The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-09-14
Hia Annual Receipts Nearly Equal TO
Those of All Europe's Crowned Heads
Solomon In All His Glory Had II ard
~ Half the, Americans Income.
INCOME MORE THAN KlNGLY

kng of Denmark. .......... 227.1I5
King of Servia. 1000
Wealth has given John d. Rookie
feller an income which any monarch
on earth might envy, for he comes
very near to receiving more money in
the course Of a year than all the
crowned heads of Europe combined.
That last princely dividend of the
Standard Oil Company caused the
world Of finance to pause and think
how much the King of Petroleum
really possessed. Andrew Carnegie
and that canny Scot has an income of
$50, 100000 a year himself-says that
John d. Rockefeller is the wenlthiest
man in the world. 1t is conservatively
estimated that Mr.. Rockefeller's in
come is $3O,OOO,OOO a year
1t is bold declaration to make when
it is said that MI. Rockefeller is the
richest man OH earth, yet financiers
say that the figures will bear out the
assertion. He may be the richest
man who ever lived. for there was
Solomon, who, by controlling con-
siderable trade in Ophir gold, Lebanon
cedar, granite, oils and such things,
as well as by levying tribute and sell
ing concessions, managed to get to-
getller an annual income of 66G talents
That is $17,5O2,4sO. Out of the saw
ings from the king and voluntary con-
tributions the temple was built. In
the course of seven years the Hebrew
king was bankrupt. He maintained
out of his income 10000 stalls of
horses and 10000 horsemen
Then there was Midas, Il half myth
illogical parsonage, who ruled Phrygia.
Everything he touched turned to gold,
including the viands which he planned
to eat. He, too suffered from indiges-
ton. Croesus, whose wealth has new
Ell been calculated, felt piqued when
Solan did not enthuse over his pros
perity. He had too much oil. The
fluid was poured over pile of fagots
on which he was compelled to sit.
The kindly Intervention of n rain storm
watered it SO thoroughly that the life
of the Lydian monarch was spared.
Queen Victoria is ordinarily sup
posed to be wealthy. Her income from
her private estates is comparatively
small, for she gave away some of the
most valuable of her property upon
her accession to the throne. Her an
nuity, which includes all the expenses
Of her household, is about two mill
ions of dollars. The members of her
family have separate annuities which
are not included in the estimate.
The income of the Car of Russia,
which is derived largely from vast
private domains, is estimated at $12,-
100000. 1t is hard to determine the
income of the Emperor OF Germany
for. besides the nearly $4,000, 600
on his civil list, as King of Prussia
he has a large income from vast es-
tates In various parts of Germany.
John D. Rockefeller lives simply. His
table does not abound in luxurious
food. His abodes are plainly fur
nished. Yet he has more money than
monarchs who are surrounded by gold
laced functionaries and are hurried
about in carriages ornamented with
solid gold.
This great man at whose fiat great
universities are called into being and
schools and colleges take on new life,
has the wealth Of Croesus, the touch
Of Midas and the worldly wisdom of a
Solomon.
Those who wish to get an idea of
the figures upon which the estimate Of
John d. Rockefellers wealth is based
need first to turn their thoughts to
oil. Mr.. Rockefeller owns about one
third Of the 500. 900 stock Of the
Standard Oil Company.
The stock pays dividends of forty.
eight per cent. a year, which would
give him an annual income of SIG.
100000.
Aside from that lie has an enormous
income from iron interests in the
Messaba range. He has the control
ling interest in a feet OF steamers upon
the great lakes. He has large and
select blocks Of stock in gas and cleo
trio companies in. the principal cities
or the United States The Standard
OIL Company helps him to control gas
and electricity in almost unlimited
quantities.
Mr.. Rockefeller's interests in rail.
road properties are extensive. He
practically owns the Missouri. Kansas
and Pacific Railroad. The stock ii
cheap, yet the bonds pay interest. l,
Is generally understood that Mr.. Rock.
Teller has stock in the Missouri Pa.
cific. the Chicago Northwestern, the
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul, the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
the New York Central. the New York
New Haven and Hartford, the Penn
sylvania, the Union Pacific, the Chi
cago and Alton, the Chicago. Burline
ton and Quincy, and the National
Transit Company. He also has stock
In the National City Bank, the Farm
ers' Loan and Trust Company, the
Amalgamated Copper Company, and
scores of other mining properties are
on his lists.
From a study Of these Properties II