Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-09-10
A BILLIONAlRE'S LIFE.
Sketch of John D. Rockefeller,
the American Croesus.
lie Leads n Simple Life-Decline in
railroad stocks Has Brought about
Iossal Power Resting IN One
Mans Hands.

The great decline in railroad and in
dustrial stocks has called to mems
minds sharply the most extraordinary
financial situation that ever existed;
FOR power now rests In one mans
hands SO colossal as to defy calcula-
ton. writes the New York correspon-
dent in Boston Transcript. / have heard
1t said in three different groups OF bust
ness men within week that John d.
Rockefeller could control, for large
financial movements, a thousand millions
OF dollars. The power that he may use,
II this be even approximately true, may
be limited at in a dozen ways. Five per
cent. year on a thousand millions is
nifty millions. Without compromising in
terest the increase in ten years be-
comes five hundred millions. Yet 5
per cent. increase 10 a beggarly rate.
and the Standard Oil company pays
dividends that have hitherto been un-
heard of or undreamed of. Given ten
years more, then what incalculable
financial power will have accumulated
in the hands of Mr.. Rockefeller and of
those about him! There Is no doubt
that his gain in wealth during the last
five years has outrun any preceding
experience in the history of the world .
and where it will end is an interesting
reasons
What kind Of man is he? The pub
lie never sees him. No personal items
about him ever now find their way into
the daily newspapers. He is the only
living man of affairs whose career
seems already to have passed out of the
newspaper and into the magazine reg
ion of literature. Yet everybody who
knows the results Of his work agrees
that he is incomparably the abest man
of business that ever was born. He
stands out among organizers and finan-
ciers as Napoleon stands out among
commanders-or. perhaps, even with a
greater eminence.
PLAYS GOLF FOR HIS HEALTH.
He is seldom seen by anybody except
few men with whom he plays golf
lie took to golf not primarily for love
his physician. ard it has made hin
reasonably robust His health is sale
to be good for a man of GA years
An illness of several years ago lof
him wholly bald, and it is a repulsivt
badness. The skin of his head is like
his personal appearance for this rea
son, he has no striking pecuarites. HI
never talks about business affairs witt
those who meet him. He has not beer
to his office in the Standard Oil build
ing for six or seven years. He seem;
very seldom to so down town. He
does not often even so to board meet
ings. He has not seen his chief bust
ness agent for "A year or more. He ha.
talked with him only by telephone.
1t seems "A very lonely life that hi
leads: at least for other men it would
be lonely. But the little information
that one hears about him and his hab
its forms a picture of routine some
what like this, when he is in New York
He lives indoors except when he play!
golf. lie reads good deal. He is
man Of what may be called the conven
tional culture. He speaks in low tone:
"a quiet, unexcitable man. He nigh
be taken for n man of leisure. MAJ
without an occupation. He does no
live extravagantly. His own tastes are
simple. and his household has always
been conducted as pious Baptis
should conduct his household.
HIS RELIGION.
His religious feeling is gcnuine-or III
thinks that it is genuine. and tina
comes to the same thing. Those whit
know him best scout tn" idea OF hypo
crisy They regard him as sincere
They say that if he has done deeds il
high finance and in high organization
that seem to be in conflict with HI
simple, sincere Baptist, who regards
list faith lie has first fooled himself
He has probably considered it right
eous thing to gain financial power
There is "A very general agreemen
among men who know him that he is
simple, sincere baptist, who regards
his creed seriously.
But the love Of the great game o
| financial work-or wars the domi
nant passion of the man. lie could n
more stop his gigantic activities thar
he could stop breathing He could no
even think of retirement. lie Know
the psychology that underlics the gam
! as no other man ever knew it. II
| knows the right moment to act. ii
! knows the right men to act with ant
| to act through. you feel Ito quote
man who often saw him during tn
| years when he was more accessible
that he has quiet power which en-
abies him to see what you are thinking
about. He is man whom you ar
sure you could never deceive If yo
tried" Il is his psychological knowledg
that is his power.
In one way he has worked muc
alone For instance, it is said that h
! had never met j. +. Morgan until wv
years ago when they were. as 1t wer
accidentally, brought together at tn
meeting of a board of directors of som
great company in which both were in
terested. He courts nobody. Nobod
| personally seeks him.
SCIENTIFIC IN GIVING.
And he is ruthessly scientific in hi
work His benefactions (and they ar
| very largo are managed for him wit
| the eXactness of investments. III
| thoroughness with which an investiga
ton is made for him-of the fnanca
management of a church or of an edu
| cational institute-would do credit t
an investigator in IA laboratory. Befor
he decided to endow n great university
he had a thorough study made OF tn
educational machinery in the Unite
States. What part of the country
ill-supplied with university facilities
A detailed story OF population G
preparatory schools, of primary school
| of everything-was made for hin
and he decided that Chicago was tn
social and geographical center tina
| needed help more than any other. II
had no local sentiment in favor OF CHI
cago His decision was the result or
thorough investigation.
What the theory is that governs hi
benefactions, it is hard clearly to say
except that he manages them with thi
scientific precision. When he become
satisfied las he has often become) tina
the money he has given has not bee
managed wisely, he witholds NOR
gifts, and nothing can move him. An
he makes his gifts in such way as
permit him to discontinue them If the
are not managed scientifically
The silent, inaccessible sphnx~lik
man, whom nobody sees, who neve
says anything, whose daily life pre-
vokes no comment, who never takes III
| h L.