about_us_carnegie

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= = =__**The man**__ =

Andrew Carnegie is a man that has defied the odds. Rising from near poverty as a young immigrant boy, Carnegie demonstrates that nearly anything is possible.

Andrew Carnegie was born on November 25, 1835 in a small Scottish cottage in Dunfermline. Over half of the population of Dunfermline Because of this, Carnegie became inventive and resourceful. The Carnegie family sold all of their belongings to receive passage to America. They departed in 1848 to the United States. worked as weavers, including Andrew’s father, William. Andrew assumed he too would become an expert weaver just like his father. However, his assumptions were proven wrong when the invention of the steam engine for powering looms forced his father out of business.  Once they arrived, the family traveled along numerous waterways until they reached the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, their destination. Andrew’s mother worked as a shoemaker, his father took charge of steam powered looms at a cotton mill, and Andrew found work as a bobbin boy in the same factory. One day Carnegie had the opportunity to escape the job at the cotton mill he so despised. A job opening for a messenger boy was available at the local telegraph office. Carnegie quickly accepted the job and impressed the office so much that he rapidly rose to the position of telegraph operator.  In 1853 Carnegie began to work for the Pennsylvania Railroad office. He received and relayed important messages concerning the timing of train departures. Carnegie learned how to react proactively even in the most stressful of situations during his time at the office.   Carnegie’s father died two years later, leaving Carnegie to support his mother and younger brother. Andrew wisely invested in numerous railroad companies and reaped a considerable profit. Carnegie also played a vital role during the Civil War when he repaired telegraph lines and aided in the communication between vital rail lines. During this time, Carnegie invested in the Keystone Bridge Company, one of his most important investments. This allowed him to retire from work after the Civil war because the money received from the investments were higher than his salary!  Years later Carnegie began his venture into the production of steel. On a visit to England, Carnegie witnessed the Bessemer process of purifying steel. Convinced that this procedure would make an investment in the steel industry a wise venture, Carnegie began his endeavor into the wonderful world of steel that still continues to this day.