Carnegie legacy presentation for seniors

Kyle Smith, a program assistant at the Wellington County Museum and Archives, was the guest  speaker at the Feb. 6 congregate lunch sponsored by the Seniors’ Centre for Excellence in Drayton.

Smith took a historical look at philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and the legacy he left around the world.

Born in Dunfermline, Scotland, Carnegie emigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in his teen years. He obtained employment with the Pennsylvania Railroad company as a telegraph operator. Carnegie quickly developed the skill of being able to understand a telegraph by listening to the sounds. Most telegraph operators needed to write the code on paper in order to decipher them.

Going on tips from an insider, Carnegie invested his life savings of $500 in iron stocks. By 1902 because of his wise investments, he had purchased ownership in the majority of the steel manufacturing companies in Pittsburgh that originally were in iron production.

Margaret Carnegie, Andrew Carnegie’s mother, forbid Carnegie to marry until her death. At age 50, he married his longtime companion, Louise, who was 20 years his junior. They had one daughter, Margaret, named after his mother. Carnegie purchased  Scotland’s Skibo Castle and the 20,000 acres that surrounded it in 1895 for $85,000 pounds. After an investment of  $2 million in renovations, the castle became a billionaires’ club. Carnegie and his family made their residence at Skibo and in the United States.

“The man who dies rich, dies in disgrace,” was Carnegie’s belief. He maintained that he only needed $50,000 for himself and the rest he would give to those in need.

Carnegie’s love of books prompted him to establish libraries in small towns all over the world. He negotiated with towns that would not be financially able to build libraries. Towns were responsible for 50 per cent of the cost of construction and agreed to set aside 10% for upkeep. Carnegie provided the other 50% of the construction costs.

The first library of the 2,775 built was  in Carnegie’s hometown on July 27, 1881. Across Canada, 126 libraries were constructed. Ontario has 111, with  six in Wellington County. Guelph had a Carnegie library but it was demolished and replaced with a newer facility. Upon his death in 1919, it was estimated that Carnegie had donated $350 million to charity.

Smith also brought artifacts from the late 1800s to early 1900s to share with the audience. Men and women’s clothing and accessories, coins, buttons, a mirror and a telegraph were passed around.

A question and answer session followed.

 

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