Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie
I was still dreaming and so excited that I could not sleep and had
caught cold in the bargain. The natural result of this was a fever. I
lay in uncle's house for six weeks, a part of that time in a critical
condition. Scottish medicine was then as stern as Scottish theology
(both are now much softened), and I was bled. My thin American blood
was so depleted that when I was pronounced convalescent it was long
before I could stand upon my feet. This illness put an end to my
visit, but by the time I had reached America again, the ocean voyage
had done me so much good I was able to resume work.
I remember being deeply affected by the reception I met with when I
returned to my division. The men of the eastern end had gathered
together with a cannon and while the train passed I was greeted with a
salvo. This was perhaps the first occasion upon which my subordinates
had an opportunity of making me the subject of any demonstration, and
their reception made a lasting impression. I knew how much I cared for
them and it was pleasing to know that they reciprocated my feelings.
Working-men always do reciprocate kindly feeling. If we truly care for
others we need not be anxious about their feelings for us. Like draws
to like.
CHAPTER IX
BRIDGE-BUILDING
During the Civil War the price of iron went up to something like $130
per ton. Even at that figure it was not so much a question of money as
of delivery. The railway lines of America were fast becoming dangerous
for want of new rails, and this state of affairs led me to organize in
1864 a rail-making concern at Pittsburgh. There was no difficulty in
obtaining partners and capital, and the Superior Rail Mill and Blast
Furnaces were built.
In like manner the demand for locomotives was very great, and with Mr.
Thomas N. Miller[24] I organized in 1866 the Pittsburgh Locomotive
Works, which has been a prosperous and creditable concern--locomotives
made there having obtained an enviable reputation throughout the
United States. It sounds like a fairy tale to-day to record that in
1906 the one-hundred-dollar shares of this company sold for three
thousand dollars--that is, thirty dollars for one. Large annual
dividends had been paid regularly and the company had been very
successful--sufficient proof of the policy: "Make nothing but the very
best." We never did.
[Footnote 24: Mr. Carnegie had previous to this--as early as
1861--been associated with Mr. Miller in the Sun City Forge Company,
doing a small iron business.]
When at Altoona I had seen in the Pennsylvania Railroad Company's
works the first small bridge built of iron. It proved a success. I saw
that it would never do to depend further upon wooden bridges for
permanent railway structures. An important bridge on the Pennsylvania
Railroad had recently burned and the traffic had been obstructed for
eight days. Iron was the thing. I proposed to H.J. Linville, who had
designed the iron bridge, and to John L. Piper and his partner, Mr.
Schiffler, who had charge of bridges on the Pennsylvania line, that
they should come to Pittsburgh and I would organize a company to build
iron bridges. It was the first company of its kind. I asked my friend,
Mr. Scott, of the Pennsylvania Railroad, to go with us in the venture,
which he did. Each of us paid for a one fifth interest, or $1250. My
share I borrowed from the bank. Looking back at it now the sum seemed
very small, but "tall oaks from little acorns grow."
In this way was organized in 1862 the firm of Piper and Schiffler
which was merged into the Keystone Bridge Company in 1863--a name
which I remember I was proud of having thought of as being most
appropriate for a bridge-building concern in the State of
Pennsylvania, the Keystone State. From this beginning iron bridges
came generally into use in America, indeed, in the world at large so
far as I know. My letters to iron manufacturers in Pittsburgh were
sufficient to insure the new company credit. Small wooden shops were
erected and several bridge structures were undertaken. Cast-iron was
the principal material used, but so well were the bridges built that
some made at that day and since strengthened for heavier traffic,
still remain in use upon various lines.
The question of bridging the Ohio River at Steubenville came up, and
we were asked whether we would undertake to build a railway bridge
with a span of three hundred feet over the channel. It seems
ridiculous at the present day to think of the serious doubts
entertained about our ability to do this; but it must be remembered
this was before the days of steel and almost before the use of
wrought-iron in America. The top cords and supports were all of
cast-iron. I urged my partners to try it anyhow, and we finally closed
a contract, but I remember well when President Jewett[25] of the
railway company visited the works and cast his eyes upon the piles of
heavy cast-iron lying about, which were parts of the forthcoming
bridge, that he turned to me and said:
"I don't believe these heavy castings can be made to stand up and
carry themselves, much less carry a train across the Ohio River."
[Footnote 25: Thomas L. Jewett, President of the Panhandle.]
The Judge, however, lived to believe differently. The bridge remained
until recently, though strengthened to carry heavier traffic. We
expected to make quite a sum by this first important undertaking, but
owing to the inflation of the currency, which occurred before the work
was finished, our margin of profit was almost swallowed up. It is an
evidence of the fairness of President Edgar Thomson, of the
Pennsylvania, that, upon learning the facts of the case, he allowed an
extra sum to secure us from loss. The subsequent position of affairs,
he said, was not contemplated by either party when the contract was
made. A great and a good man was Edgar Thomson, a close bargainer for
the Pennsylvania Railroad, but ever mindful of the fact that the
spirit of the law was above the letter.
In Linville, Piper, and Schiffler, we had the best talent of that
day--Linville an engineer, Piper a hustling, active mechanic, and
Schiffler sure and steady. Colonel Piper was an exceptional man. I
heard President Thomson of the Pennsylvania once say he would rather
have him at a burnt bridge than all the engineering corps. There was
one subject upon which the Colonel displayed great weakness
(fortunately for us) and that was the horse. Whenever a business
discussion became too warm, and the Colonel showed signs of temper,
which was not seldom, it was a sure cure to introduce that subject.
Everything else would pass from his mind; he became absorbed in the
fascinating topic of horseflesh. If he had overworked himself, and we
wished to get him to take a holiday, we sent him to Kentucky to look
after a horse or two that one or the other of us was desirous of
obtaining, and for the selection of which we would trust no one but
himself. But his craze for horses sometimes brought him into serious
difficulties. He made his appearance at the office one day with one
half of his face as black as mud could make it, his clothes torn, and
his hat missing, but still holding the whip in one hand. He explained
that he had attempted to drive a fast Kentucky colt; one of the reins
had broken and he had lost his "steerage-way," as he expressed it.
He was a grand fellow, "Pipe" as we called him, and when he took a
fancy to a person, as he did to me, he was for and with him always. In
later days when I removed to New York he transferred his affections to
my brother, whom he invariably called Thomas, instead of Tom. High as
I stood in his favor, my brother afterwards stood higher. He fairly
worshiped him, and anything that Tom said was law and gospel. He was
exceedingly jealous of our other establishments, in which he was not
directly interested, such as our mills which supplied the Keystone
Works with iron. Many a dispute arose between the mill managers and
the Colonel as to quality, price, and so forth. On one occasion he
came to my brother to complain that a bargain which he had made for
the supply of iron for a year had not been copied correctly. The
prices were "net," and nothing had been said about "net" when the
bargain was made. He wanted to know just what that word "net" meant.
"Well, Colonel," said my brother, "it means that nothing more is to be
added."
"All right, Thomas," said the Colonel, entirely satisfied.
There is much in the way one puts things. "Nothing to be deducted"
might have caused a dispute.
He was made furious one day by Bradstreet's volume which gives the
standing of business concerns. Never having seen such a book before,
he was naturally anxious to see what rating his concern had. When he
read that the Keystone Bridge Works were "BC," which meant "Bad
Credit," it was with difficulty he was restrained from going to see
our lawyers to have a suit brought against the publishers. Tom,
however, explained to him that the Keystone Bridge Works were in bad
credit because they never borrowed anything, and he was pacified. No
debt was one of the Colonel's hobbies. Once, when I was leaving for
Europe, when many firms were hard up and some failing around us, he
said to me:
"The sheriff can't get us when you are gone if I don't sign any notes,
can he?"
"No," I said, "he can't."
"All right, we'll be here when you come back."
Talking of the Colonel reminds me of another unusual character with
whom we were brought in contact in these bridge-building days. This
was Captain Eads, of St. Louis,[26] an original genius _minus_
scientific knowledge to guide his erratic ideas of things mechanical.
He was seemingly one of those who wished to have everything done upon
his own original plans. That a thing had been done in one way before
was sufficient to cause its rejection. When his plans for the St.
Louis Bridge were presented to us, I handed them to the one man in the
United States who knew the subject best--our Mr. Linville. He came to
me in great concern, saying:
"The bridge if built upon these plans will not stand up; it will not
carry its own weight."
"Well," I said, "Captain Eads will come to see you and in talking over
matters explain this to him gently, get it into proper shape, lead him
into the straight path and say nothing about it to others."
[Footnote 26: Captain James B. Eads, afterward famous for his jetty
system in the Mississippi River.]
This was successfully accomplished; but in the construction of the
bridge poor Piper was totally unable to comply with the extraordinary
requirements of the Captain. At first he was so delighted with having
received the largest contract that had yet been let that he was all
graciousness to Captain Eads. It was not even "Captain" at first, but
"'Colonel' Eads, how do you do? Delighted to see you." By and by
matters became a little complicated. We noticed that the greeting
became less cordial, but still it was "Good-morning, Captain Eads."
This fell till we were surprised to hear "Pipe" talking of "Mr. Eads."
Before the troubles were over, the "Colonel" had fallen to "Jim Eads,"
and to tell the truth, long before the work was out of the shops,
"Jim" was now and then preceded by a big "D." A man may be possessed
of great ability, and be a charming, interesting character, as Captain
Eads undoubtedly was, and yet not be able to construct the first
bridge of five hundred feet span over the Mississippi River,[27]
without availing himself of the scientific knowledge and practical
experience of others.
[Footnote 27: The span was 515 feet, and at that time considered the
finest metal arch in the world.]
When the work was finished, I had the Colonel with me in St. Louis for