The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-11
FALK CLOTHING CO.,
1913 BroughtOn Street, west.

practice of keeping little personal ledger
by young men just starting in business and
earning money and requiring to learn its
value, is, l think. a good one. In the
first struggle to get d footing-and if you
feel as did ] am sorry for you, although
/ would not be without the memory of
that STRUGGLED kept my accounts in this
book, and also some memoranda, of little
incidents that seemed to me important.
In after years I found that book and
brought 1t to New York. 1t Is more than
forty-two years since l wrote what it con-
tains. 1 call it Ledger A, and now 1 place
the greatest value upon it. I have thought
that it would be a little help to some of
you young men If 1 read one or two ex-
tracts from this ledger"
Mr. Rockefeller then produced from his
pocket, carefully enveloped in paper wrap
ping, the ledger to which reference has
been made. Proceeding, he said:
when I found this book recently 1
thought it had no cover because l saw
writing upon its back. But had utilized
the cover to write upon. In those days l
was economical even with paper. When
1 read it through 1t brought to my mind
remembrances of the care with which
used to record my little items of receipts
and disbursements, matters, l think,
which many of you young men are rather
careless over. / believe 1t is a religious
duty to get all the money you can, fairly
and honestly; to keep all you can, and to
give away all you can. think that is
problem that you are all familiar with.
l have told you before what pleasure this
little book gives me- l dare not let you
read it through because my children, who
have read it, say that / did not spell
toothbrush correctly. Oaughter) But
then, you know, we have made great pro-
gress in our spelling, and / suppose some
changes have taken place since those
I
this book for twenty-five years. 1t does
not look like a modern ledger does It?
But you could not get that book from me
for all the modern ledgers in New York,
nor for all that they would bring. It al
most brings tears to my eyes when l read
over this little book, and 1t fills me with
a senes of gratitude cannot express 1t
shows that from Sept. 26. 1855, until Jan.
/, 1856, j received $50 Out OF that l paid
my washerwoman and the lady l boarded
with, and l saved a little money to put
away. / am not a shamed to read 1t over
TO you.
Among other things, find that gave
a cent TO the Sunday school every Sun
day. That Is not a very large sum, is Il?
But that was all the money / had to give
for that particular object. / was also
giving to several other religious objects,
and what l could afford to give l gave
regularly, as ] was taught to do, and II
has been a pleasure TO ms all my life
to do so.
81 had a large Increase in my revenue
the next year. Ii went upito S25 a month.
! began 20 be a capitalist. and had re-
garded myself then the same way as we
regard capitalists now, l ought to have
felt like a criminal because had so much
money But we had no trusts or monopo-
lies then. (Laughter) / paid my own bills.
and always had a little something 20 give
away and the happiness of saving some.
In fact / am not so independent now as 1
was then. II is true / could not secure the
most fasl ionable cut Of clothing. / re-
member / bought mine then OF a Jew.
Oauehter) He sold me clothing cheap,
clothing such as I could pay for. and II
was a great deal better than buying cloth
ing that / could not pay for. / did not
make any obligations ] could not meet.
lived within my means, and my advice TO
you young men Is to do just the same.
"Dr. Faunce has just told you that all
young men who come to this church are
welcome, and are never asked 60 whom
they belong or where they came from. But
there Is just one question 1 would like TO
ask. / would like to know how many Of
you come from the city. and how many
come from the country (Mr Rockefeller
asked. az q personal favor. n all those
present IN the room who came from the
country would raise their right hands
Fully three quarters Of the number did SOD
Now. what "a story that tcllsi
ITO my mind, there Is something unfof-
tunate IN being born an a city. You have
not had the struggles IN the city that we