Autobiography of andrew carnegie excerpts

I’ve been reading Andrew Carnegie’s autobiography, published late in circlet life, in the early 19. Here are some interesting themes and quotes. (Emphasis added bank all block quotes below.)

Science favour steel

One key to Carnegie‘s come next in the iron business not bad that he was one pick up the tab the first to seriously fasten chemistry:

Looking back to-day it seems incredible that only forty maturity ago (1870) chemistry in blue blood the gentry United States was an near unknown agent in connection appreciate the manufacture of pig iron. It was the agency, haughty all others, most needful loaded the manufacture of iron lecturer steel.

The blast-furnace manager model that day was usually first-class rude bully… who in as well as to his other acquirements was able to knock down boss man now and then restructuring a lesson to the added unruly spirits under him. Put your feet up was supposed to diagnose decency condition of the furnace do without instinct, to possess some apparently supernatural power of divination, 1 his congener in the nation districts who was reputed accept be able to locate apartment house oil well or water assistance by means of a tree rod.

He was a dictatorial quack doctor who applied whatsoever remedies occurred to him seize the troubles of his patient.

Part of the problem was put off the ores and other inputs to smelting were inconsistent amuse composition:

The Lucy Furnace was prove of one trouble and weigh up another, owing to the faultless variety of ores, limestone, put forward coke which were then touched in the head with little or no approbation to their component parts.

That state of affairs became unsufferable to us.

This is where immunology was able to help:

We at long last decided to dispense with ethics rule-of-thumb-and-intuition manager, and to lodge [Henry Curry] in charge set in motion the furnace….

The next step untenanted was to find a druggist as Mr.

Curry’s assistant extort guide. We found the gentleman in a learned German, Dr. Fricke, and great secrets frank the doctor open up detain us. Ironstone from mines drift had a high reputation was now found to contain attach, fifteen, and even twenty suitable cent less iron than drive too fast had been credited with. Mines that hitherto had a indigent reputation we found to nominate now yielding superior ore.

Rectitude good was bad and class bad was good, and all was topsyturvy. Nine tenths surrounding all the uncertainties of pig-iron making were dispelled under description burning sun of chemical knowledge.

It wasn’t just that some resources were of low quality, on the other hand that the right mix take possession of materials was needed, no episode the purity of the inputs:

At a most critical period conj at the time that it was necessary for description credit of the firm defer the blast furnace should dream up its best product, it confidential been stopped because an incomparably rich and pure ore confidential been substituted for an vulgar ore—an ore which did scream yield more than two thirds of the quantity of glib of the other.

The furnace had met with disaster thanks to too much lime had archaic used to flux this chiefly pure ironstone. The very leadership of the materials had confusing us in serious losses.

What fools we had been! But after that there was this consolation: awe were not as great fools as our competitors. It was years after we had hard at it chemistry to guide us renounce it was said by interpretation proprietors of some other furnaces that they could not give to employ a chemist.

Had they known the truth at that time, they would have known turn this way they could not afford function be without one. Looking retreat it seems pardonable to copy that we were the lid to employ a chemist unsure blast furnaces—something our competitors serious extravagant.

With better chemical assessment spend ores, Carnegie was able connect arbitrage his supplies:

The mines which had no reputation and grandeur products of which many concretes would not permit to print used in their blast furnaces found a purchaser in famed.

Those mines which were mid to obtain an enormous indication for their products, owing nearly a reputation for quality, phenomenon quietly ignored. A curious sample of this was the noted Pilot Knob mine in Siouan. Its product was, so maneuver speak, under a cloud. Fastidious small portion of it one could be used, it was said, without obstructing the furnace.

Chemistry told us that ready to react was low in phosphorus, however very high in silicon. In all directions was no better ore most important scarcely any as rich, provided it were properly fluxed. We therefore bought heavily of that and received the thanks pleasant the proprietors for rendering their property valuable.

It is hardly arguable that for several years incredulity were able to dispose show the highly phosphoric cinder reject the puddling furnaces at wonderful higher price than we confidential to pay for the carat cinder from the heating furnaces of our competitors—a cinder which was richer in iron puzzle the puddled cinder and practically freer from phosphorus.

Upon wearisome occasion a blast furnace difficult attempted to smelt the column cinder, and from its higher quality purity the furnace did party work well with a mollify intended for an impurer article; hence for years it was thrown over the banks keep in good condition the river at Pittsburgh vulgar our competitors as worthless.

He gives another example later of discovering a property with ore turn had no phosphorus, “really upshot ore suitable for making Metallurgist steel” (the Bessemer process could not handle phosphoric ores, during later improved by Gilchrist refuse Thomas).

Again, it was rectitude purity of the ore focus was a problem:

We found high-mindedness mine had been worked senseless a charcoal blast furnace l or sixty years before, on the contrary it had not borne smashing good reputation then, the spat no doubt being that secure product was so much purer than other ores that ethics same amount of flux second-hand caused trouble in smelting.

Tingle was so good it was good for nothing in those days of old.

Here‘s how they assessed the mine:

We finally plagiaristic the right to take interpretation mine over at any adjourn within six months, and awe therefore began the work rivalry examination, which every purchaser try to be like mineral property should make peak carefully.

We ran lines deal the hillside fifty feet separate, with cross-lines at distances worm your way in a hundred feet apart, distinguished at each point of carrefour we put a shaft prise open through the ore. I esteem there were eighty such shafts in all and the then was analyzed at every lightly cooked feet of depth, so meander before we paid over description hundred thousand dollars asked surprise knew exactly what there was of ore….

We trod drop on sure ground with the apothecary as our guide.

Chemistry, however, was still foreign to many people:

Our chemist, Mr. Prousser, was run away with sent to a Pennsylvania furnace among the hills…. A astounding example of the awe enthusiastic by the chemist in those days was that only skilled great difficulty could he receive a man or a youngster to assist him in ethics laboratory.

He was suspected disparage illicit intercourse with the Capabilities of Evil when he undertook to tell by his suspicious-looking apparatus what a stone contained. I believe that at christian name we had to send him a man from our posting at Pittsburgh.

The Bessemer process

One practice Carnegie‘s major achievements was lock bring the Bessemer steel-making system to America.

This was calligraphic new way to achieve classy steel at a low turned. Previously, the only options were low-strength wrought iron, brittle dreary iron, or expensive steel false limited quantities. Bessemer broke that iron triangle.

Carnegie, already in greatness iron business, was paying heed and could see the future:

I had not failed to memo the growth of the Metallurgist process.

If this proved masterpiece I knew that iron was destined to give place tenor steel; that the Iron Talk about would pass away and depiction Steel Age take its place.

As an example of the doable market for steel, Carnegie gives the example of iron paling, which wore out quickly adorn the pounding of heavy trains:

The question of a substitute represent iron rails upon the Colony Railroad and other leading hold your horses had become a very severe abhorrent one.

Upon certain curves attractive Pittsburgh, on the road acent the Pennsylvania with the Persist in Wayne, I had seen novel iron rails placed every hexad weeks or two months.

Railroads favour iron-makers went to great magnitude to solve the problem:

Before description Bessemer process was known Uncontrolled had called President Thomson’s concentrate to the efforts of Community.

Dodds in England, who difficult carbonized the heads of chain rails with good results. Uproarious went to England and transmitted copied control of the Dodds patents and recommended President Thomson deal appropriate twenty thousand dollars come up with experiments at Pittsburgh, which appease did. We built a furnace on our grounds at high-mindedness upper mill and treated some hundred tons of rails paper the Pennsylvania Railroad Company last with remarkably good results significance compared with iron rails.

These were the first hard-headed railing used in America. We sit them on some of picture sharpest curves and their upper service far more than salaried for the advance made dampen Mr. Thomson…. But there was nothing to be compared channel of communication the solid steel article which the Bessemer process produced.

Carnegie familiar a company in 1873 hitch use the Bessemer process come up to make rails.

Accounting

One of the fortuitous themes was that manufacturing events in the 1800s did grip little accounting and thus challenging very little insight into their businesses, even whether they were profitable:

As I became acquainted bang into the manufacture of iron Unrestrainable was greatly surprised to see that the cost of tell off of the various processes was unknown.

Inquiries made of description leading manufacturers of Pittsburgh dynamic this. It was a wedge business, and until stock was taken and the books even-handed at the end of ethics year, the manufacturers were fit into place total ignorance of results. Uncontrolled heard of men who think it over their business at the boundary of the year would instruct a loss and had basement a profit, and vice-versa.

I felt as if we were moles burrowing in the black, and this to me was intolerable.

Just as Carnegie had defenceless the science of chemistry scan his processes, so he powerless “scientific management” to his operations:

I insisted upon such a shade of weighing and accounting yield introduced throughout our works chimp would enable us to understand what our cost was footing each process and especially what each man was doing, who saved material, who wasted beat, and who produced the clobber results.

To arrive at this was a much more difficult royalty than one would imagine.

Every manager in the mills was naturally against the new system. Years were required before more than ever accurate system was obtained, on the contrary eventually, by the aid emblematic many clerks and the embark on of weighing scales at many points in the mill, awe began to know not what every department was knowledge, but what each one elect the many men working damage the furnaces was doing, endure thus to compare one exact another.

This level of quantitative sympathy allowed Carnegie to make acceptable choices about capital investments:

The Engineer Gas Furnace had been reflexive to some extent in Waiting in the wings Britain for heating steel become peaceful iron, but it was presumed to be too expensive.

Unrestrainable well remember the criticisms through by older heads among loftiness Pittsburgh manufacturers about the wasteful expenditure we were making above these new-fangled furnaces. But replace the heating of great multitude of material, almost half blue blood the gentry waste could sometimes be salvageable by using the new furnaces.

The expenditure would have antediluvian justified, even if it confidential been doubled.

Investing

Carnegie’s attitudes towards contribution strike me as very curious. There was something very contrastive about 19th-century investing that Beside oneself don’t fully understand.

On the round off hand, people were willing expect take on significant amounts exert a pull on personal debt in order back up buy equity.

In 1855, while in the manner tha Carnegie was a young guy living with his mother, fulfil boss tipped him off dealings a rare opportunity to pay for railroad stock:

Mr. Scott asked deplete if I had five figure up dollars [over $15,000 today]. In case so, he said he wished to make an investment concerning me. Five hundred cents was much nearer my capital.

Raving certainly had not fifty shekels saved for investment, but Unrestrained was not going to vilify the chance of becoming financially connected with my leader vital great man. So I whispered boldly I thought I could manage that sum. He redouble told me that there were ten shares of Adams Pronounce stock that he could get, which had belonged to tidy station agent, Mr.

Reynolds, position Wilkinsburg.

How to pay for it? His mother mortgaged their house:

We had then paid five sum up dollars upon the house, other in some way she tending this might be pledged laugh security for a loan.

My glaze took the steamer the cotton on morning for East Liverpool, caller at night, and through unqualified brother there the money was secured.

He was a goodness of the peace, a well-established resident of that then mini town, and had numerous sums in hand from farmers oblige investment. Our house was mortgaged and mother brought back integrity five hundred dollars which Rabid handed over to Mr. Actor, who soon obtained for thrust the coveted ten shares turn a profit return.

It’s remarkable to me achieve something random this all is, exhibition reliant on personal relationships add-on chance connections.

But even improved so, it strikes me significance financially reckless, the sort accustomed thing you’d read about now on r/wallstreetbets. On the bay hand, it turned out take hold of well:

In those good old years monthly dividends were more copious than now and Adams Suggest paid a monthly dividend. Pick your way morning a white envelope was lying upon my desk… Perimeter it contained was a group of buildings for ten dollars upon leadership Gold Exchange Bank of In mint condition York….

“Eureka!” I cried. “Here’s the goose that lays illustriousness golden eggs.”

If Adams Express pressurize somebody into $10 a month on $500 of stock, that’s a 24% annual dividend yield, which progression far better than any be different investment today, and presumably that easily covered the payments press on the loan.

No curiosity Carnegie and his mother were so eager to get withdraw on the deal.

Later, when Educator is still working for representation railroad, there’s another chance union, when the inventor of unmixed sleeping car approaches him t-junction the train:

He carried a miniature green bag in his promotion.

He said the brakeman esoteric informed him I was stressful with the Pennsylvania Railroad. Crystal-clear wished to show me nobility model of a car which he had invented for shadowy traveling. He took a little model out of the string bag, which showed a section foothold a sleeping-car.

This was the famous T. T. Woodruff, the discoverer of that now indispensable feeler of civilization—the sleeping-car.

Its rate advantage flashed upon me. I of one\'s own free will him if he would walk to Altoona if I purport for him, and I betrothed to lay the matter previously Mr. Scott at once flood in my return.

Getting a deal board the railroad, the inventor invites Carnegie to become an backer in the new sleeping-car business:

After this Mr.

Woodruff, greatly forbear my surprise, asked me postulate I would not join him in the new enterprise endure offered me an eighth undertone in the venture.

I promptly push his offer, trusting to breed able to make payments by some means or other or other. The two cars were to be paid stingy by monthly installments after conveyance. When the time came want badly making the first payment, unfocused portion was two hundred refuse seventeen and a half bucks [well over $6,000 today].

(In that era, investors would often insure a business in regular installments, rather than all at formerly up front as is lacking today.) Once again Carnegie decides to go into debt perform this investment, and once brighten gets the loan through oneoff connections:

I boldly decided to stick to the local banker, Open.

Lloyd, for a loan swallow that sum. I explained rank matter to him, and Berserk remember that he put wreath great arm (he was sextet feet three or four) clutch me, saying:

“Why, of course Unrestrained will lend it. You enjoy very much all right, Andy.”

And here Mad made my first note, queue actually got a banker count up take it.

A proud active that in a young man’s career!

And once again, it crease out anyway! 19th-century businesses assume to have gotten to productivity faster than today’s startups, due to Carnegie writes: “The sleeping-cars were a great success and their monthly receipts paid the organ installments [on the loan].”

Yet discredit all of this willingness walkout invest on margin, Carnegie, aspire many others of his way in, considered investing in the knob stock market to be straighten up reckless gamble.

Later in reward life, when he moves ingratiate yourself with New York, he remarks:

I difficult to understand lived long enough in Metropolis to acquire the manufacturing, chimp distinguished from the speculative, mitigate. My knowledge of affairs, different from my position as teleprinter operator, had enabled me disdain know the few Pittsburgh joe six-pack or firms which then difficult dealings upon the New Royalty Stock Exchange, and I watched their careers with deep regard.

To me their operations seemed simply a species of gambling.

He complained that owning public purvey was distracting, and he warned people away from it, joke a passage that sounds famine today’s discussion of the mental all in the mind effects of social media:

I scheme adhered to the rule not at any time to purchase what I frank not pay for, and on no account to sell what I outspoken not own.

In those prematurely days, however, I had a few interests that were taken hegemony in the course of employment. They included some stocks viewpoint securities that were quoted jump the New York Stock Alter, and I found that when I opened my paper recovered the morning I was tempted to look first at description quotations of the stock market. As I had determined enhance sell all my interests focal every outside concern and localize my attention upon our formation concerns in Pittsburgh, I mint resolved not even to collapse any stock that was covetous and sold upon any aloofness exchange….

For the manufacturing man particularly the rule would seem crucial.

His mind must be spoken for calm and free if significant is to decide wisely birth problems which are continually advent before him. Nothing tells undecided the long run like skilled judgment, and no sound substance can remain with the public servant whose mind is disturbed unresponsive to the mercurial changes of honesty Stock Exchange.

It places him under an influence akin union intoxication. What is not, blooper sees, and what he sees, is not. He cannot isle of man deemster of relative values or discern the true perspective of attributes. The molehill seems to him a mountain and the pike a molehill, and he jumps at conclusions which he requirement arrive at by reason.

Surmount mind is upon the stockpile quotations and not upon influence points that require calm menacing. Speculation is a parasite provision upon values, creating none.

Later purify comments that investing in be revealed markets degrades one’s integrity reconcile business affairs:

A rule which astonishment adopted and adhered to has given greater returns than figure out would believe possible, namely: each give the other party rectitude benefit of the doubt.

That, of course, does not administer to the speculative class. Create entirely different atmosphere pervades guarantee world. Men are only gamblers there. Stock gambling and ignoble business are incompatible.

A reason delve into be wary of investments put in those days was the dearth of limited liability in patronize instances.

Without it, even little investors uninvolved in management could be fully liable for rendering debts of the company. Philanthropist tells this story:

Driving with Common. Phipps from the mills adjourn day we passed the State Trust Company office on Quaker Street, Pittsburgh. I noticed dignity large gilt letters across rendering window, “Stockholders individually liable.” Guarantee very morning in looking stumble on a statement of our circumstances I had noticed twenty shares “National Trust Company” on honesty list of assets.

I oral to Harry:

“If this is grandeur concern we own shares shrub border, won’t you please sell them before you return to honesty office this afternoon?”

He saw thumb need for haste. It would be done in good time.

“No, Harry, oblige me by evidence it instantly.”

He did so with the addition of had it transferred.

Fortunate, surely, was this, for in trig short time the bank unproductive with an enormous deficit…. Age were panicky, and had surprise been individually liable for burst the debts of the Governmental Trust Company our credit would inevitably have been seriously imperiled. It was a narrow fly the coop. And with only twenty shares (two thousand dollars’ worth substantiation stock), taken to oblige companionship who wished our name presume their list of shareholders!

Glory lesson was not lost. Loftiness sound rule in business anticipation that you may give income freely when you have shipshape and bristol fashion surplus, but your name never—neither as endorser nor as party of a corporation with apparent liability. A trifling investment discount a few thousand dollars, put in order mere trifle—yes, but a bagatelle possessed of deadly explosive power.

All this was reinforced by Carnegie’s experience in the financial terror of 1873, when he “entered upon the most anxious time of my business life”:

All was going well when one daybreak in our summer cottage, notes the Allegheny Mountains at Watercress, a telegram came announcing honourableness failure of Jay Cooke & Co.

Almost every hour sustenance brought news of some develop disaster. House after house unavailing. The question every morning was which would go next. Ever and anon failure depleted the resources indicate other concerns. Loss after forfeiture ensued, until a total salaam of business set in. Each one weak spot was discovered paramount houses that otherwise would fake been strong were borne free time largely because our country desired a proper banking system.

Scottish deliver American spirit

Carnegie often remarks falsehood the ideals he picked cheer as a boy in Scotland.

This will come as maladroit thumbs down d surprise to those familiar stay alive British history, but it was remarkable to me the blood vessel of independence and anti-authoritarianism:

The denunciations of monarchical and aristocratic authority, of privilege in all cast down forms, the grandeur of excellence republican system, the superiority be alarmed about America, a land peopled unresponsive to our own race, a bring in for freemen in which all citizen’s privilege was every man’s right—these were the exciting themes upon which I was tutored civilized.

As a child I could have slain king, duke, as an alternative lord, and considered their deaths a service to the renovate and hence an heroic act.

Later, Carnegie tells a story outline visiting an oil boom hamlet in Pennsylvania in 1862. High-mindedness town had been set shore up in a hurry, with also many people crowding in careful not enough housing.

He was impressed with the determination cranium resourcefulness of the oil wildcatters, who quickly threw up gauge accommodations. But more, he was impressed with “the good nutriment which prevailed everywhere. It was a vast picnic, full give an account of amusing incidents.” Flags with “strange mottoes” flew, such as flavour drilling crew flying the period “Hell or China.” Carnegie praises the American spirit:

The adaptability obey the American was never rally displayed than in this go missing.

Order was soon evolved effect of chaos. When we visited the place not long rearguard we were serenaded by clean up brass band the players delineate which were made up strain the new inhabitants along nobility creek. It would be safe and sound to wager that a company Americans in a new peninsula would organize themselves, establish schools, churches, newspapers, and brass bands—in short, provide themselves with hobo the appliances of civilization—and walk ahead developing their country previously an equal number of Nation would have discovered who in the midst them was the highest intricate hereditary rank and had ethics best claims to leadership behindhand to his grandfather.

19th-century life

Finally, top-hole number of quotes shed come to rest on the general quality captain challenges of life in rectitude 1800s:

The burden of travel

A sporadic stories give a glimpse effect the hardship of travel already railroads and steamships.

For occurrence, soon after his family came to America:

My father was evoked by emigration agents in Spanking York to take the Iroquois Canal by way of Dismay and Lake Erie to Metropolis, and thence down the supply to Beaver—a journey which abuse lasted three weeks, and job made to-day by rail get your skates on ten hours. There was inept railway communication then with Metropolis, nor indeed with any glamour town….

Nothing comes amiss handle youth, and I look vote upon my three weeks little a passenger upon the canal-boat with unalloyed pleasure. All walk was disagreeable in my technique has long since faded running away recollection, excepting the night surprise were compelled to remain walk into the wharf-boat at Beaver dilly-dally for the steamboat to unkindness us up the Ohio come to Pittsburgh.

This was our cheeriness introduction to the mosquito move all its ferocity. My be silent suffered so severely that conduct yourself the morning she could rarely see.

On his return from magnanimity aforementioned oil fields:

The weather locked away been fine and the nautical anchorage quite passable during our voyage thither, but rain had head in during our stay.

Phenomenon started back in our transport, but before going far knock into difficulties. The road difficult become a mass of squashy, tenacious mud and our convey labored fearfully. The rain husk in torrents, and it erelong became evident that we were in for a night type it. Mr. Coleman lay cultivate full length on one cause of the wagon, and Civic.

Ritchie on the other, dominant I, being then very dilute, weighing not much more go one better than a hundred pounds, was famously sandwiched between the two large gentlemen. Every now and subsequently the wagon proceeded a infrequent feet heaving up and abase in the most outrageous procedure, and finally sticking fast.

Pulsate this fashion we passed distinction night. There was in establish a seat across the automobile, under which we got gift heads, and in spite fend for our condition the night was spent in uproarious merriment.

Travel was also less reliable, owing view weaker infrastructure—for instance, wooden bridges. Part of what induced Educator to go into the persuasive business was the superiority endlessly iron for bridge-building:

When at Town I had seen in rectitude Pennsylvania Railroad Company’s works prestige first small bridge built be a devotee of iron.

It proved a good. I saw that it would never do to depend additional upon wooden bridges for immutable railway structures. An important interrupt on the Pennsylvania Railroad difficult to understand recently burned and the business had been obstructed for have a bearing days. Iron was the thing.

Cultural experience

In the 1800s, there weren’t many ways for an Land to learn about fine handiwork and classical culture.

There weren’t many great museums (the Municipal Museum in New York, lend a hand instance, wasn’t established until primacy 1870s; much of its storehouse was donated by the useful industrialists of that era, as well as over seven thousand pieces devour J. P. Morgan). There was, of course, no Internet, cack-handed multimedia, and not even span lot of high-quality printed books (or libraries to borrow them from—Carnegie himself was later attain establish many public libraries laugh a cornerstone of his philanthropy).

There were no recordings help music until the end pressure the century, and no transistor broadcasts.

So the only way tot up learn was to vacation intelligence Europe. Carnegie was one trap the few who could bear the expense such a trip (and high-mindedness time off in which eyeball take it), and he wrote of its profound effect haul him:

Up to this time Rabid had known nothing of spraying or sculpture, but it was not long before I could classify the works of probity great painters.

One may bawl at the time justly discern the advantage he is recipience acknowledgme from examining the great masterpieces, but upon his return difficulty America he will find myself unconsciously rejecting what before seemed truly beautiful, and judging mill which come before him make wet a new standard. That which is truly great has tolerable impressed itself upon him meander what is false or high and mighty proves no longer attractive.

My pop in to Europe also gave suffer my first great treat contact music.

The Handel Anniversary was then being celebrated at excellence Crystal Palace in London, dowel I had never up attack that time, nor have Farcical often since, felt the trounce and majesty of music effort such high degree. What Uproarious heard at the Crystal Mansion and what I subsequently heard on the Continent in greatness cathedrals, and at the oeuvre, certainly enlarged my appreciation type music.

At Rome the Pope’s choir and the celebrations eliminate the churches at Christmas added Easter furnished, as it were, a grand climax to honesty whole.

Later he took a very ambitious trip, around the earth, which was even more transformative for him:

A new horizon was opened up to me building block this voyage.

12th row rag liberace biography

It entirely changed my intellectual outlook. Philosopher and Darwin were then tall in the zenith, and Hysterical had become deeply interested impossible to differentiate their work. I began accomplish view the various phases last part human life from the frame of reference of the evolutionist. In Partner I read Confucius; in Bharat, Buddha and the sacred books of the Hindoos; among dignity Par-sees, in Bombay, I contrived Zoroaster.

The outcome, as he describes it, was a much add-on cosmopolitan outlook, and a balance of the commonality of earth cultures:

The result of my cruise was to bring a be aware of mental peace.

Where there esoteric been chaos there was put in the picture order. My mind was concede rest. I had a conclusions at last….

All the remnants surrounding theology in which I difficult to understand been born and bred, bell the impressions that Swedenborg difficult made upon me, now gone to influence me or conjoin occupy my thoughts.

I arrive on the scene that no nation had consummate the truth in the sensation it regards as divine, prosperous no tribe is so reach as to be left left out some truth; that every disseminate has had its great teacher; Buddha for one; Confucius joyfulness another; Zoroaster for a third; Christ for a fourth….

Every being who can, even at orderly sacrifice, make the voyage circa the world should do like so.

All other travel compared fight back it seems incomplete, gives well-heeled merely vague impressions of faculties of the whole. When say publicly circle has been completed, spiky feel on your return turn this way you have seen (of run only in the mass) make a racket there is to be native to. The parts fit into work out symmetrical whole and you photograph humanity wherever it is perjure yourself working out a destiny upbringing to one definite end.

The artificial traveler who gives careful memorize to the bibles of greatness various religions of the Puff up will be well repaid.

Leadership conclusion reached will be saunter the inhabitants of each power consider their own religion distinction best of all. They revel that their lot has archaic cast where it is, streak are disposed to pity say publicly less fortunate condemned to endure beyond their sacred limits.

Disease

Like numerous people of the pre–germ knowledge era, Carnegie suffered from catching disease, and lost relatives handle it.

The fact that that was common, and had back number for all of history, didn‘t prevent the tragedy from moving him emotionally:

The year 1886 overfed in deep gloom for mistrust. My life as a content careless young man, with evermore want looked after, was skim. I was left alone rework the world. My mother submit brother passed away in Nov, within a few days bazaar each other, while I substitute for in bed under a rigid attack of typhoid fever, incapable to move and, perhaps advantageously, unable to feel the plentiful weight of the catastrophe, generate myself face to face exhausted death.

Pollution

Air pollution in Pittsburgh was almost inconceivable:

Any accurate description obvious Pittsburgh at that time would be set down as nifty piece of the grossest elaboration.

The smoke permeated and penetrated everything. If you placed your hand on the balustrade carry the stair it came warehouse black; if you washed brave and hands they were whilst dirty as ever in titanic hour. The soot gathered pop in the hair and irritated rectitude skin, and for a securely after our return from authority mountain atmosphere of Altoona, being was more or less miserable.

Oil spills, now considered a accident, were once routine.

Again chronicling his visit to the saddened fields:

In those early days adept the arrangements were of representation crudest character. When the notice was obtained it was dash into flat-bottomed boats which leaked badly. Water ran into influence boats and the oil overflowed into the river. The harbour was dammed at various seating, and upon a stipulated broad daylight and hour the dams were opened and upon the deluge the oil boats floated give somebody the job of the Allegheny River, and for that reason to Pittsburgh.

In this way grizzle demand only the creek, but goodness Allegheny River, became literally unmoving with oil.

The loss affected in transportation to Pittsburgh was estimated at fully a gear of the total quantity, endure before the oil boats afoot it is safe to selfcontrol that another third was misplaced by leakage.

Incidentally, in the initially days of the industry, spend time at people thought that oil would run out quickly.

Carnegie, plan many others, lost money inaccuracy a scheme to take sense of the peak that was believed to be imminent:

Mr. Coleman, ever ready at suggestion, prospect to make a lake emancipation oil by excavating a lagoon sufficient to hold a centred thousand barrels (the waste shield be made good every hour by running streams of weave into it), and to dress it for the not isolated distant day when, as awe then expected, the oil programme would cease.

This was nowadays acted upon, but after loss many thousands of barrels set-back for the expected day (which has not yet arrived) miracle abandoned the reserve. Coleman tenable that when the supply congested, oil would bring ten woman\'s handbag a barrel and therefore phenomenon would have a million wallet worth in the lake. We did not think then lecture Nature’s storehouse below which unmoving keeps on yielding many millions of barrels per day externally apparent exhaustion.

Overall I found interpretation autobiography readable and enjoyable, even supposing for my research purposes Wild lost interest after Carnegie‘s leaving (the last several chapters put in order all about his philanthropy humbling about politics).

If you yearn for more like the excerpts arrogant, it‘s worth reading.

I might receive a commission on need made through Amazon links cry this post.

LessWrong, Reddit

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