, and the highest station I could reasonably expect to attain was Manager of an office, with 7 or 8 hundred a year, and I had begun to think that if another situation would turn up which would be better for the future, I would accept it even though the salary was less than at present, when Mr. Scott (without any application) offered me my present berth. He is having an office fixed up for his own use and I am to be along with him in it and help him. I have met with very few men that I like so well in this country, and I am sure we will agree very well. There is not much telegraphing to do, but it is necessary for them to have an office. The line runs alongside of the Railroad and as there is only one track laid yet, the time the different trains pass stations must be known. Father is in good health and has about $70. of cloth which he intends to sell as soon as the good weather sets in; his letter is not yet commenced, but he promises fair yet to write soon-in the meanwhile he sends you all his very best respects. He is highly delighted with the Caloric Ship just now, and looks forward to the time when steam will be among the things that

were. You will see that it has stood the test nobly; it went to Norfolk by sea from N. York and encountered a hard storm, her machinery worked regularly all the time. It will soon visit your shores, another monument of American genius.

Mother directed me to say that she thought we would be able to pay up the house and lot in about two years, and that when that 's done we will be in easy circumstances, but I rather guess she will need new carpets or something else after that; she bought a nice bureau and rocking-chair for her Christmas gifts and she is very proud of them. Mother says it takes a great deal more to keep us in this country. Clothes are so dear and a great many other things, which I forget, are double the price they are in Scotland. Uncle Morris was here about three weeks ago; he is now at St. Louis, about 1200 miles from here, selling ware; we expect him home in about a week; he telegraphed a few days since that he was doing well. Aunt Aiken is doing very well in the store, Mother goes up and helps her on Saturday nights. Uncle and Aunt Hogan are doing well. Aunt has been sick for a week or two past, but is now better. We are expecting Tom up every day, he is coming to spend a week with us. Seyton still continues to live with us and sends regards to all friends in Dunfermline. How do you think your new Ministry will work; it's a coalition sure enough. However, I hope it will try and do something, and not be like its predecessor. What do you think France is about; if they mean to be peaceful, as Napoleon says, what do they want so many new vessels of war for? It is thought here that another crisis like 1848 will soon take place-if you should happen to get into a fight with the Northern powers on the side of freedom, we won't see you beat without giving you a helping hand. The day will yet come when the Banner of St. George and the Stars and Stripes will do good work side by side for "Liberty." I always get enthusiastic about it when I think of my native and adopted countries uniting against despotism. But I must be brief. Aunt must excuse me for not writing a piece to her, for I have something to say to Dod, and half of yours is hers, you know, and my

room is scanty. All friends here send both of you their best wishes for your welfare, and I need not say, so does Your much indebted nephew, Andw. Carnegie.

P. S.

Mother thinks that I have never told you that we had bought Uncle Hogan's house and lot, but I 'm pretty sure I did. Mother says that rents are so very high tradesmen pay about 6 and 8 dolls. per mo. for houses with 4 rooms, so we concluded to risk a little and bought it for $550; the property is worth $700, but Andw. Hogan wanted to sell it and could get no better bargain, as it was not long after the flood and some money had to be spent for repairs-we have two years to pay it in."

This is a very remarkable letter from a youth not yet eighteen years old, who had been in this country less than five years; and of particular interest is his reference to the laws and institutions of his adopted country, which he says will compare favorably with those of any other nation on earth except as regards "the relation of master and slave." Το have noted such an exception indicates a serious turn of mind beyond his years. Carnegie's Uncle Lauder, to whom the letter was addressed, had proposed that his son George and his nephew Andrew should debate by letter which of the two lands, Great Britain or the United States, had the better government, and the suggestion was at once followed. George Lauder afterward came to America and entered the Carnegie firm, and the two cousins are to-day, as for over fifty years past they have been, more like brothers than cousins. The nicknames by which the two have been familiarly known, are nothing but the pet names of childhood, bestowed when one could not plainly say George or the other Carnegie. To each other they still remain "Dod" and "Naig."

Carnegie's savings were at first small, because the bulk of his $35 per month (soon increased to $40) was given to his parents for family expenses. But about 1854, under the advice of his employer, Thomas A. Scott, he bought ten shares of Adams Express Company

stock at a cost of $600. When this transaction was made, Carnegie had not yet reserved anything for himself out of his salary, and, to complete the payment, his mother went down the Ohio River to her brother, "Squire" Morris, in East Liverpool, who borrowed $500 for her, she giving as security a mortgage on the little house which they had bought shortly before, and to which reference is made in the letter. Mr. Scott advanced the remaining $100 required, and Mr. Carnegie, for the first time in his life, was a capitalist. He recently recalled with great interest the pleasure and excitement in the little household when he brought home the check for the first monthly dividend ($10).

In the first year of the Civil War the discovery of oil in Western Pennsylvania caused great excitement in that region, and Carnegie was prepared to take advantage of the situation by investing sone of his net earnings, and as much more as he felt justified in borrowing from the bank, in the most promising oil wells, some of which multiplied enormously in value. Later he became interested in the manufacture of steel, iron bridges, and locomotives. His brother Thomas married Lucy Coleman, daughter of one of Pittsburg's great iron-masters.

In October, 1874, Andrew Carnegie turned his energies and the bulk of his capital into the Edgar Thomson Steel Works Limited, out of which grew the Carnegie Steel Company Limited, which in turn was sold in 1901 to the United States Steel Corporation. The colossal sum of four hundred and sixty millions of dollars was the basis upon which Mr. Carnegie took first mortgage bonds and retired from active business. His partners, who took stock in the United States Steel Corporation, received their shares upon a basis of value for the Carnegie Steel Company of six hundred and forty millions. Mr. Carnegie did not ask anything in lieu of the common stock which his partners received. His belief then was that the common stock of that gigantic enterprise had no real value except as the growth of the business and its continued prosperity would create it, a result which in fact has since been achieved.