Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, January 4, 1903, Page 23

¥ o i W. E Visk.) recently (Copyright, 1903, NDREW bluntly by Thomas G 'ARNEGIE was the asked question “What influenced you most in the selection of your lieutenants in the steel industry?” “Apparently trivial incidents,” was the laconic reply Then, after a moment's pause, he added, by way of explanation “1 watched young men with whom I came in contact, and whenever I ran across one who, all unconsciously, by some small action or word uttered in ordinary conver sation, made me feel that he had the qualities demanded in my business, 1 gave him a chance to prove that he really had them And when he did, then he became one of my lieutenants, and in return for his assistance I endeavored to let him have af share in the This, in profits of my business brief, is the story of the se- lection and making of the so-called Carne- gie group of millionaires. Charles M. Schwab is these men James Gayley, vice president of the United States Steel corporation, is Thomas Lynch, successor of H. C the head of the world's biggest com- pany, is a third; Mr. Frick himself a fourth, and William E. Corey, the youthful president of the Carnegie company and the Carnegie Steel company, a fifth. Then there are H. P. Bope, Daniel M. Clemson, A. R Peacock, F, T. F. Lovejoy, W. W. Black- burn and Thomas Morrison, a Carnegie cousin brought from Scotland and given a humble position in a mill yard Andrew M. Moreland, Lauder, Al- bert C. Case and Joseph E. Schwab, brother of Charles; Lawrence Phipps, who, though a nephew of Henry Phipps Mr. Carnegie's lifelong partner, had to start at one of another Frick, at coke over George the bottom and work up with men who had no rich relatives; A. R. Hunt, W. E. McCausland who began life as a messenger in a mer antile agency office, and many others The incident that led Mr. Carnegie to select A. R. Peacock, formerly holding the important post of purchasing agent of the Carnegie properties, as a lieutenant, is typi cal of the manner in which the majority of the members of the famous group were picked out Mr. Peacock owes his millions to a re- mark that his last employer liked Twelve years ago Mr. P man for a New that time Mr. Carnegie metropolis to sec some decorating that he the Fifth mansion that he recently discarded for the more magnificent further up the ave nue He asked the firm that had Mr. Pea- cock in its employ to send him samples of wall paper, and Mr. Peacock to take them acock was sales- York decorating house At arrived in the about wanted lone in avenue one was assigned The salesman’s manner of displaying the samples and conducting business so favor ably impressed the prospective customer that a few days later, when he wanted to in »ct more samples of wall paper, he ex- pressly requested that Mr. Peacock be sent with them. His second talk with the sales man pleased Mr. Carnegie more than the first, and just as Mr. Peacock was leaving the millioraire said, apropos of nothing that had gone before ‘Young man, you will be Mr. Peacock laughed Mr. Carnegie,” he rich some day." answered, *if 1 thought so, I'd be willing to give the man who helped me to riches a liberal discount Mr. Carnegie's reply all but took away his hearer’'s breath I'll take you at your word. Go to your employers, resign at once and come with me." Mr. Peacock did as he was bld, and, judg ing by results, he gave Mr. Carnegie a lib eral discount in work, for his fortune is COREY, PRESIDENT CARNEGIE STEEL COMPANY conservatively estimated at $10,000,000 H. C. Frick not long ago named Mr. Pea- cock as one of the thirty men in Pittsburg who are worth this sum and over. He has recently moved into a new house which cost $1,000,000 and which is said to contain the finest interior woodwork of any private residence in America Daniel M. Ciemson is another of these fortunate two score men. He got the good will of Mr. Carnegie and, ergo, his mil lions, because he could shoe a horse well and wasn't afraid of work. Mr, Clemson was born on a farm in cer tral Pennsylvania When he was 9 years old he was apprenticed to a blacksmith The recompense was all that he could eat and an occasional suit of homespun. He blossomed out as an accomplished “smithy”” on his nineteenth birthday. As his pay was still his board, he went out into the He drifted to one of Carnegie's mines. “What the tendent. “*Shoe Mr horses so well and so many in a day that when Mr. Carnegie was inspecting the mine, the superintendent said “That is the He's not world to seek his fortune can you do?"” asked superin- horees,” was the reply Clemson shod fellow fastest there shop shoeing horses over and best man in the afraid of work either; he'll work all day and all night if necessary. “Give him a chance in the mechanical department,” ordered Mr. Carnegie Mr. Clemson soon had charge of all the mining machinery. Next he became the mine superintendent In 1885 he was transferred to Pittsburg Now he has charge of the 115 river and lake vessels owned by the Steel trust and is head of a natural gas company which has under lease 98,000 acres, operates 130 wells and produces day in being Pittsburg tively Andiew M financial and lightning-like racy Carr egi negie thoroughly W. W. BLACKBURN, SECRETARY-TREASURER CARNEGIE STEEL CO appreciates 10,000,000 cubte feet of gas each How closely the Carnegie group the year He still lacks a year of down to business is shown by the follow Like the great majority of jng incident: men money, he is compara- Mr. Moreland, when auditor of the com- young pany, was summoned to New York to con- Morcland, former secretary gult with his commercial master. At din- Carnegie company, owes his present pep Mr. Carnegie set wine before his position to his ability to send gyest. receive telegraph — message with “No, thank you, 1 don't drink,” said Mr rapidity and unerring accu- yo0ianq This accomplishment softened .\h Later on Mr. Carnegie brought out the s heart toward him, for Mr, Car cigars S a splend clegrapher, , " himself a plendid telegraph “No, thank you, I don't smoke, said one Therefor: Mr. Moreland Mr. Moreland did not long remain an oper 5 3 ator on the private line connecting the Still later in the evening Mr. Carnegle Carbegie plants with-ona another-anaiall Proposed s gameiof cards th the New York office of the great iron “No, thank you, I don't play cards,’” said master. First thing he knew he was ris- Mr. Moreland. ing rapidly in the steel business Mr. Carnegiec looked at his guest T ike Mr, Moreland, W. W. Blackburn, the _‘“Tell me why you don't do any of these present secretary and treasurer of the things?" he drily requested Carnegie company and also second vice “You've kept me working too hard all president of the Carnegie Steel company these years: I've had no time to learn” started in and attracted attention without Was the reply. the aid of outside influence Mr. Black- Mr. Carnegie thought a moment burn bad been clerk in a country storc “Andy,” he said, “I'm going to give in central Pennsylvania before he went to You a three months’ vacation Now, for the Carnegic mills and there he had picked heaven's sake, go off somewhere and learn up a knowledge of business principles that to do something besides work."” ghortly caused his new employer to see The Carnegie company one day adver- evidences of splendid business acumen in tised in the newspapers for a bookkeeper him After that this poor boy of a poor ¥ T. F. Lovejoy, while working in a laun- farmer went forward gradually and when dry, had picked up a good knowledge of ac- Mr. Moreland resigned the secretaryship counting, and so, when he read the “want of the Carnegie company he succeeded to ad,” decided to apply for the position By the position He and Mr. Moreland can good luck he managed to arrive at the man truthfully be ecalled boy millionaires, for ager's office ahead of all other applicants, each is still on the shady side of middle and, after a short interview. was given the age. position. The lucidity of his balan.e sheets Like the rest of Carnegie's lieutenants, at once attracted attention, and then step these two ambitious employes had to work by step he began rising until he attained hard to keep the good will of their em- the secretaryship. This he held until he ployer and get a share of the profits. took sides with Mr. Frick in his contro- MRS. B. 8 N. M BAKER FLORAL PARADE AND MRS. SOLOMON LUNA IN MRS BAKER'S PRIZE WINNING TURNOUT AT THE ALBUQUERQUE ANDREW M was kept versy MORELAND with Mr. Carnegie, and then he was succeeded by Mr. Moreland. Mr. Lovejoy is said to be in the $10,000,000 and over class H. . Bope, who, although not quite so young in years as Mr. Blackburn, is still on the sunny side of middle ag was s lected by Mr. Carnegie to be the company’s first stenographer because he presented a c¢lean, keen appearance and had the reputa tion among his associates of being close of mouth. In this position Mr. Bop« into intimate and confidential relations with Mr Carnegie and ability to g8 secrets gave him his golden oppor which has yiclded him $3,000,000 Albert € now of New York many of Pittsburg’s moneyed men late attracted Mr Carnegie's attention, he was conneeted with his proven guard busine tunity, When where Case have moved in years the Pittsburg office of A big mercantile agency. One day he gave the Carnegie com pany a piece of information that saved it several thousand dollars he was asked how he Shortly after that would like to become the head of the credit department of the Carnegie plants. For five years thereafter he handled the credits and in that thme only 9-1000ths of 1 per cent of the millions of dollars involved was lost Only a few years ago Willilam E president of the Carnegie compa and the Carnegie Steel company and frequently talked of as a futur president of the United States Steel corporation, was push ing a wheelbarrow in the yards of one of the Carnegie mills in Braddock He wheeled so much more iron in a day than the men at his elbows that he was soon made a foreman over them. Then hig em ployers noticed that he got three times as much work out of his men as the other foremen and at the same time the men worked harder without any grumbling and swore by their new and youthful boss Co: was straightway picked out by Mr Carnegie as a promising valuable acquisi tion and given widening tunities, He worked hard, prove his public became Corey, constantly appor studied at school to im and in night education time chemist an expert plate authority and armor He was made superintend ent of this mill and that department and invariably increased the output When Mr. Schwab resigned to becomd president of the steel trust Mr, Corey was the only man considered for his successor at the head of the Carnegie company and the Carnegie Steel company. Thomas Lynch, the young head of the world's biggest coke company, was partly brought forward by Mr. Carnegie, although Mr. Frick found him. But after the latter had done this, Mr. Carnegi recognizing Mr. Lynch's worth, helped to place advance ment in his way Mr. Lynch country went to Pittsburg from A Pennsyl working town in southwestern vania, where his father, a Irishman, had put him through the com mon school and started clerking in a wholesale grocery tore After a few weeks' trial he was discharged. He drifted to the little coke town of Broad Ford near his home, and became a clerk in the company store of O. A. Tinstman, who had coke ovens in the neighberhood. When My Frick secured the Tinstman property a few months later he put Mr. Lynch in char of the store because, forsooth, he was its only clerk Mr. Lynch made the store pay and as a result he was told to superintend the various company tores of his em ployer. Soon he wa uperintendent of all the coal mines operated by the Frick Carnegie interests in the Connellsville coke region About this time foreigners were brought into the coke regions and all sort of (Continued on Eighth Page)