Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-04-23

river landing viii be lifted I'D in a short
while for the season. The club viii make q
feature of these pleasure parties, with
beneficial results. caI
ROCKEFELLER.s EARLY STRUGGLES
The Multi-Millionaire Tells nible stu
dents How He Began.
From the New York HeraM.
who. IL the poorest man in the world to-
day? The poorest man know is the man
who has nothing but money-nothing else
In the world but noney-only money" II
was 4 man with iron-gray hair and an
iron-gray mustache who spoke the words.
and he repeated the last ones with enc
ton. The man who spoke has endowed the
University of Chicago with millions OF
dollars. He Is John d. Rockefeller, who
Saturday night. in the Paflors of the Fifth
Avenue Baptist Church in New York, ad-
dressed the young mems Bible class.
Mr.. Rockefeller held In his hands q cheap
looking little yeilow-backed account book.
This is ny ledger" he SAID. my first
business training was In keeping ledger.
1t was at the time when began to spend
my first earnings in my first struggle to get
footing. 1t was a very hard struggle.
When l put my head on my pillow the
running in my mind until I awakened the
next morning. Besides the accounts I kept
In this book there were memoranda OF oc-
currences. In after years found 1t. l
kept 1t more than forty-two years ago. In
deciphering some writing on the back of 1t
here, see that 1 called 1t Ledger A.
place great value upon this little book. 1t
was important to me to be particular At
that time about items Of receipts and dis
bursements. l hope you young men are all
careful. believe 1t Is a religious duty to
get all the money you can. get It fairly
religiously and honestiy-and give away ali
/ uvn M Ia RI LOT n
this book. My children read 1t, and said
that I didn't spell tooth brush correctly.
I haven't seen this book for twenty-five
years. You couldn't get 1t from me for
what they all would bring in. 1t reports
what received and paid out for several
years. Here is an item: Income from De-
cember e. 1855, to January 26, 1855, $50.
And 1 lived within my income. Out Of
that 1 paid my washerW oman, the lady
with whom boarded. and saved little
and put 1t away. 1 see that paid In the
Sunday school every Sunday one cent. 1t
crease in revenue the next year. 1t
was increased SIS month. was as in
dependent In those days as Mr.. Aston. But
when 1 got that increase l felt guilty l
felt like cfiminaf-like capitalist. We
had no trusts or capitalists in those days.
1 remember the clothes bought. 1 didn't
patronise fashionable tailor. l bought my
clothes from a cheap clothier. The clothes
were good and such as l could pay for
Let me give you all a word Of advice: Live
within your means
Curiosity prompted Me, Rockefeller here
to ask all those to raise their hands who
had come to New York from the country
Nine-tenths Of the young, men raised their
hands to the evident pleasure Of the speak
er. city men haven't had the struggles
we had who came from the country" he
said. Two days ago had a talk with
carpenter who was going to make build
ing comfortable where help were going to
sleep. There were two big spaces which
he closed with mineral wool, so the damp
wouldn't come in. he SAID. Then on the
next floor he showed me two spaces he
was also going to close with wool 80 that
as he expressed 1t. the sleeper there, a
houseman. would not have to hear the rain
drops fall upon the roof.." This seemed to
afford Mr.. Rockefeller infinite amusement.
Why" he said. 1.-The Carpenters sugges-
ton made me think of my own experiences
when sleeping under the roof. 1 know
that I heard the rain fall and when 1
looked up could see the shingles. and In
one place big crack through which the
sky Was visible. 1t was pretty hot there
in summer. but I preferred summer on the
whole. think 1 was better for that sort
of experience. and my head is full of sad
ness as contemplate the condition Of
number Of young fellows that I know in
this city. Their fathers have plenty OF
money. but the boys have not the ghost
of chance in competing with you who
came from the country. They'll go down
you ii TAKE tnelr places.
What Is success? Is 1t to get money!
Well. is that success? The poorest man l
know is the man who has nothing but
money. If I had my choice today. I'd be
man with little or nothing but a purpose
in life. It's not the money itself that is so
miserable. Money is good IL you know how
to use 1t. Let me give you little word of
counsel. Know just what you receive and
how yor spend it. Write down just what
you do with 1t and don't be ashamed to
let your fathers and mothers see what Won
have written down. In q year or two 1
managed t" save nearly s.. 600. Here is an
item as to clothes. My clothing from No
vember, 1855. to November, 1885, cost me
just 500. Here is one bit Of extravagance
which had quite escaped my memory, pair
OF fur gloves, 81. Here are other items:
Mlttens NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. shillings
Given away...................... 1853
Missionary cause. November 25 Is
Ministerial student. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 10
Night society. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. III
Sabbath school. .. az
Present to Sabbath school superinten-
uene '..'..'..................- 20
Il was living III Cleveland then, and must
have felt sorry for New York Here II
an item: Five Points mission. IL cents.
We had little paper published by the
Sunday school called the Macedonian.
subscribed to that. There was a venerable
teacher OF my class. q Scotchman, and =
great Bible student. He is down for Is
cents. All these little things helped me
TO come INTO sympathy with many under
My opinion is that no man can trust him
self to wait until he has accumulated a
great fortune before he ts Charitable. He
must give away some money continually"
RlvERDALE.
An agreeable entertainment was given by the
Ladies' Aid Society Of the Prasbvtersan fhnrc& ~