The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-06
RICHEST MANS VACATION.
MIR. ROCKEFELLER's FIRST HOLI-
DAY IN TEN YEARS.

IOr Il LlNinS-An En1SOde in Res
taurant-The Standard oil Mag
nate n HumOrist in His own Way.
Ten Thousand Miles in IA Special
Train in Five Weeks.
Copyright, 1899, by the author.
New York, Aug. 4.-The richest man In
the world took the first vacation this sum
mer that he has had in ten years. His
name is John D. Rockefeller. His wealth
figures well into the hundreds of millions.
He has worked ten hours a day, six days
In the week, for more than thirty years
in order to bring himself to a point where
he felt that he could be as merry as the
average New York dry goods clerk who
goes to the country for II summers holl-
day. In his whole life-although as l
have said, he is the ncnest man in the
worid-he has only been across the Ameri-
can continent three times ana been twice
to Europe. These trips were not vacation
trips. They concerned business.
This summer in two private cars he
took with him his wife, his children and
party of relatives and friends across the
continent and afterwards to Alaska. The
richest man in the world amused himself
on the way by talking with the poorest
people he could find, by dons those things
which ordinary travellers do. and eventu-
ally by climbing glacier. In all he COW
cred more then 10000 miles by boat, by rail
way and by stage coach, and he devoted
less than five weeks TO his holiday.
The trip was unique with Mr.. Rockefel-
Ter because it Offered him the first op-
portunity he has had for many years of
getting really near to the people of the
country. He himself had begun as a
poor man: as discredited man; as a
man whose dreams of the advantages of
concentrated wealth came near to making
him "a mailman in the opinion of his fell
lows When his success finally came to
him 1t came with a vast rush-a rush
which has probably never been equalled
in the career of any other man. But be-
fore it had come he was forced to suffer
all the privotions which had been known
by the people whom he talked with on this
Western journey
Only once on the entire trip did he speak
OF his own business. He went from New
York to san Francisco and from San
Francisco TO Alaska and back without re-
ferrng 10 his affairs except when he to;d
why the Standard Oil Company has been
unwilling to recapitalize.
No presidential candidate on a campaign
tour ever showed greater eagerness 20
study the populace than Mr.. Rockefeller
did as he went through the West. The
condition of the people, the state of the
crops, the business prospects-everythi
that could possibly affect the common folk
Of he frxr b.aA clr,
questions about. Once off his train and his
conversation was with bootblacks, poriers
farmers, sailors and miners, almost ex-
| clusively.
! The trip itself with its novel experiences
| was an immense relaxation for che mil.
| lionaire. This was shown when. as The
| special train speeded westward he leaned
| back In a char in the observat ton car, and
said, with enthusiasm: This is the way
10 travel"
| Ii was not of his luxurious equipment
that Mr. Rockefeller was thinking as he
said this. This was evident when he
added
Il love tranquility Here we are away
from all strife and struggling, a party OF
good friends. 1t reminds me of my boy.
hood days in New York state, when we
went to a picnic"
The trip afforded to all those about Mr.
Rockefeller a demons rat on of the idea
reia tons existing between him and his
only son. John ID. Rockefeller, Jr. Youna
Rockefeller has passed his Goth wear
Shrewd business men have told me that if
John d. Rockefeller should die tomorrow
his son Is in every way competent TO ster
into his falher's place in the direction OF
all The great enterprises in which the cid.
| er Mr.. Rockefeller is a moving spirit. The
young man has gained his educationa
equipment to a great extent, in the schoo
of practical experience. His college cours,
was interrupted by lll-health, and he went
off for year TO II e horseback, ana spill
wood at a suburban home. He stiIl prac.
tees wooi-splitt ng every morning IN the
stable yard Of his New York residence
but he is now a director-and a very active
one-,n companies conducting all sorts a
business enterprises in all parts of the
country.
The Richest Mans Vacation,
It was John, Jr., who had fun and com
plete management OF the TRIP from map.
ping out the itinerary to experimenting
the checking Of baggage. He even looked
after the dipping" transpired al G
restaurant where the party had stoopcc
for luncheon. one Of the members Of the
party. struck by the sad face of a deli
cate appearing waitress slipped a hail
dollar in her hand, as he supposed, sur
roptltiously. AS he was leaving The room
John ID. Rockefeller did the same. Al
hour later, however, he approached the
fellow Traveller, saying reproachfully
You did wrong in feeling that girl and
did wrong; john tells me that he gave al
the walters So and he requests that W.
fee no one"
Almost every day from start to finish
Mr.. Rockefeller met with an interes Ing
adventure that resulted IN what he called
a good time" but he probably had more
fun out Of an hour spent IN a Tacoma
Washington, court room, than he hal al
any other place lie and his particular
''chum" among his party went out 10 see
the sights In Tacoma, in an orderly elder
ly-gentlemanly way. They Travelled in
cog" and strayed into the court room
where a damage case was on trial. The
plaintiff and defendant had had a free and
easy street fight resulting In considerable
damage to the plaintiff. who, to get even
sought money damages.
With his chum the oil magnate climbed
into seats I'm the back OF the room The
trial was almost as free and easy as the
fight had been. and the two voyagers from
the East fairly ached with suppressed
laughter. But out Of respect to The dig