The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-01-13
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER, JR.,
BIBLE CLASS LEADER
New York WorldJ

New York WorldJ
1t came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of Old
From angels bending near the earth,
TO touch their harps of gold.
Peace on earth, good wiz TO men
From Heab'n's all-graciOus King
The world in solemn stiffness lay
To hear the angels sing
Thus sang John D. Rockefeller. jr.. to
his Bible class for young men 81 the Fifth
avenue Baptist church the Sunday proceed
ing New Years.
From Wall street and the Standard oil
offices to a Sunday school Is q far cry
for the son of the richest man in America
Young Rockefeller works hard. Even his
day of rest Is devoted TO labor
MEMORABLE duty. seems to be his lode
star. He spends no time in idle amuse-
ment. With the same prOmptness with
which he appears at his fathers office
on week days he arrives at he Fifth
Avenue Baptist church on Sundays. Rain
and storm do not stay him, and he must
be Ill indeed before he viii excuse himself
from the leadership of his Bible class.
Promptly at $3.50 every Sunday morning
the door of the Rockefeller mansion. No
West Fifty-fOuTth street. swings open.
( Down the steps rushes a young man. He
is well dressed. So well dressed indeed
that you are only aware of the fact while
being unconsciens OF any particular tea.
ture of his raiment. His taste Is subdued
and refined From his high SILK hat 10
! his neatly fitting shoes everything IS in
perfect taste.
With so quick step and so preoccupied
q manner does he hasten toward Fifth
avenue that you at once imagine he IS
anxious to join the throng of gay prom
enaders who are wont to grace Firth
avenue on Sundays.
But far from his thought is any idea
Of social enjoyment Neither turning to
the right nor left he walks rapidly down
Fifth avenue on the west side of the
street till he comes TO the corner of West
diagonally he enters the door of the
church. which is set back among private
| houses on the south side Of the street.
Fastening up fight of steps Mr.
Rockefeller leaves his overcOat and hat
| in an ante-room on the right On the
| left is a small green door. through which
he quickly pushes his way
This door leads INTO a gallery at the
| back of the church In this gallery are
usually seated. before Mr. Ro0l-efeller's
arrival about forty persons Their ages
range from Is TO 40 The gathering II o.
men exclusively They are all we'll
dressed. Their callings seem to range-
50 far as outward appearance goes-from
clerks to railroad managers. The class Is
ostensibly for young men, but gray-he2d-
ed men are not unTepreSented.
Young Rockefeller smiles Familiarity to
I his eXpsctaut class and takes a seat at
a small table al the bottom of the tier
OF pews which run lengthWise across the
/ gallery. With his back to the main body
of the church and facing his little au-
dience, MI. Rockefeller begins his Bible
! lesson.
/ He talks with his eyes cast Gown upon
/ his notes. His address Is not easy His
words do not come readily. His eNpOsi-
/ tion of biblical lore is not always lucid
But he is listened to with raDt atten-
| ton His eaTnestness and sincerity en-
/ title him TO respect In spea king ne sell
! dom changes his position, his hands being
I always CIasped on the table IN front OF
! On the day on which the Sunday World
| reporter joined Mr. Rockefeller Blbie
/ class for young men, the tonic Of dis
| course was: Daniel. the Prophet OF
! the interesting and exciting episodes in
I the life Of Daniel. young Rockefeller Gen.
1 tered his attention on Belshazz8rS fam-
/ Gus orgy. He said
/ when Daniel was called to inteTorei
| the handwriting on the wall. he told the
/ king that one of the fateful words meant
; that the king had been weighed in the
! balance and found wanting. THESE are
| terrible words TO hear my friends, and
! trust that when IL shall be our lOt &c
/ stand before the great white throne we
shall not be told that we have beer
/ weighed in that awful balance and found
''The reading of this Belshszzar lessor
( has always inspired me with solemn
/ thoughts / have often asked myself
whether / would be found wanting In the
| balance when the time came to weigh me
I Try. my friends. TO find wherein the
! scales in your own case are light.
/ ask myself again and again what It is IL
/ me that Is wanting What faults of mine
/ would disturb the balance of the scales
/ Would 7 be wanting in truthfuiness-ir
| sinceritv-in Justice and helpfulncsS 20 my
| fellow creatures Would ] be lacking IL
! Kindness in usefulness. in love OF God
/ and zeal in advancing his work.
! When it comes to our day of Judgment
| may these terrible words. thou hast beer
/ weighed in the balance and found want
/ ing. never be said 10 any OF those pres
/ ent ---t.-..
| The jealous young millionaire then dis
! cussed matters Of economy In ca ting anc
T drinking as suggested by the famous feas
/ of Babylon He went into the niceties OF
/ conduct in eating. drinking and smoking
| On the last named indulgence he said;
| when ] was al Brown university
f. though J did not smoke myself, 4 did no
| object 70 any one else smoking in mA
/ room. had a reason for seeming thus
] to countenance the use of tobacco
/ My grandmother, however, thought
| was wrong ia allowing those about me e
/ DO things of which I myself did not ap
| prove. ] said 10 her one day when shl
/ questioned me on this point: ~ not Oh
1 jecting - Slen smoking in my room, ! an