The evening times., 1895-11-19
ABOUT JOHN D., The BAPTIST
Lay Delegate Rockefeller and th, Great
Providence Congress-.
Church Work Is Very Fascinating to
the Modern Aladdin Who Started
Life at So Week.

Inc modern Aladdin who has rubbed
Sl2o 900 900 out vf the wonderful kerosene
lamp, is delegate to the great Baptist
congress in Providence. He began life as a
clerk on a salary Of So a week, and is the
Richest Baptist on earth.
His name is John ID. Rockefeller, and he
is famous the world over as the MASTER
mind OF that gigantic curpoation, the
Standard OIL Company. The Rockefellers
who were the ancestors Of John d. were
closely Identified with the Baptist church,
and the Croesus of the family emulates
theirgood example.
For years he has been an earnest, inter.
ested worker in the denomination and has
given millions uf dollars to churches and
educational institutions. He is almost
Puritanical in his ideas of living.
His name is never seen on the list Of SUBJ
scribers to the grand tpera season in New
York, and he never goes to the theaters for
the reason That he believes them an ally of
the prince of darkness. He Is never seen in
society, and No great social functions are
ever held at the Rockefeller mansion.
In short, business and church work seem
to wholly eDgross the mind OF the Midas
Of the oil trade. His wife and his da ugh
tiers are plain, unassuming, quiet people
like himself and are fond of church
going and missionary labor as he Is.
Most of the callers at the Rockefeller
mansion are people interested in church
matters, and no deserving congregation.
struggling under load OF debt, has ever
asked Of the oil kings bounty and asked
In vain, it is said.
He is as uDostentatious in his giving
as he is in every other act Of life. No
millionaire on earth is apparently more
anxious to shun observation and notoriety
than Rockefeller, AMI although he is with
out doubt the Richest man in America
comparatively little is known about his
private life-
Reporters cannot interview him. Not
one man in twenty in Wall street even
known him by sight. Many of the clerks
in the great white Standard Oil building
near the Battery, New York, see quiet.
mcdestly dres seG, unassuming gen
man come and go for months before they
accidentally learn that lie is head and
front Of the great trust.
Not many years ago when he was Ge-
voting six days OF the week to securing
grip of Steel upon the entire oil business
OF the globe he devoted part OF tie seventh
day 10 teaching u Sunday school.
While other miliionaires were seeking
recreation in yachting, Coaching picture
collecting or horse racing this man whom
jay Gould called the ''most remark ka BILE busi-
HISS EtiiHs VI louhh E'"'f oAA'
rest and perfect content i'll the duties OF
Sunday school superintendent.
JOHN D. RockefeHers biography will not
he found IN many encyclopedias. but it
seems TO be pretty well established that he
was born in Oswego, n. Y. July s. 1883.
AS a boy he went TO school with Benjamin
F. Tracy and Thomas c. Platt, and when
nine years old accompanied his parents To
Cleveland.
gpIln.l bn accented n n
si,ion as clerk in a Cleveland commission
house and received So per week for his ser
vices. He saved what little money he
could and at an early age displayed rare
executive ability.
AT twenty-five he was the head OF a little
commission house of his own and was the
possessor of about S2.O it is said.
THIS sum he embarked in the Oil trade and |
built a small refinery in Cleveland.
Seeing the vast possibilities of he husi- |
ness. he began TO scheme TO control it. |
With masterful skill he and his associates. !
some OF whom aided him with money when |
money was most needed. gradually crushed (
out all opposition worthy of attention. and |
he has since SO rapidly added TO his original |
an investigating committee a few years |
ago that he could not tell within 81 g ,OOO,- |
900 what his fortune was.
He has always made IL a point to d. |
vorce business and religion. as many church |
workers who cndeavored to get tips on |
the oil market from him have learned to |
their sorrow.
The Baptist Church is at present in a
very fourishing condition. 1t is undis-
turbed by doctriDal disputes and its
will discuss systematic meth
DDS OF evapgelistic work. The delegates
clerical nd lay. represe ri Baptist churches
throughout the country.
There are now about 3S, ,122 churches |
Of the Baptist denomination in the United
states. The number of ordained ministers
5 25.354, and the churches have about
} 800, 600 memoers. The value of the
,hurch's property in S94 was SIS .6e5, Ts9.
Ind during the year the churches gave
81 z, SCOTIA for missions. education. min
sters' salaries. other church expenses and
purposes.
In the United States the Raptists suS- |
ain theological institutions with 81 in
'tructors and property vahied at about
3 500, 900. Rs universities and colleges
With T01 instructors and property yalua.
ion, inc.u'iing rDdowmertS, uf about 500
l00. 600: 80 seminaries for young women
With 3SS instructors and over 81 100000
worth of property: A. seminaries and acld-
mics for young men and young women
With 3G9 instructors and nearly 81 900, 900
u property: and 81 institutions for the
ducation of negroes and Indians
One of the great Baptist colleges is the
University of Chicago, to which John ID.
has given So many millions.
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E;x,o M,,-:~:-~-