Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-01-20

The Fortunes Which the Standard
OH Company Has Made.
Some Of hoekefelIer's Rich Partners-
Clerks. Porters and Day Laborers Who
Have Becons Aillionaires-For-
tunes Received, if Not Earned.

iCievciand Cor. u. Louis CiODc- DcfnOcfat.I
One OF the originators Of the Standard
OIL Company was a small salaried book
keeper. The other was porter In a Water
street commission house. The book keeper
h now President OF the company, while
the porter lives In $40, 900 palace on the
nabob side Of the sw ell street in this city.
John ID. Rockefeller, President Of the
Standard, is pleasant man, with very
agreeable manners and heart that is
easily appealed 10. He has two elegant
houses here and one in New York, where
he resides each winter. His rural resort Is
a short distance from the eastern outskirts
of this city, and is one OF the most beauti-
fui places in Ohio. The Rockefeller family
came from some little town in Central New
York, where the father practiced medi-
cine. They took up their residence here
in 1853 John ID. was then a little shaver
OF fourteen. tie went TO school for two
or three years and afterward be-
came "A book keeper for a one-horse
commission firm in Water street. When
he was nineteen. or IN 1877, he and u man
named NJ. h. Clark went INTO the produce
business ON their own account. This part
ner ship continued until lsCJ, when Rocke-
feller sold his interest and went into OIL
refining. Three years before, however,
he, with Clark, his partner, and one or
two others, had built little petroleum
refinery up the river. Rockefeller's and
Clark's investment in this enterprise was
5000. Ii gave promise OF doing q big
business, and Rockefeller determined,
therefore, To devote his entire attention
To IL. Clark bought mis- interest in tho
commission house and Rockefeller and
Samuel Andrews became sole owners OF
the refinery. When Rockefeller was q
book keeper Andrews was porter in an
other produce store further down the
street. They became acquainted, and as
Andrews had accumulated few hum
dred dollars and was practical fellow,
Rockefeller invited him to become a
partner in the refinery. AT this time Rocke-
feller was twenty six and Andrews
Il year or two younger. Their property
could not have been worth much more than
$1,000 and was probably not all paid for.
From this humble beginning has grown
the Standard Oil Company with its hum
dreds of otrshoots and its S70, ,O00, 900 of cap
ital. A year or two after Rockefeller and
Andrews had joined fortunes they, in con-
necton with William Rockefeller, broth
er of John D., established another refinery.
Tho colossal transactions of the CONSOLE
dated firms are matters of familiar his
tory
Colonel o. II. Payne, son of Senator -elect
II. H. Payne, took stock. He is now Vice
President and Treasurer of the Standard
and is worth 81. .0OO,0OO at low estimate.
n al, ,.1t tba
mentioned previousiy-and John Hunting
ton owned refinery in this city. The
Standard, in accordance with its policy,
bought them out. Clark accepted money,
while Payne and Huntington were salts
fed with stock Huntington. like An
drews, had been an English peasant. He
worked here at day labor, built fences,
drove horses, wheeled sand and mixed
mortar. Finally he put on tar roof for
some one and iuG1e good wages. He fol-
lowed that occupation fOc several years
and until he had accumulated enough to
branch out. He then took contract to
put IL slate root over the Union Depot, and
his profits, added t. his accumulations,
purchased him small interest in the re-
finery with Colonel Pane. To-day he he's
a mansion in Prospect rect that cost
tlO.0OO. He keeps sixteen horses in his
stable and draws S21,0Jg every three
months in dividends. Johu ID. Rockefeller
is still tho presiding genius OF the entire
es ahlishment, from the trust company
down. Hc and h,s brother, "Bill" Rocke2
+ II r.. as he is called bv the peopl, who
know him her.abouts. own S+0.00J,000
worth of stock, and are, therefore, the
cocks of the Standard walk. Colonel
Payne's interest is SlDO)0,10O, and Mr..
FlaSler's is about the same.
Seven OF eight years ago Mr.. Andrews,
who still remained at the refneries in the
capacity OF superintendent Of the practical
part of the business. became dissatisfied
for some reason and offered to sell his in
terest. Andrews claims TO be common
man, while Rockefeller rightfu.ly con-
sidcrs himself very uncommon one. This
probably was the Foundation of the
iroubie. At any rate, Andrews COM
planned AMI Rockefeller, quick as a flash,
asked him how much money he wanted
for his share. Andrews was already
rich. and, being somewhat excited,
picked up a piece of paper and
hastily writing thereon zone million dol
~ NdihtNt 10 W ANt'N-iNtAtfs lue Ouer
was accepted, although Anlrews after
Wn,d nesitated about selling. and the
transfer was made accordingly. A week
Ia'sr Rockefeller s3id the Andrews stock
- W II. Wand rbi't anil made $4,000 on
IN, deal. After Andrews sol out be be-
sai. the erect .on 0f The iiaest mansion in
Cles eis.rd. IL was four or five years in
buildiny. WorNmen were brought here
fr,'lu Rome au6 the richest material that
could be purchased was used IN cOnstruc-
tiol. The p.ace : been occupied by Mr..
Andrews sor several years and is proudly
,o.ntCd out Dv hoastml Clevelsnders az
ole of the most magnificent private build
IN = IN America. Mr.. Andrews has $50.
90 ia four per cent bocls, greas deal of
real estate, stocks in some uf the largest
mann ,Gcturinr q. 'atlisl reats IN Clevc-
lanH and any amount o o,hsr property. All