The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-25

tered and are not friends politically.
Years ago, when the oil excitement was
the talk Of the country, fortunes were
made and lost. The days Of Coal-On John
| ny may never return again, but in all the
| history Of the world there never was an
instance when paupers became Million
/ aires so rapidly as then. John d. Rookie
| Teller made his vast fortune, which is es-
timated at over $lS0,O00,0O0 out of oil as
easily as the farmers wife gets pin money
from her chickens. His golden eggs were
| laid BY obliging refiners, who had to do
/ as he said or go TO smash
Originally four brothers came from Ger
| many IN the middle of the last century and
settled in New Jersey. They formed quite
settlement in Plainheld, but towards the
close of the last century they began to
separate. One branch went to New Eng
land, another came TO this state, while a
/ third went to Pennsylvania. John d.
Rockefeller and his brothers come from
the New England branch. The New York
| Rockefelers are poor. There are lots of
| Rockefellers in New Jersey, but they have
not yet acquired welath. One great grand
son of one of the four brothers is sti1l liv-
ing in Plainheld. He is almost a hundred
years old. Godfried Rockefeller, who
| Travelled by wagon with his family to
| Shamokin, Pa, died in 1918 in ignorance
of the black oil treasure under his farm.
After knocking about, John ID. Rookie
|
/ ed commission business. He was then p
years old. Oil was the principal article in
| which he dealt He started a refinery in
| Cleveland, o., and organized a company
which is now the Standard Oil Company.
From this beginning he has achieved inn
mense power and wealth. He is strict
| Baptist, and has given two millions to the
Chicago University. With his family he
lives quietly in this city, most unassum-
| ing man.
In spite of Rockefeller's enormous
wealth, his charities are large, and his
wife and two charming daughters as well
| give away many thousands each year to
persons who they think deserving Of more
than aims. An instance occurred some
/ weeks ago, where the four children of
former schoolmate of Mrs. Rockefeller
were sent to one of the best boarding
schools in Ohio. Many struggling
| churches, and not all of them Baptist eth
er, have been not only put on their meta
phorical feet, but kept standing by Rookie
Teller money.
Mr.. Rockefellers family is very musical.
| and there is a home quartet, consisting
of father mother and daughters, and four
stringed instruments, and the works Of
Brahms Chopin and Saint-Saens are in
terpreted by them in manner that would
be creditable to many symphony clubs.
Miss Edith Rockefeller has a private
! hanson, and, when in town may be seen
shopping almost any day or visiting the
hospitals or her friends. The family care
little for society, and live almost plainly
| in large but comfortable house.
Cornelius Vanderbilt is probably the
thriftiest of the sons of William H., and
| has actually more money than he knows
what to do with. His magnificent house
facing Central Park is eagerly sought
by almost every visitor to this city. His
! daughter Gertrude is, after Miss Rookie
]
In spite of the newspaper stories about
| her wonderful beauty, she is really plain
| looking girl, but she has been educated
abroad, and has an undefinable charm.
! This perhaps comes from her common
sense as much as anything else.
The Vanderbilt money is inherited, and
| the system bearing the name, is supposed
| to be worth near three hundred millions,
| of which this favored son owns a third.
| While he is somewhat of a society man,
Cornelius Vanderbilt does not care for
that kind of life, except for the pleasure 1t
gives his family. He finds most pleasure
| in the quiet of his library. He wants to
| be left severely alone. He enjoys par
ticularly a months walk in the Swiss Ty-
| rol or a vacation in the WtldemesseS OF
| the Norwegian forests.
While he is a subscriber to all the social
| gayeties at Newport, Trouville and other
| resorts he does it more for the social po-
1
The wealth of Cornelius Vanderbilt IS
estimated by those who know him init
mately as eighty millions. While he APP
parently realizes the responsibility of the
control of this vast sum of money, he
| knows, too, that its possession carries with
it the possibility of great good, and his
quiet charities and real kindness of heart
are known to thousands.
The Breakers, the gorgeous cottage he
| occupies at Newport, is as handsome
country place as can be found anywhere.
| 1t is a veritable palace. Mr.. Vanderbilt and
his family generally spend few months
| of the year abroad.
| Woh Qua, the great Canton tea mer-
chant, has a fortune estimated at hun
| dred millions. For years the trade in tea
! has been centered in him. From the small
| est settlement in Maine to the largest capt.
| tai of Europe, tea is everywhere a daily
beverage. Whether it comes by caravan
| across Siberia or by boat around the Horn
and the Cape of Good Hope, it is as much
a necessity as bread. Years ago Woh Qua,
1 who had worked himself up in the firm
with which he was connected, looked ahead
| fifty years and saw the vast possibilities of
| the business. Every canton and district
were mapped out in his mind as accurate
ly as ever was the field wherein hostile
armies were to meet.
He knew not only the state of the crops,
| different markets. He was an invaluable
man. From a junior partner he assumed
control He was shrewd, and soon found
| himself in possession and control of the
business, which for years was unrivalled
| anywhere.
Every agent paid him a commission.
Every pound of tea grown in the Celestial
| empire had sooner or later to come to him
| or his agents. 1t was a wonderful scheme.
Incidentally he started a banking business
in connection with his different agencies.
English merchants offered him gor-
| geous time if he would come to the CONT
nent. But he steadfastly refused all these
| offers. The next Paris exposition may
cause him to change his mind; at least, so
he wrote George Francis Train the other
day. In any event, he is one Of the richest
men in the empire.
The Sage of Madison Square is well ac-
quainted with Woh Qua, and describes him
as a most polished gentleman who speaks
several languages, and who, through his
intercourse with the brainiest Of the
worlds traders. has acquired a vast fund
of knowledge. He lives IN a magnificent
villa on the edge Of Canton and entertains
persons Of all nationalities If an English