Andrew Carnegie

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Andrew Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie life was a true rags to riches story. He started out as a poor Scottish immigrant whose first job paid $1.20 per week. He worked his way up to being a multimillionaire while he was still in his thirties. Carnegie is not just known for making money, but he mainly known for giving his fortune.

Andrew’s early live in Scotland was dramatically changed by the Industrial Revolution. His father was a textile worker, Who lost his job when the power looms were able to produce cloth cheaper and faster than weavers. His father spoke up for worker’s rights, but poor workers weren’t allowed to vote. Carnegie’s mother was the realist who sold their belongings so they can immigrate to America.

In America even on unskilled twelve-year-old could get a job as a bobbin boy like Andrew. Andrew was always interested in making more money, so he moved to a messenger boy where he taught himself Morse code from watching the telegraph operators. His big break came when he found a check for $500. He then turned it into the proper authorities and was written up in the Pittsburgh Gazette. Thomas A. Scott, after reading the article about “honest little fellow”, hired Carnegie as a assistant railroad man at 35 dollars a month.

Working for Scott, Andrew learned how to put money to work, he invested in railroads , bridges , and oil derives. Carnegie remembered his fathers idealism and he wrote himself a note to work only two more years and then help others. The lure of money made him forget about the note for quite sometime.

Carnigie entered the steel bussiness and became the king of Americas steel industry. The Carngie steel company was very profitable. He used the most efficent machinery and kept wages extremely low. Then workers went on a strike because the wages were futher reduced, Pinkertinon dectectives (men with gun) were sent in and killed 20 strikers. Andrew Carngie was vactioning in Scottland at the time. What a scondral!!

Nine years later Carngie would begin to honor his fathers idealism. J. Pierpont Morgan, a powerful banker, bought Carngie out. Carngie was now one of the richest men in the world and started a new career.

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