The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-08-21

rust the starch uust and other grea:
nonopolies.
His income IS 50 enormously laTg
that be prays nightly FOR wisdom TO
spend il 10 the glory Of God and the
oeneht OF mankind. And yet this mod
ern Crosus was simply a bookkeepey
with small salary in small commits
sion house less than a quarter of a
century ago Being a man of eimp,e
tastes and small personal eXpenditugr
ne is obliged TO do considerable think
Ing 10 properly invest the gold that flows
night and day. year in and year Out.
into his bursting treasury. He holds.
10 use a judicial expression, that 80
long as a man is i'm health IL is his duty
10 accumulate property No matter IL
ne has more money than ne knows
what 10 do with, he should remain iu
business and get as much more as his
capacity and opportunities will permit.
but he should spend IL wisely and for
the benefit of those who are i'm need
OF il. He should build churches. cdu-
cate young men for the ministry and
rear colleges. Moreover, he should be
n friend TO the poor. but i'm no case
should he retire on "A fortune no mat
ter how magnificent, as long as he Is
in health. and thus permit some other
man TO take the place God intended him
10 occupy.
The life history OF John ID. Rockefel
ier AS regards dollars and cents is per-
haps the most marvellous tale in the
world of commerce.
Thirty years ago John u Rockefeller
was a poor man. More than that. he
was not only poor. but even his best
friends would not accord him any credit
for industry or sagacity. He was a
plain, plodding bookkeeper. What he
does not know about his own wealth
.sould at present make rich men OF
those very friends. He probably can
nos-guess within $4,000 900 how much
money he is worth WITHOUT extensive
dguring.
John u. Rockefeller is OF Scotch par
~ntage. His parents came TO this
country shortly before the birth Of the
future great magnate. The family set
led in the western part OF New York
state on small farm near Morayia.
Here the Rockefellers rapidly increased
until the family consisted of father
= mother two sons and two daughters.
From Moravia the Rockefeller fam
lily moved TO farm near Owego. AT
.hs time John D.. the eldest son, was
tall. slender lad years old. The
farmhouse occupied by the Rockefelle7s
at this time is still standing.
During the Owego period ~ rhc
Rockefeller family's existence the fa-
ther was always away from home. In
truth, there was some talk of domestic
trouble but nobody outside the i'm
mediate family seemed To know much
about Ii. MIR. Rockefeller sent money
regularly from Cleveland for his fam
lily, and they were fairly well to do.
He visited them occasionally. but did
not stay for any length OF time.
Among the neighbors young John
Rockefeller had the reputation OF being
4 rather lazy boy, but even at this early
age he showed signs OF the strong viii,
calm judgment and perseverance that
have since made him famous. Who
shall say that even while he was hoe
ing potatoes or plowing corn his mind
was not so active that his muscles per-
formed their allotted tasks lazily and
mechanically?
Endowed with mental activity and
capacities that were perhaps still un.
dreamed Of by himself, young Rookie
fcIler began 10 long for a wider field OF
action. 1t was only a dream as yet.
His ideas were crude. his character un-
formed. his habits unstable and unset
tied. "John is too much Of dreamer"
said the neighbors. "He viii never
make good farmer. While sowing his
wheat he will be counting upon the
profits of the coming harvest. He will
have IL all i'm the market before a blade
is in sight"
The men who spoke i'm this wise are
still planting their corn and sowing
their wheat about Owego. Some have
prospcred. others have failed ana fallen
into poverty. but the boy who dreamed
of unharvested wheat and unmatched
eggs could buy all their farms rolled |
into one for double price and then
allow the land TO lie idle until the end
Of time without inconvenencing him
self in the least.
The father OF John ID. Rockefeller Is
said to be still living in Cleveland, al
though he has never occupied the same
house with any of his children. He lived
and labored in Cleveland while his fam
ily were yet in Owego. one day many
years ago he suddenly made up his mind
that Cleveland was the best place for
his family At this time John ID. and
William Rockefeller were attending
school at the Owego academy.
Three years later We find Master John
n. Rockefeller grown into n strapping
young man Of IL. His ambitions. had
outrrovn the narrow limits OF public
school. and ne made up his mind TO a.
and dare for himself lie told his moth
cr about IL and then went hts way
looking for a job. II was not an easy
thing 10 find a position that exactly
suited him.
So II was that young Rockefellcrwan
dered away TO St Louis. Was IL blind
chance that led him to accept the posi-
ton Of bookkeeper for a small produce
commission firm I'm Water street? Moth
ing better could have been devised for a
thorough training in business methods
Neither did il take Rockefeller any
length OF time 10 master everything
there was 10 be known about the COM
mission business. He worked early and
late on hls books and I'm the study OF the
methods Of his employers. He saved his
money. too. and herein lies the differ
l...fa II. II !