The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-22
MIR. ROCKEFELLER AT GOLF
HOW THE GREAT FINANCIER FINDS
DIVERSION ON THE LINKS.
Does Not Play Much, but Talks vyitl
His Friends and Keeps Tab OLA
Business-Six Caddies.


He has two homes at Cleveland, one on
Forest Hill, surrounded by fifteen acrts of
land, and the other a downtown residence,
where he gave $4,000 for piece of prop
erty that he might tear down the House
to give his residence the benefit of, the
morning sun. 1t is at his Forest Hill resi-
dence that he plays golf most.
The game is usually participated III by
Mr.. Rockefeller and Levi Scofield. a close
personal friend of the great fnancier, Mr..
Scofield is retired architect, who owns
sky-scraper in the heart of Clevelan.- He
is veteran Of the war of 1861, who has
plenty of stories which he most thorough
ly enjoys telling, and to which Mr. Rbcke-
Teller never tires of listening These two
men toddle about the links and talk mostly,
playing golf incidentally.
Meanwhile. in the palatial residence near
by are scores Of clerks, telegraph operators,
stenographers and secretaries who are
keeping in touch with the outside world
very effectively. Mr.. Scofield says:
Zone time We were playing golf together
rather, for the time being we were stand
ing with our golf sticks held ready to play.
1 was telling an incident Of the war of
1861 and Mr. Rockefeller was listening.
girl came riding up on a bicycle and Mr..
Rockefeller turned to me. saying: Excuse
me a moment The girl gave him some
information-it is usually carefully pre-
Pared before being given to him, the whole
matter being condensed into a mentas pei
let. He received the news and made some
remark. The girl said: But Consolidated
Gas is selling at g. Buy said Mr.. Rookie
Teller. The girl turned and was away, and
1 continued my story
Most men are satisfied IL they can get
along with the assistance of one boy while
playing golf. Mr.. Rockefeller has six with
him all the time. Mr. Scofield is likewise
authority for this statement of the sfunc-
tons which each perform. Two boys carry
the sticks, which are of great variety; a
third carries basket of balls for use in
case one is missed the fourth runs after
the balls when they have been hit wild, for
Mr.. Rockefeller is not scientific golf play
er and often makes a wild shot; the fifth
pushes bicycle, upon which Mr.. Rockefel-
Ter rides from one part of the links TO an
other, and the sixth carries a basket con-
tanning large piece of immaculate cheese
cloth with which Mr.. Rockefeller removes
the perspiration when he is hot The BIZ
the richest man in the world seldom pedals
his bicycle, having the boy push him from
one place to the other.
But boys are irresponsible animals and
care as little for the comfort OF the founder
of the Standard Oil Company as they do for
any other irksome taskmaster. Conse-
quently, when the war stories Of Mr.. Sco-
field too long and not interesting
| lo4lI 49,
wander afield to be recalled presently by
the stentorian tones of their employer. The
latter might possess histrionic powers
! judging from the deep. resonant tones he
uses in recalling turbulent young America
MORE TALK THAN PLAY.
The golf links seem to be the debating
| ground for the great f1nancier and his closer
friends. Mr.. Scofeld displays his wer rec
| ord. while the Rev. Charles A. Eaton, D.
D.. often expounds there some of the mys-
teries Of religion, engaging the great finan-
| cier in debate upon some of the technicali-
| ties Of theology. Mingle these with the
| pastime, add stock buying and selling, and
| golf becomes interesting and compli-
| Gated game, worthy of even a great finan-
| cier
Those who know Mr.. Rockefeller very
we'll say that he is comparatively well
| content with himself, the world and his
! achievements. He did express rather an
unusual regret recently An unknown
| Hungarian has just completed two por-
traits of him. Tho parlor in his down.
| town residence was turned into an i'm
promptu atelicr and the man of millions
| gave the artist a sitting of an hour each
/ morning for three weeks. When il was
done-well, really. when they were done,
| for there were two Of them, one being
| painted representing Mr.. Rockefeller with
hair and the other without-the fellow
| parishioners were called in to witness the
| unwilling of the portrait The minister.
of course. was there. The great financier
| took the role Of lecturer, while the artist
| stood by smiling consciously, the audience
| listening with rapt attention, with the
minister in the foreground. Time came for
| judgment and the fellow parishioners with
| one voice clamored for the one without
| the hair-a verdict in favor of realism in
| art. The great financier sighed.
II wish 1 had learned to paint when I
| was young. 1 have always wanted to do
| something of that sort. or to sing-some-
| thing artistic. But as for drawing I could
never draw anything"
| And the minister led his congregation In
| joyful and significant rejoinder: Eek
| cept checks" whereat Mr.. Rockefeller
| smiled and changed the subject. Now this
realistic piece of art hangs in that old
| fashioned parlor. amidst it's surroundings
| of old-fashioned mahogany furniture. old
silver, old hair-cloth covered chairs. a
| strange piece of art in a very strange
place, even if it is the parlor OF great
man. There is window near where it
| hangs which looks out on the street and
| the parishioners passing look In through
| 1t with smiles of pleasant memories. It's
worth while to be very rich.
| WHY HE is THANKFUL.
Mr.. Rockefeller recently gave a lecture I'm
miniature on the influence of environs. He
| said:
Until was eight years old 1 lived In a
! small town where the religious influence
| was not very strong. Afterwards l moved
| to a larger city, where there were churches
/ and Sunday schools. I sometimes shudder
| to think what 1 would have lost had re-
/ manned in that town.
"Yet. and think, too, what the world
would have lost" put in the minister of
| Mr.. Rockefeller's church.
when l contemplate 1t want to 90 on
| the lecture platform and tell people about
| IT," said the financier.