The Indianapolis journal., 1890-05-20

Something About the Founders and Project
ors of the Standard Oil Company.

Something About the Founders and Project
ors of the Standard Oil Company.
Philadelphia Press.
John ID. Rockefeller. the head of the
Standard, is man of commonplace appear
ance, but in this respect he resembles the
singed cat in the fable, for he feels better
than he looks. He Is rather above the
medium height of stout build, but round
shouldered. His face is not a striking one,
and usually wears an air OF subdued mel
speak his Scotch extraction. He is plain
and simple in his tastes, and dresses as
cheaply as any one of his Thousand and one
John d. Rockefeller's father was physi-
clan. who early, separated from his wife.
The boys were born in Cleveland, but spent
their early years with their mother in Os-
wego, N. Y, where they had Benjamin T.
Tracy. Thomas c. Platt and Isaac Catlin
for .a5 schoSlmates SI, teS As boy John nv was
the history of the Standard, Rockefeller
showed that he was an almost unfailing
judge of men and possessed of mastery
powers as an organizer. Nearly all of the
deals which have given the Standard its
present power and prestige were devised
and engineered by him.
He is very secretive man, keeps his own
counsel closely. and has few friends and
fewer confidants. He owns q controlling
interest in the Standard, and Henry M.
Flagler said not long ago that his fortune
would Hnot fall below S1S0,0O0,000. More
than O quarter of this is investedi in real
estate and in railroad and bank stocks. His
income is not less than $4,000 900 a year,
and good portion of his time is spent in
finding sources of investment for it. 1t is
said that he holds that o man should never
retire from business, but should 60 on ac-
cumulating money until the end of lifs
spending his money wisely, and for the
first part of his creed to the letter. He
married a Cleveland school-mistress, who
is now asweet-faced, gray-haired woman
of forty-fve.
The Rockefellers have handsome man.
sion on Fifty-fourth street. New York. and
summer home near Greenwich on the
Sound. The wife is as careful and economi-
cal as the husband, and they live plainly
and unostentatlously. Both husband and
wife are devout church members. and the
former was for many years superintendent
of Sundays hool in Cleveland. He gives
constantly and freely to church purposes
and is said to spend S500.000 in this way
yearly. The eldest of his three daughters
is married to young Baptist clergyman.
An entirely different man from the direct
ing genius of the Standard is his brother,
William Rockefeller The latter is a fine-
looking splendidly-built man, fond of the
good things of life. and less taciturn, and
more companionable. and more easily ap-
proachable than his richer and more famous
brother. William Rockefeller's private
fortune now amounts TO S25. 100000.
He has now practically retired from
business and takes things easy. He is q
great lover Of fast horses, and though close
and rather tight-fisted in small things. he
has got together a stable which has cost
him something like S300.000, and which
contains some wonderfully speedy ami
mails. His horses are installed in splendid
quarters near Greenwich. Conn.,, where he
bought seventy acres of land few years
ago and laid ont one of the finest private
trotting parks in the land.