Morning journal and courier., 1889-05-31
RooKRFELLER,s WEALTH.
Onee a Book-keeper. Now the Richest
 Man on Earth.


 Man on Earth.
 A New York Paper makes the startling statement that the pinnacle of earthly wealth is thought to have been reached by MT. Jokn D. Roekefeller-who must, therefore, have displaced the Vanderbilt boys and the Duke Of Westminster from their post as rival claimants for the honor of being ac- counted the richest man on earth. Rocke- feller's wealth, says Julian Ralph in the Providence Journal, has increased until it is said that he is now ill receipt of an income of $20, ,000,000 year. John D. Rockefeller's life story made him one of the marvels of the new world long before 1t was dreamed ! that he would ever reach the greatest height l as millionaire. A certain Dr. Rockefeller removed from the central part of this state less than 40 years ago to establish himself ! and family in Cleveland, John D. and Will \ jam were his sons. John D. finished his boy hood in the Ohio city, and got his schooling l there. Then he came to New York, and was proud to become 8 book-keeper in Q little store for the sale of farm produce on commission in Water street in this city. At 1a years of age he and MT. M. B. Clark went into that business on their own account That was st the close of the war. While 6 book-keeper Mir. Rockefeller had invested a little money in small oil refinery up the | river. The porter in the same store had put
 his small savings into the refinery also. h I time Rockefeller thought he saw fortune iu l oil, and sold out his interest in his store to l Clark. He and the former porter, now the millionaire Samuel Andrews, then devoted all their time to oil refining. Rockefeller was % and Andrew was under 30. Their re- 1 fnery was not worthS5, GOO, and WAS not paid 1 for. They prospered, and Johns brother William became his partner in another re- | hnery. The two refneries were presently | joined, and store was opened in this city for the sale of the oil they refined. They i needed money to swing their plans with, and set out to find it. Away off in Saginaw,
 Mich, was Henry M. Flagler, sent there by 6 rich father-in-law to make his fortune in lumber and salt. He was not succeeding.
 and. calling Flagler to New York, put him \ and $60 000 into the new oil firm. From
 this stage in the Rockefeller history begins l the unexampled career of the Standard Oil Company. Taking that name and capital
 of a million, John D. Rockefeller rapidly | duct of the nation. The business grew SC | enormous that it was able to obtain the lowest freight rates from the railroads, and these were often such that Commodore Van- | derbilt remarked that only one man in the ! world could dictate to him, and that was Rockefeller. Redneries were bought right | and left for stock or cash. All who, like Col. o. H. Payne, took stock became rich; l the others got fair price, and that was all. ! The corporation was monopoly until 1880 ] After that the railroads rebelled, and then the Standard built its pipe lines and defed the roads. The company is incorporated in l many states and managed by the Standard
 Trust Company in this city, with John D.
 and William Rockefeller still at the head. 1 William owns and lives at the beautiful As
 pinwa1 estate at Tarrytown, just above the
 limits of this city, on the Hudson. John D.
 lives near Greenwich, on the sonnd, with 6
 coterie of business associates, who come te
 town every day in a private car that is fitted
 up like clubhouse on wheels. Henry N
 Flagler, whose income is now about ST ,000,
 900 a year, has a grand house in town
 These and the lesser magnates of the grea
 oil trust are all quiet, plain, democratic cit
 izens, not one of whom puts on the airs o
 th6 average hotel clerk.