Andrew Carnegie, the colossus of the iron-trade, was a stockholder of the Columbia Oil-Company, which operated the Storey farm, on Oil Creek. The money he obtained from this source enabled him to gain control of the Braddock Steel-Works. Starting in life as a telegraph messenger-boy, he soon learned to manipulate the key expertly and was placed in charge of the railroad-office at Atlantic, Ohio. Thomas A. Scott, then superintendent of the Pittsburg Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, engaged him as his clerk and operator. Scott established his headquarters at Altoona and promoted young Carnegie to the chief-clerkship. His shrewdness and fidelity won favor and advancement. He was appointed superintendent of the Pittsburg Division, and in 1864 selected David McCargo as his assistant. McCargo, who had been operator in the Commercial Telegraph office, superintended the Pennsylvania-Railroad telegraph-service. Robert Pitcairn, first an operator at Hollidaysburg, was transferred to Altoona, went thence to Fort Wayne with J. N. DuBarry, afterwards vice-president of the “Pennsy,” and returned about 1870 to succeed Carnegie on the Pittsburg Division. He is now one of the highest officials of the Pennsylvania and lives in Pittsburg. Mr. McCargo became General Superintendent of the Pacific & Atlantic Lines in 1868. In 1875 he was appointed General Superintendent of the Allegheny Valley Railroad. This responsible position he has held twenty-two years, greatly to the advantage of the road and the satisfaction of the public. Carnegie invested in oil and sleeping-car stock and enjoyed Col. Scott’s confidence. The railroad-king died and his clever clerk eventually controlled the steel plant ten miles east of Pittsburg. Now Andrew Carnegie bosses the steel-industry, owns the largest steel-plants in the world, manufactures massive armor-plate for war-ships—blow-holes blew holes in its reputation “once upon a time”—and has acquired forty or fifty-millions by the sweat of his workmen’s brows. He has parks and castles in Scotland, spends much of his time and cash abroad, coaches with princes and nobles and lets H. C. Frick fricasee the toilers at Braddock and Homestead. The Homestead riots, precipitated by a ruffianly horde of Pinkerton thugs, aroused a storm of indignation which defeated Benjamin Harrison for the presidency and elected Grover Cleveland on the issue of tariff-reform. Mr. Carnegie writes soul-stirring magazine articles on the duties of capital to labor and has established numerous public-libraries. He is stoutly built and exceedingly healthy. His enormous fortune may yet endow some magnificent charity.
“Oh! it is excellent to have a giant’s strength,
But it is tyrannous to use it like a giant.”
You may meet them at Oshkosh or Kalamazoo, in New York or Washington, around Chicago or San Francisco, about New Orleans or Mexico, but not a few men conspicuously successful in finance, manufactures, literature or politics have been mixed up with oil some time in their career. Commodore Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, James Fisk, Thomas A. Scott, John A. Garrett and A. J. Cassatt profited largely from their oil-interests. Mr. Cassatt, superintending the Warren & Franklin Railroad, acquired the knowledge of oil-affairs he turned to account in shaping the transportation-policy of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Besides the colossal gains of the Standard Oil-Company, petroleum won for such men as Captain J. J. Vandergrift, J. T. Jones, J. M. Guffey, John McKeown, John Galey, J. J. Carter, Charles Miller, Frederic Prentice, S. P. McCalmont, William Hasson, George V. Forman, Thomas W. Phillips, John Satterfield, H. L. Taylor, John Pitcairn, Theodore Barnsdall, E. O. Emerson, Dr. Roberts, George K. Anderson, Jonathan Watson, Hunter & Cummings, Greenlee & Forst, the Grandins, the Mitchells, the Fishers, the McKinneys, the Plumers, the Lambertons and a host of others from one to ten-millions apiece. Certainly coal, cotton or iron, or all three combined, can show no such list. Oil augmented the fortunes of Stephen Weld, Oliver Ames and F. Gordon Dexter, the largest in New England. It put big money into the pockets of Andrew Carnegie, William H. Kemble and Dr. Hostetter. To it the great tube-works, employing thousands of men, and multitudes of manufacturing-plants owe their existence and prosperity. Some of the brightest newspaper-writers in New York, Philadelphia and Chicago learned force and directness amid the exciting scenes of Oildom. Several are authors of repute and contributors to magazines. Grover Cleveland, while mayor of Buffalo, imbibed business-wisdom and notions of sturdy independence from his acquaintance with Bradford oil-operators. Governor Curtin was a large stockholder in oil-companies on Cherry Run and Governor Beaver may claim kin with the fraternity as the owner of oil-wells in Forest county. No member of Congress for a generation made a better record than J. H. Osmer, Dr. Egbert, J. C. Sibley, C. W. Stone and Thomas W. Phillips. Galusha A. Grow was president of the Reno Oil-Company. Mr. Sibley was tendered the second place on the Democratic ticket at Chicago and could have been nominated for president, instead of William J. Bryan, but for the stupid hostility of a Pennsylvania boss. More capable, influential members than W. S. McMullan, Lewis Emery, J. W. Lee, W. R. Crawford, William H. Andrews, Captain Hasson, Willis J. Hulings, Henry F. James and John L. Mattox never sat in the State Senate or the Legislature. And so it goes in every part of the country, in every profession, in every branch of industry and in every business requiring vigor and enterprise.
Michael Geary, whose death last year was a severe blow to Oil City, forcibly illustrated what energy and industry may accomplish. He was a first-class boiler-maker and machinist, self-reliant, stout-hearted and strong mentally and physically. In 1876 he started the Oil-City Boiler-Works in a small building, Daniel O’Day and B. W. Vandergrift furnishing the money and taking an interest in the business. O’Day and Geary became sole owners in 1882. The plant was enlarged, the tube-mills were added, acres of buildings dotted the flats and a thousand men were employed. Engines, tanks, stills, tubing, casing and boilers of every description were manufactured. The machinery comprised the latest and fullest equipment. The business grew amazingly. Joseph Seep was admitted to partnership and branch-offices were established in New York, Chicago, Pittsburg and at various points in the oil-producing states. The firm led the world as tank-builders, actually constructing one-third the total iron-tankage in the United States. Mr. Geary bought and remodeled the Arlington Hotel, fostered local enterprises and was a most progressive citizen. He died in the vigor of manhood. The splendid industries he reared and the high place he held in public esteem are his enduring monument.
“He had kept
The whiteness of his soul, and thus men o’er him wept.”
Since Christmas day of 1873, when they struck their first well at Millerstown, Showalter Brothers have been leading operators in the Butler field. Hon. Joseph B. Showalter, who has managed the firm’s[firm’s] affairs wisely, was born in Fayette County, taught school at sixteen, relinquished teaching for medicine, and was graduated in 1884 from the Baltimore College of Physicians and Surgeons. In 1886 he was elected to the legislature and to the state-senate two years later, making an excellent record in both bodies. Butler county nominated him for Congress, but Lawrence and Mercer combined in favor of J. J. Davidson. Dr. Showalter is a substantial citizen, in close touch with the people and worthy of the confidence reposed in him. Hon. M. L. Lockwood, for seven years a resident of Butler, represented Clarion county twice in the legislature and introduced the Free-Pipe Bill. Robert Lockwood, the founder of the family in America, came from England with Winthrop in 1630. Mr. Lockwood began oil-operations on Cherry Run in 1865, opposed the South-Improvement rascality zealously and was a member of the Producers’ Committee that secured the passage by Congress of the Interstate-Commerce Bill. He is largely interested in oil and manages a hundred wells for Tait & Patterson.
JOSEPH B. SHOWALTER.