The Portland daily press., 1897-04-02
RockEFELLER's EARLY STRUGGLES
The Multi-Millionaire Tells Bible Student.
How He Earned $50 Month and
Saved.

saved.
Who is the poorest man In the world to-
day? The poorest man 1 know is the man
who has nothing but money-nothing else
in the world but money-only money" It
was man with iron-gray hair and an iron
gray mustache, who spoke the words, and
ne repeated the last ones with emotion.
Inc man who spoke has endowed the Uni
versity Of Chicago with millions of dollars.
he Is John d. Rockefeller, who Saturday
night, in the parlors of the Fifth avenue
Baptist church in New York, addressed the
young mems Bible class.
Mr.. Rockefeller held in his hands a
cheap-looking little yellow backed account
book. This is my ledger he said. My first
business training was in keeping ledger.
1t was at the time when 1 began to spend
my first earnings in my first struggle to get
footing. 1t was very hard struggle
When put my head on my pillow the con-
tents of this little ledger then kept run
ming in my mind until awakened the next
morning. Besides the accounts I kept in
this book there were memoranda of occur
rences. In after years 1 found it. kept it
more than ~ years ago. In deciphering
that called it Ledger A. I place great
value upon this little book. 1t was import
ant to me to be particular ut that time about
items of receipts and disbursements. hope
you young men are all careful. believe it
is religious duty to get all the money you
can, get it fairl, religiously and honestly
and give away all you can. 1 would not
dare TO let you read this book. My children
md ~oid hat Iv,f oil
brush correctly. 1 haven't seen this book
for % years. You couldn't get it from me for
all the modern ledgers in New York, and
what they all would bring in. 1t reports
what received and paid out for several
years. Here is an item: Income from De-
cember %, 1855, to January 20, 1855, $50.
And lived within my income. Out of
that paid my washerwoman, the lady with
whom I boarded, and saved little and
put it away. see that paid in the Sunday
school every Suday one cent. 1t was all l
had to give. l had large increase in reve-
nue. the next year. 1t was increased $25 a
month. was as independent in those days
as Mr.. Aston. But when got that inor ease
1 felt guilty. 1 felt like a criminal-like a
capitalist. We bad no trusts or capitalists
in those days. I remember the clothes
bought. I didn't patronize fashionable
tailor. bought my clothes from cheap
clothier. The clothes were good and such as
I could pay for. Let me give you all a word
of advice, Live within your means.'"
Curiosity prompted Mr.. 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 |
Ell. City men haven't had the struggles we
had who came from the country he said. |
Two days ago had talk with a carpen- |
ter who was going to make building COM
Portable 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 l
to close with wool, SO that as he expressed |
1t. the sleeper there, a houseman, would not |
have to hear tho rain drop fall upon the |
roof. This seemed to afford Mr.. Rookie |
feller infinite amusement. Why" he said, /
the carpenters suggestion made me think l
OF my own experience when sleeping under /
the roof. l know that heard the rain fall, |
and when looked up could see the |
and in ono place a big crack |
through which the sky was visible. It was /
pretty hot there in summer, but preferred /
summer on the whole. think / was bet /
ter for that sort of experience, and my /
head is full of..sadness as contemplate the /
condition OF number of young fello WIS |
that.I know in this city. Their fathers have |
plenty of money, but the boys have not tn Q |
ghost OF chance in eompetin with you |
who came from the country. They'll go |
down and you'll take their places"
What is success? Is it to get money? |
Well, is that success? The poorest man 1 |
know Is the man who has nothing but |
money. If had my choice today I'd be a |
man with little OF nothing but purpose in |
life. It's not the money itself that is so mis- /
cradle. Money is good If you know how to |
use it. Let me give you a little word of |
Know just what you receive and
how you spend it. Write down Just what YOU
do with 1t and don't be ashamed to let your
fatners and mothers see what you have |
written down. IN year or two I managed |
to save nearly $1,000. Here is an item as to
clothes. My clothing from November. 1855. |
TO Noyemb Der, 1856 cost me Just 5000. Here
is one bit OF extravaganza which had quite |
escaped my memory, pair Of fur gloves, ST.
Here are other items;
Mittens, sb,,,;nrs
Given away, S558
cause, Nov. 25, s'.G IS
Ministerial student, 10 |
Night society, .7l
Sabbath school, TX
Present to sa bbath school superinten-
dent, Ok |
was living in Cleveland then, and |
must have felt sorry for Nav vorlr Here 10 |