The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-25
MANS DUTY is TO DO THINGS,
DECLARES ]. D. ROCKEFELLER, JR.
This Is Greed of Heir to Largest
Fortune in the World-Socie-
tvs FrivOlities Have No
Attraction for Him.

Il am more than n Baptist: am a
| Christian
THE chief duty of man is to do things"
These aphorisms from the philosophy of
John ID. Rockefeller. Jr.. throw light on the
| character of the young man of IS years who
is heir to the largest fortune in the worlI.
The gospel Of hard work. the notion that
\ life Is a task. full of duties to be performed
ungrudgingly. with all ones mind and
strength" has taken Il firm hold on him.
and made him a serious. seir-controlled man
of business.
The religion of his childhood is his guido.
1t Is no ordinary thing for a Young Ameri-
can OF great wealth to be conspicIously re-
ligious, even If II he the rule for the rich
youth to he. to Il certain extent, industrious.
Most sons of millionaires take y sort Of
apprenticeship at the trade they are
Few find their main occupation in the
preparation for the care Of millions and the
interests bound up in them. and few are i'm
pressed as the junior Rockefeller is. with
the doctrine that they are only the stewards
OF the talents intrusted TO their care.
Sports. amusements, the harmless. if
inanc. frivolities of society, have no attrac-
ton for Rockefeller.
He has sown no wild oats. AS a lad he
was like the model boy one reads about in
the story books.
In college he was studious. abstemious.
devoted to but one kind of sport. and that
was football. He went to work as soon as
he had obtained his degree. He has kept
at work ever since.
This young man in earnest. half preacher.
half merchant; is in public view every Sun
day at his Bible class in New YORK. me
class is as notable in its way as John
Wanamaker's Sunday school in Philadel-
phia.
1t is in the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church.
where all his family worship. 1t Is not easy
to get n seat there, because the class mas
attracted so large a membership that the
merely curious-the kind of folk that go to
Doctor Rainsfords church TO see j. +.
Morgan pass the plate-are not welcomed.
The class is for men. young men pref
crably.
WEARS A PAPER TAG.
Young Mr.. Rockefeller stands OH the plat
form To carry out his task as leader. He is
rather tall. neither slender nor stout. and
the carriage of his figure reveals the college
athlete under his well-fitting frock coat. His
amooth-shaven face. The nose is slightly
aquiline. and the clear blue eyes Sleam
through spectacles. The chin is square.
and has solidity. His manner is quiet. mod
his coat a paper tag. on which is written
his name in large legible letters. All the
other members of the class wear them. too.
each with his own name on it. lf. as often
or Mark Twain. or Timothy l.. Woodruff
he has had them all there to speaks a
NtsNor. the man of mark is abeled like the
rest. The idea is that all members shall
know each other without formalities. says
the BROOKLYN Leader
Let us hear the young man talk. He has
taken the parallels for his text.
Take. for instance. the parable of the
ready FOR lighting. and the other five who
did not have oil in their lamps. This
teaches us to be on the alert always. tn be
prepared for any emergency. We should