Photograph from Underwood & Underwood, N. Y.
ANDREW CARNEGIE
Founder of Many Libraries
ANDREW CARNEGIE
Have you a library in your town? What is it called? Should you like to know why Andrew Carnegie decided to spend millions and millions of dollars in building beautiful libraries in this country and Scotland? I should like to tell you, for the story is very interesting.
Mr. Carnegie was born in far away Scotland in the year 1835. His father was a poor man who earned his living by weaving linen by hand. Soon machines were invented for the weaving of linen. As these machines could weave more cheaply, those who had made a living by hand weaving were thrown out of work. “Andie’s” father was thus thrown out of employment and, hardly knowing which way to turn, decided to come to America.
Accordingly, when Andie was seven years of age, in company with his parents and brother, he came to this land of promise. In a land so large, it was not an easy matter for them to decide where to live. Finally they decided to settle in Allegheny City, just across the river from Pittsburg.
After the home was settled, one of the first questions to be solved was, whether Andie should go to school or go to work. But what could a boy so small do? He could be a bobbin boy in a big factory, he was told. So as bobbin boy, we soon see him earning his first money. Can you guess what his first wages were? From early 170 morning until late at night he worked and, for a whole week’s work received but one dollar and twenty cents.
So faithful and energetic was he, that he was soon promoted to engine-boy at a salary of a dollar and eighty cents a week. While the increase in salary pleased him, the work was not so pleasant, for he had to work in a damp cellar away from fresh air and sunlight. Then, too, he was alone most of the time.