Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-03-13

business man.
Arriving at the building of the Stand
ard Oil Company, which overlooks the
historic Bowling Green, Mr.. Rockefeller
goes at once to his suite of private Offices.
There he is met by his two private secre
taries. One of these secrelare. attends
to that part of his business relating to the
Standard Oil Company, while the other
attends TO his personal business interests.
Hundred. of letters addressed TO the
rich man are received every day, but he
does not see one out Of twenty of them
The secretaries, stenographers, typewriters
and clerks take care of the others 1t is
the same with people who call with the
intention of seeing the Oil King. Many
of these callers have rehearsed in their
minds what they would say and how they
would act to favorably impress the mill
lonaire only to be met by the polite
secretary, who in very few words, turns
the caller homeward disappointed man.
The chiefs Of The various departments
make condensed reports for the daily pc
rusal OF Mr.. Rockefeller, and the reading
of these occupy nearly the entire morn
ing. Few of these chiefs have ever had
any verbal communication with Mr..
Rockefeller, although many of them have
been connected with the company for
years.
There are less than half dozen men
in the army of people employed by the
concern who have access to Mr.. Rookie
feller's personal sanctum. These men in
clude Henry NJ. FIagler, the representa-
tive of the Charles Pratt interest in the
company William C. Whitney, as the
representative of the Payne family; Will
liam Rockefeller, his brother and one or
two others.
a large per centage of the callers are
men and women, who, having read of the
philanthropy of the man who endowed a
single educational institution in Chicago
with S2,60O,000, think ii would be an
easy matter to induce him to turn some Of
the golden stream in their direction.
But it is just here tat the personal
private secretary of Mr. Rockefeller
comes in. This gentleman devotes near
" all his time to the philanihropc work
of his employer. How much money the
latter gives away in year can only be
coniectured. His charities are conducted
on the same retiring unostentatious plan
that characterizes his whole life. No one
outside of his secretary and himself knows
what he gives away.
As an example of the generosity and
the desire to escape notoriety Of Mr..
Rockefeller u little incident which hap
pened four years ago at Christmas time
well illustrates. The Rockefellers are
great church going people and are ex-
tremely earnest followers Of the beliefs OF
the Baptist Church. They are the main
support of DIR. McArthur's Baptist church
in West Fifty. seventh street. Some years
ago DIR. Macarthur had mission scheme
, in view which would cost a considerable
sum to put in operation on the lines map
ped out. He mentioned the matter to
Mr.. Rockefeller in the hope that it would
draw goodly subscription from the mil
lionaire. Mr.. Rockefeller had the pro-
iect investigated and it seemed feasible as
an agency for accomplishing much good
He said nothing more about the matter
until the arrival of Christmas Day
Than he called at the parsonage of the
church. After wishing Dr.. Macarthur
the customary compliments of the season
he broached the subject of the mission
He said that he was satisfied as to it;
utility, and was prepared to make sub
scriptiou if the pastor would promise not
to say one word about it to any one
J The promise was given, and Mr.. Rookie
feller placed in the hands Of DR.. MacAr
5 ,hur q check for 100000.
The promise was kept, but it became
r necessary in time for the officers Of the
: church to know of the donation. Tber
some of the wives of the officers heard oi
: it. 1t was not a great while before man!
of the people in the church knew Of th'
d Oil Kings gigantic subscription, bat j
{ was months before the outside world 60
: wind of it, and then only lew paper
,,l4 nay. ,,nrt;o, nj ,ba 3i11DtO Gift