Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-10-01


who have been associated with him
in business know that ne is accustom-
ed to being the head, and that unless
he leads in any matter h. declines TO
take any part whatever. This is the
boy father to the man.
AT school Mr.. Rccke.elle- is said to
have been knowL to his chums as
Rocky" and when questioned MIN
on the subject he a'liail.rl that he
rather enjoyed the l.cxaltaa. 1T
made bic feel like enc OF them he
said. land even nov waen l hear 1t
feel like boy II school once mere.
Mr.. Rockefeller's school life was much
like that Of any other country boy Of
the time, and it was upon his removal
to Cleveland that his life became really
interesting. His parents we're still poor
so poor that the boy had to work to
contribute TO the family's support. He
entered the FIRM of Hewitt & Tuttle as
an Office boy. and in the beginning he
received between So and SO week for
his work. These days were full OF ex-
perienoe for the young man, who was
by this time filled with ambition to
make place for himself in the world.
He began work with a determination to
succeed. and he says now that this re-
moval to Cleveland was one of the best
things which could have happened him.
'It gave me a new insight into things,
and | saw what great place the world
is, and how many people are struggling
in it for living"
In these Woodworking days Mr..
Rockefeller was training himself for
his career which was to come. He kept
small ledger in which he entered all
his receipts and his expenditures, and
at his home l had the privilege OF
looking at this remarkable book. and
of having its entries explained to me.
It was in truth nothing more than
small paper-backed memorandum
hook
when l looked at it the other day
thought | had lost the cover" said Mr..
Rockefeller, "but on examination l per-
ceived that l had utilized the cover to
write on. In those days l was very
economical, even with paper. | hadn't
seen this book for a long, long time
when | found it the other day among
some old things, and | supposed that it
had been lost 1t is more than AZ years
since | wrote what it contains. I called
it ledger A, and l wouldn't exchange it
now for all the ledgers in New York
and their contents. A glance through
it shows me how careful | was about
my receipts and disbursements. Each
one was entered carefully, and I'm very
much afraid that there aren't many
young men who take the trouble to keep
an account like this to-day.
Every young man should take care
of his money 1t is a, religious duty, l
think, for one to get all the money he
can, to keep all he can, and to give
away all he can. I have followed this
principle all my life, as is evidenced in
this little book. 1t tells me exactly
what | did with my money during my
first few years in business.
at shows that between September,
1856, and January, 1856, I received just
$50. Out of this sum I paid for my
washinging and my board, and man
aged to save a little money to put
away. I find in looking through the
book that l gave a cent to Sunday
school every Sunday. 1t wasn't much,
but this was all / could afford to give
to this particular object. l was CIV
ing to several other religious causes at
the same time, and what could afford
to give l gave regularly, and this has
been a lifelong habit of mine.
1.-THE next year after this I earned
s25 a month l was beginning to be a
capitalist, and 1 suppose I ought to
have thought myself criminal for
having so much money. paid all my
own bills at this time and had some
money to give away. l also had the
happiness of saving some I'm not
sure but was more independent then
than now. l couldn't secure the most
fashionable cut of clothing, but dress
ed well enough-as well as l could af-
ford, anyhow. 1 certainly did not buy
any clothing that l could not pay for
l did not make any obligations that
could not meet. l lived within my
means, and my advice to every young
man is to do the same.
Between November, 1855, and April,
1856, paid exactly 5000 for clothing.
And see one item here that must nave
been extravagant, since I usually wore
mittens in the winter. This is pair
Of fur gloves that l paid $3.50 for. In
this same period / find that I gave
away $5.5S. In one month gave to
foreign missions 10 cents, to the Mite
Society so cents, and there is also
contribution to the Five Points mis-
sion in New York. l was lot then l;v-
ing in New York, but l suppose
thought the mission needed the money,
en- 7 cant them - ppnfc I madn 0fhnr