James E. Homans, editor

“ Society functions do not appeal to him; his tastes are simple and his domestic life exemplary. He is without pretense of any sort; living his natural life as a quiet, unassuming gentleman. His extensive interests at present (1917) fully occupy his attention. In 1901 he built the largest office building in Pittsburgh, the Frick Building, and later added to it the Frick Building Annex. In 1916 he built the still more beautiful Union Arcade Building, covering an area of 230 by 240 feet. ”

“ It soon became the most modern and best equipped steel works in the country; and its labor-saving appliances cut the cost of labor per ton of iron produced to one-half that prevailing elsewhere. In 1892 all the Carnegie interests, except coke, were consolidated into the Carnegie Steel Company, Ltd., and Frick was elected its chairman. ”

“ In 1889 the capital was further increased to $5,000,000, and the H. C. Frick Coke Company owned and controlled 35,000 acres of coal land, nearly two-thirds of the 15,000 ovens in Connellsville, three water plants with a pumping capacity of 5,000,000 gallons daily, thirty-five miles of railroad track, 1,200 coke-cars, and gave employment to 11,000 men, and its shipments of coal and coke amounted to 1,100 car-loads a day. ”

“ Schwab, was upwards of $500,000,000. Having thus provided an unfailing supply of ore at the mere cost of mining, Mr. Frick next became interested in perfecting plans for its economical transportation to the furnaces. Negotiations were accordingly opened for the acquisition of the Pittsburgh, Chenango and Lake Erie Railroad — “little more than a right-of-way and two streaks of rust,” but with valuable terminal facilities at Conneaut Harbor. ”

“ And gods and men hate cowards.” Incidentally, to this strike was attributed the defeat of President Harrison for re-election; and Senator Depew said: “ . . . The Republican leaders attempted early in the campaign to have the strike settled and cabled to Mr. Carnegie direct without consulting Mr. Frick.” In both the reports of the Committee of Investigation of the House of Representatives and of the Senate Committee, appointed to investigate the strike, there appeared quotations by the workmen of Carnegie's terse commandment to illustrate the course which Mr. ”

“ It resulted, however, in a triumph for Frick; for the control of these great ore holdings gave the Carnegie Steel Company its impregnable position in the iron industry of the country. In 1896, when Oliver and Frick made a mining and transportation arrangement with the Rockefellers, these ore ventures resulted in a visible saving of $27,000,000; and upon the organization of the United States Steel Corporation the value of the Carnegie-Oliver Company's mines, according to the estimate of Mr. ”

“ Thus ended the second of the two most sensational conflicts in industrial history. Although possessed of a business acumen and mental alertness that made him transcendent in the business world and extorted wonder from his opponents and admiration from his associates, Mr. ”