The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-16
Made s55,OOO,QOO
in Nine Months.

NEW YORK, May IA two-line
paragraph on the financial page Of a
| morning newspaper makes this an
| nouncement: STANDARD Oil certificates
yesterday sold for 800, the highest price
| yet reached"
There may not seem to be anything
| wonderful in that, but, nevertheless,
| it means that in the past nine months
one mans fortune has grown just $780,
600, 900, and in the past three months
| just 1000, 600. A million dollars is a
stupendous sum, but when 1t comes to
| adding $2O,0O0,000 to ones fortune in
| three short months it is an achieve
| ment beyond the comprehension of the
ordinary mortal, who finds it Her
| culean task to make a bare living.
The little paragraph had still more
potent meaning, and that is that the
! wealth of John D. Rockefeller has now
reached the sum Of $244 1000, 900, and,
furthermore, is increasing at the rate
Of 81, 500, 900 a month, or $4,000 a day,
or 81, O83 an hour, or $34. so a minute, II
81 cents every second of time, day and
night Sundays and holidays.
John D. Rockefeller sleeps eight and
one-half hours every night, retiring at
1890 and rising at Z. Every morning
when he gets up he is $17,705 richer
than he was when he went to bed. He
sits down to breakfast at 8 o'clock
and leaves the table at $780, and in
that short half hour his wealth has
grown $1,041.50 On Sunday he goes to
church, and in the two hours that he
is away from home his riches have
grown $4,166. His nightly amusement
is playing the violin. Every evening
when he picks up the instrument he is
$50, 900 richer than he was when he laid
it down the previous night These lit
tie facts give some idea of the relent-
less growth of this mans fortune.
The average great millionaire is con-
tent if his wealth is SO invested that
it will bring in 4 per cent. Many are
content with 8 per cent. But the Rock
efeller riches earn more than per
cent. That part Of it invested in the
Standard Oil company earns IL per
cent, based upon a 5000 value Of the
shares. The par value of the certifi-
Gates is $780,, and they are now paying
dividends at the rate Of Sc per cent
per annum The belief that they will
soon pay 40 per cent is the cause of
their recent appreciation.
Just how Mr.. Rockefeller's fortune
jumped $4,000, 600 in three months is
easily explained. He owns 5000
shares of the Standard Oil company,
or g. trifie more than one-half of the
total capitalization. The par value Of
these is $50, 000, 000 In February last
the certificates were sold at $3.50. Al.
this figure his holdings were worth
$50. 100000. Today, at 300. they are
worth $150,000,00 Last August Stand
ard Oil certificates were sold at $3.50.
At this figure his holdings were worth
$S5, 000, 900, or $55, 100000 less than they
are today.
Jay Gould achieved worldwide fame
as g. money-maker. When he died he
left 100000 and the world stood
aghast at the wonderful achievements
of the man-$72. 000, 900 in forty years,
almost $4,000. 900 year!
But here Is a man whose wealth has
grown at the rate Of sc, O00, 600 month,
and the outside world scarcely dreams
of it; man who earned his first quar-
ter of a dollar hOeing potatoes on
Tioga county farm, in the upper part
Of this state; a. man who thirty-five
years ago did not have 81, 900 to hts
name.
Some people say that money Is not
made as easily or as rapidly nowadays
as 1t used to be. This may be true as
far as the generality of money-makers
are concerned, but the chosen few. of
which Rockefeller isSthe premier, are
| piling up riches today faster than;
! y