The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-12-15


tiers are plain, unassuminc quiet pcuplo
like hinlsalf and arc us fond OF church 60
ing and missionary labor MS 10 is. Nest
of tho callers ut tho Ruckcfcllar mansion
are people interested in church mnttcrs,
ard no deserving congregation, struggling
under u lo2u of debt, has over asked of Tho
oil kings bounty and asked in vain, IL is
said He Is rs unostcntatious in his Civ
ins as no is lii every other net Of lifo. No
millionaire OH Garth is apparently moro
anxious to shun observation and notoricty
than Rockefeller, and although he is with
out doubt the richest man in America
comparatively little is known about his
private life. Reporters cannot interview
knows him By sight. Many of the clerks
il the great whiro Standard Oil building
near the Battery, New York, SEQ u quiet,
modcstly dressed, unassuming gentleman
come and go for months before they acct
dontally learn that he is head and front of
tho great trust.
Not many years ago when 10 was de-
voting six days of the week to securing O
grip of steel upon the entire oil business
OF the globc he devoted part of the seventh
day to teaching Sunday school While
other milIionaires wore seeking recreation
III yachting, coaching picture collecting
called tho "most remarkable business
genius of the century" found peace and
rest and perfect content in tho duties of q
sunday school superintendent.
John ID. Eockefellers biography will
not be found in many encyclopedias but
1t seems to be pretty VOL established tlint
he was born in Oswcgo, y. y, July s,
1889. AS Il boy lie went to school with
Benjamin Il. Tracy and Thomas e. Platt,
ana when years old accompanied his par
ents to Cleveland. Upon leaving school
he accepted - position us clerk i'll q Cleve-
land commission house and received So
per week for his services lie saved what
littlo money he could and at an early ago
displayed rare executive ability. At 2a he
WAS the head of q little commission house
OF his own and was the posscssor of about
$1,000, it Is said. This sum no embarked
in tho oil trade and built II small refinery
IN Cleveland Seeing therast possibilities
OF the business, he began to scheme to
control 1t. With mastcrful skill he aud
his associates, some of whom aided him
with money when money was most need
cd, gradually crushed out all opposition
worthy OF attention, and lie has since so
rapidly added to his original $4,000 TINT
he was ablo to testify before an invcstignt-
ing committee IL fow years ago that he
sou'e iSO tCii hltHln -,UUO,uUO what
his fortune WINS. He has always made it
point to completely divorce business aud
religion, Us many church workers who en-
dcayored TO get tips on tho oil market from
him have learned to their sorrow
INC Baptist church Is Mt present in 10
very nourishing condition. 1t IL undis-
turbed by doctriral disputes, and it's com
ing congress will discuss systematic meth
DDS of ovangelistic work. The delegates,
clerical and lay, will represent Baptist
churches throughout tic country. Thoro
arc now about SO, 132 churches Of the Ban
tist denomination in the United States
Tho number of ordained min listers Is a5,-
35i, and the churches have about 3, 500,
900 members. Tho value of the church 9
property in 1894 was SIS, COS, 100, and dur
ms tho year the churches gave SIG, 300, ia
FOR missions, education, ministers salaries,
other church expenses and miscellaneous
purposes.
In the United States tho Baptists sus-
tain theological institutions with "a in
stluctorS and property valued at about
$4,000, 600; 8o universities and colleges
with Iol instructors and property valua-
ton, including cndowincnts, Of about SEQ
oOO, oJO; w seininarles for young women
with 3sS instructors and over 81, 900, 900
worth OF property; AZ Summaries and acad-
cniies for young mon and young women
with 380 instructors and nearly 81, 600, 600
in property and 81 institutions for tho
education Of negroes md Indians. One of
the great Baptist colleges is tho University
OF Chicago, TO which John ID. Rockefeller
has given SO many millions.
Turkey has yielded again. WIN. n
farce this European diplomacy s after all /