The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-01
WON AGAINST ROCKEFELLER.
THE INNkEEPER WHO DEFIED
THE STANDARD OIL MAN.
Contest started by Melin's Refusal to Sell
some Land The Matter ought to
. Finish Mt the Polls Having Won.
Mr.. Melin IL Disposed TO Let
Mr.. Rockefeller Have Hts Way.

VII. Nein - DispoSeu 70 bc'
Mr.. Rockefeller Have Ills Way.
On a small piece Of sloping ground. 'front.'
ing on the Sleepy Hollow road. stands
one-storied frame building, which a
sign ~designates as John Melin's Inn "
From the back windows Of the main
room there In a magnificent view Of the
Hudson, az It makes a broad curve In Its
seward course; on to the right los the
old Sleepy Hollow Cemetery; from the
front one may look down on the village
of Mount Pleasant. a part Of Tarrytown.
and up TO the Pocantico Hills.
The inn. stands almost at the junction
Of three roads. and so Insignificant Is the
little building set in the side Of the hill
and partly concealed by a few houses that
II cannot b. seen until one has approached
within a few yards Of II by the highways.
just around the turn of one OF these
roads begins the 'front.' lawn Of one OF Me-
Inns neighbour. Indeed. IL the house were
situated like the inn. only the width OF
the Sleepy Hollow road would separate
them. But the front lawn Of Melin's neigh
Dor happens to be a half mile long. and
altogether somo fifteen thousand acres
lie about the house.
III u luDOsniDit 10 SSS Nelh = h"'
from .he front porch. window or cupola
! Of the palace Of the Pocantico Hills, and
this might he the reason why John Melin
and his next door neighbor, John ID: Rookie
Teller, are not neighborly-but 1t ISM.
The reason is that Mr.. Rockefeller sought
TO get possession OF Melin's place and
the innkeepcr not only frustrated him.
but carried the war into the enemy's coun-
try and beat out the Rockefeller candidate
at the last election.
Melin. the innkecper, had the advantage
OF being first on the ground. For seven
teen years his thirst -quenching establish
ment has been a familiar landmark In the
neighborhood. and the smiling Swede and
his wife, who together run the place. are
known to every n in the countrywide Tor
miles around.
Melin-"the only man that ever beat
the Rockefellers,' as he is locally described
is a big. broad -shouldered, slow-moving
heavy-milt Swede. Shrewdncss and
good nature beam from his pleasant, gray
blue eyes. His speech is slow and mild
and what he says Is characterized by q
well-considered common sense.
The mans whole personality breathes
forth personal Independence combined
with a tolerant charity for others One
can see that his ffty.ive years have mel
lowed instead Of hardened him.
He would rather be friendly with the
whole world than quarrel with any one,
hut there is that in the square jaw and
heavy-set eyes that tells Of grim persistence
TO be apprehended, once he is in a quarrel.
He would hght without bitterness, perhaps.
but with tenacity. And that is what he
has done in his difference with John ID.
Rockefeller.
-He fight me an so I fight him back 3
saws Melin. Il guess he's a pretty good
man. Rockefeller He does plenty good
around here. ! got nothing against him
but when he fght me fight him back,
guess"
The trouble between the two arose over
their both wanting the same thing. Melin
IL by no means rich. but he has a habit
of holding 10 what he gets and he already
had that which the other John wanted.
the little ~six-square-rod plot OF ground
with the roadside inn on Il.
Possibly Mr., Rockefeller wished that
particular spot to put up an arbor. or a
lodge. or a barn on: possibly he only wanted
to get rid OF the inn. Al any rate he went
abont IL In the wrong a
n he game to me. man to man. says
place right OF. / sell it to him for less
than | get offered afterward. too"
But the millionaire didn't go to the inn
keeper with a man-to-man proposition.
He sent an agent. The agent made an
offer. Melin refused IL. He made a better
Offer. Melin refused that. He went away
Another agent came. This one made
a still better Offer. Melin questioned him
shrewdly a. 20 whom he was acting for.
The agent went away. In a few days
still another man caine Offering about twice
AZ much a. the place was worth. Melin
Wa bored, lie asked the agent 20 have a
drink and not talk business any more.
Il guess ! keep my own place myself. ="
he said empha,ically.
The agents reported back 10 Mr.. Rookie
fellar and il is a fair guess that he was
surprised. Shortly after private detec-
tives appeared In the neighborhood and
took more than a friendly interest in John
Melin's inn.
Their interest eliminated in the arrest
| Of Mslin and the closing 81 the bar When
Meliu, out on bail. returned 10 the plAoe,
another agent came 10 him with an ofeT
The agent didn't get the plac, hut he got
out alive. and that wac something
They got M-liu's hc'n-' away Il give
them an old oae. he explains gle.fully.
though lac doesn't explain what good that
did him aud be- decided to nght Every on.
advised them 10 CIV" IN and sell the plhor
'kJckrfclleT lac a million dollars lot
every ten dollar you can rai~r I""pie
said You csu'' h,Al him
AN rght said M"lin. he big Jaw setting
hrnly u tTy Il any way
The Anri-aaloon League took up the
cas- against Nl"iin, aud At ~as tnod IA
White plains II olsi lam sNU 90 defend
tie cAs-. but h. son. and John Mrlns ruU
oI-u"d again Il has i-~n oI-n r,rr
slnu.
u, popularity has Increased l~ali,
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