LIII.
ANDREW CARNEGIE’S ADVICE TO YOUNG MEN.
One of the bravest and truest friends of humanity that I know of is Andrew Carnegie, the great iron king. He has retired from business now, and is spending his time in giving away his money for the good of his fellow men. In addition to smaller gifts, he has given to the city of New York $5,200,000 for libraries for all the people. He has given $10,000,000 to Universities in Scotland, his native country, and he has also founded the “Carnegie Institution,” of Washington, D. C., with the liberal sum of $10,000,000. Every colored boy and girl in America has a special reason for thanking Mr. Carnegie for his splendid gifts to Tuskegee and Wilberforce and other colored schools. In addition to the $600,000 given toward Tuskegee’s endowment fund, he has given Tuskegee and Wilberforce library buildings, costing about $20,000 each. The words of such a humanitarian and philanthropist should carry weight everywhere, and should be studied by all. Among other things, Mr. Carnegie says, in speaking to young men:
“Do not make riches, but usefulness, your first aim, and let your chief pride be that your daily occupation is in the line of progress and development; that your work, in whatever capacity it may be, is useful work, honestly conducted, and as such ennobles your life.
“Whatever your salary be, save a little; live within your means. The man who saves a little from his income has given the surest indication of the very qualities that every employer is seeking for.
“The great successes of life are made by concentration. Do not think you have done your full duty when you have performed the work assigned you. You will never rise if you only do this.
“You hear a good deal about poverty nowadays, and the cry goes up to abolish poverty, but it will be the saddest day of civilization when poverty is no longer with us. It is from the soil of poverty that all the virtues spring. Without poverty, where will your inventor, your artist, your philanthropist come from?
“There are three classes of young men in the world. One starts out to be a millionaire. Another seeks reputation, perhaps at the cannon’s mouth. A third young man, who will be successful, is he who starts out in life with self-respect and who is true to himself and his fellow-men. He cannot fail to win.”