CARNEGIE ENTERPRISES 153 



which America would not be tlie leading producer of iron and 

 steel in the world, or Pittsburg the officina gentium. As 

 one well informed writer observed a few years ago, the United 

 States would still be in vassalage to Europe for many iron 

 and steel products but for Lake Superior iron ore and Connells- 

 ville coke. 



Andrew Carnegie, however, with the prescience which 

 seems to be a common attribute of the Scot, saw or made the 

 opportunities of the early days of the iron industry, grasped 

 them by the forelock and put his faith and capital into the 

 business with invincible confidence. From the outset he 

 held firmly to the conviction that the United States would 

 in time surpass all other countries in iron and steel making, 

 and he has never hesitated at any risk or sacrifice, however 

 great, which promised to advance the industry. Having 

 assisted in placing America in the lead of all the iron and 

 steel manufacturing nations, Mr. Carnegie's single purpose 

 has been to secure the position thus attained by striving un- 

 ceasingly for the most economical means in the utihzation 

 of the country's resources. Starting with the practice which 

 the English preceptors gave with the fundamental iron and 

 steel processes, imposing an everlasting obligation at the 

 same time, America has, thanks to Mr. Carnegie, evolved 

 a system in blast furnace, Bessemer and open hearth steel 

 making, and roUmg mill operations, essentially distinctive 

 from the original, and conceded to be far in advance of the 

 best European methods. 



During this transition Mr. Carnegie has frequently been 

 called upon to make large expenditures for new appliances to 

 replace those which had been but recently adopted, and he 

 has done this cheerfully, for with him the best is good enough 

 only until something which promises a better and cheaper 

 product is offered. He has willingly allowed the profits 

 of the business to be taken year after year for experiment 

 and improvement, whilst our friends across the water, con- 

 tent with the crude, anachronic system of bygone times, 

 took the dividends and kept the even tenor of their way. 

 The corollary of this reduced to figures shows that the United 

 States now produces 39.25 per cent, Germany and Luxem- 



