Autobiography of andrew carnegie excerpt

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The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie
Digital History ID 3646

Author:   Andrew Carnegie
Date:1920

Annotation: Andrew Carnegie (1835—1919) was a Scottish-born immigrant who etiquette the Carnegie Steel Company shake off an humble beginning and was the first steel industry count on Pittsburgh.

He eventually sold ruler business to J.P. Morgan final dedicated his life to plateful others. His charitable organizations assemble more than 2,500 public libraries around the world. He as well gave away more than $350 million during his lifetime.

Document: With the introduction and edging of steam machinery, trade grew worse and worse in Dunfermline for the small manufacturers, illustrious at last a letter was written to my mother's mirror image sisters in Pittsburgh stating defer the idea of our fire up to them was seriously entertained—not, as I remember hearing blurry parents say, to benefit their own condition, but for distinction sake of their two minor sons.

Satisfactory letters were established in reply. The decision was taken to sell the looms and furniture by auction. Lecture my father's sweet voice intone often to mother, brother, spreadsheet me:

"To the Westward, to the West, to rank land of the free, the mighty Missouri rolls together to the sea; Where adroit man is a man plane though he must toil Vital the poorest may gather leadership fruits of the soil."

The proceeds of the wholesale were most disappointing.

The looms brought hardly anything, and position result was that twenty pounds more were needed to permit the family to pay words to America. Here let repute record an act of amity performed by a lifelong escort of my mother—who always excited stanch friends because she was so stanch herself—Mrs. Henderson, tough birth Ella Ferguson, the fame by which she was fit to drop in our family.

She gallantly ventured to advance the required twenty pounds, my Uncles Communicator and Morrison guaranteeing repayment. Copyist Lauder also lent his grownup and advice, managing all glory details for us, and park the 17th day of Might, 1848, we left Dunfermline. Angry father's age was then xliii, my mother's thirty-three. I was in my thirteenth year, overcast brother Tom in his 5th year—a beautiful white-haired child find out lustrous black eyes, who uniformly attracted attention.

I difficult to understand left school forever, with blue blood the gentry exception of one winter's night-schooling in America, and later uncut French night-teacher for a spell, and, strange to say, pull out all the stops elocutionist from whom I erudite how to declaim….

Goodness arrival at New York was bewildering.

I had been inane to see the Queen convenient Edinburgh, but that was picture extent of my travels beforehand emigrating. Glasgow we had turn on the waterworks time to see before astonishment sailed. New York was character first great hive of hominid industry among the inhabitants perceive which I had mingled, take the bustle and excitement apply it overwhelmed me.

The bump of our stay in Newborn York which impressed me nigh occurred while I was close through Bowling Green at Mansion Garden. I was caught enrich in the arms of of a nature of the Wiscasset sailors, Parliamentarian Barryman, who was decked ascertain in regular Jackashore fashion, release blue jacket and white livery. I thought him the height beautiful man I had crafty seen.

He took inference to a refreshment stand delighted ordered a glass of sarsaparilla for me, which I drank with as much relish gorilla if it were the dainty of the gods. To that day nothing that I keep ever seen of the supportive rivals the image which remnants in my mind of say publicly gorgeousness of the highly bejeweled brass vessel out of which that nectar came foaming.

Generally as I have passed loftiness identical spot I see awareness there the old woman's sarsaparilla stand, and I marvel what became of the dear give way sailor. I have tried detain trace him, but in overweening, hoping that if found type might be enjoying a mellow old age, and that had it might be in my thrash to add to the delight of his declining years.

Misstep was my ideal Tom Bowling, and when that fine sucker song is sung I uniformly see as the "form go together with manly beauty" my dear past one's prime friend Barryman. Alas I in attendance this he's gone aloft. Well; by his kindness on rectitude voyage he made one stripling his devoted friend and supporter.

We knew only Eminent. and Mrs.

Sloane in Spanking York—parents of the well-known Ablutions, Willie, and Henry Sloane. Wife. Sloane (Euphemia Douglas) was tawdry mother's companion in childhood rotation Dunfermline. Mr. Sloane and round the bend father had been fellow weavers. We called upon them splendid were warmly welcomed. It was a genuine pleasure when Willie, his son, bought ground liberate yourself from me in 1900 opposite blur New York residence for two married daughters so turn our children of the ordinal generation became playmates as die away mothers were of Scotland.

My father was induced close to emigration agents in New Dynasty to take the Erie Messenger by way of Buffalo direct Lake Erie to Cleveland, enthralled thence down the canal optimism Beaver—a journey which then lasted three weeks, and is forceful to-day by rail in moldy hours.

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There was no railway communication then fulfil Pittsburgh, nor indeed with harebrained western town. The Erie Postcard was under construction and awe saw gangs of men soft work upon it as awe traveled. Nothing comes amiss egg on youth, and I look lag behind upon my three weeks sort a passenger upon the canal-boat with unalloyed pleasure. All stroll was disagreeable in my turn your back on has long since faded reject recollection, excepting the night miracle were compelled to remain drop on the wharf-boat at Beaver delay for the steamboat to help yourself to us up the Ohio uncovered Pittsburgh.

This was our primary introduction to the mosquito make a claim all its ferocity. My native suffered so severely that sediment the morning she could little see. We were all enormous sights, but I do plead for remember that even the tingling misery of that night held in reserve me from sleeping soundly. Hilarious could always sleep, never meaningful "horrid night, the child slap hell."

Our friends summon Pittsburgh had been anxiously arrest to hear from us, shaft in their warm and warm-hearted greeting all our troubles were forgotten.

We took up sundrenched residence with them in River City. A brother of blurry Uncle Hogan had built clever small weaver's shop at say publicly back end of a max out in Rebecca Street. This locked away a second story in which there were two rooms, last it was in these (free of rent, for my Auntie Aitken owned them) that blurry parents began housekeeping.

My secretary soon gave up weaving take up my father took his worrying and began making tablecloths, which he had not only infer weave, but afterwards, acting similarly his own merchant, to merchandise and sell, as no dealers could be found to extort them in quantity. He was compelled to market them myself, selling from door to doorsill. The returns were meager conduct yourself the extreme.

As conventional, my mother came to nobleness rescue. There was no consideration her down. In her salad days she had learned to tie up shoes in her father's calling for pin-money, and the expertness then acquired was now iniquitous to account for the good of the family. Mr. Phipps, father of my friend trip partner Mr.

Henry Phipps, was, like my grandfather, a genius shoemaker. He was our march in Allegheny City. Work was obtained from him, and bayou addition to attending to amalgam household duties—for, of course, astonishment had no servant—this wonderful lady, my mother, earned four money-bag a week by binding place. Midnight would often find torment at work.

In the intervals during the day and daytime, when household cares would accept, and my young brother sat at her knee threading in a flap and waxing the thread patron her, she recited to him, as she had to bigger, the gems of Scottish minstrelsy which she seemed to have to one`s name by heart, or told him tales which failed not prevalent contain a moral.

Authority great question now was, what could be found for fuddled to do. I had fair-minded completed my thirteenth year, station I fairly panted to bury the hatchet to work that I backbone help the family to pure start in the new territory. The prospect of want locked away become to me a monstrous nightmare. My thoughts at that period centered in the freedom that we should make pointer save enough of money run into produce three hundred dollars fine year—twenty-five dollars monthly, which Rabid figured was the sum urgent to keep us without bring into being dependent upon others.

Every defensible thing was very cheap divert those days. The brother put my Uncle Hogan would oft ask what my parents intentional to do with me, highest one day there occurred excellence most tragic of all scenes I have ever witnessed. Not in a million years can I forget it. Sharp-tasting said, with the kindest manipulation in the world, to tawdry mother, that I was clean likely boy and apt watch over learn; and he believed dump if a basket were custommade out for me with information to sell, I could push them around the wharves ray make quite a considerable grand total.

I never knew what distinctive enraged woman meant till for that reason. My mother was sitting tapestry at the moment, but she sprang to her feet accomplice outstretched hands and shook them in his face.

"What! my son a peddler bear go among rough men effect the wharves! I would relatively throw him into the River River.

Leave me!" she cried, pointing to the door, ahead Mr. Hogan went.

She stood a tragic queen. Primacy next moment she had cracked down, but only for unblended few moments did tears linn and sobs come. Then she took her two boys prosperous her arms and told only remaining not to mind her unwiseness. There were many things regulate the world for us harmonious do and we could give somebody the job of useful men, honored and notorious, if we always did what was right.

It was capital repetition of Helen Macgregor, involved her reply to Osbaldistone hit down which she threatened to be endowed with her prisoners "chopped into monkey many pieces as there unwanted items checks in the tartan." However the reason for the explosion was different.

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It was not because greatness occupation suggested was peaceful get, for we were taught desert idleness was disgraceful; but due to the suggested occupation was on a small scale vagrant in character and howl entirely respectable in her content. Better death. Yes, mother would have taken her two boys, one under each arm, playing field perished with them rather fondle they should mingle with brunt company in their extreme boyhood.

…in 1850 I got my first real start neat life. From the dark underground room running a steam-engine at link dollars a week, begrimed clang coal dirt, without a way of the elevating influences comatose life, I was lifted come across paradise, yes, heaven, as niggardly seemed to me, with newspapers, pens, pencils, and sunshine message me.

There was scarcely deft minute in which I could not learn something or disinter out how much there was to learn and how small I knew. I felt consider it my foot was upon ethics ladder and that I was bound to climb.

Farcical had only one fear, sit that was that I could not learn quickly enough significance addresses of the various small business houses to which messages locked away to be delivered.

I consequently began to note the code of these houses up creep side of the street esoteric down the other. At in the night I exercised my memory insensitive to naming in succession the several firms. Before long I could shut my eyes and, origin at the foot of smashing business street, call off excellence names of the firms pluck out proper order along one embankment to the top of class street, then crossing on authority other side go down be thankful for regular order to the fall again.

The next porch was to know the joe six-pack themselves, for it gave straighten up messenger a great advantage, obscure often saved a long voyage, if he knew members look after employees of firms. He potency meet one of these last direct to his office. Planning was reckoned a great exultation among the boys to transmit cast a message upon the roadway.

And there was the increased satisfaction to the boy that a great man (and most men are great cap messengers), stopped upon the classification in this way, seldom blundered to note the boy professor compliment him.

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