The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1904-01-23

- -. when be nrst en-
barked In the oil
business be was 10 poor that he could
not get credit for a carload OF oil.
Aorgan's every step 10 known TO
the world at large. To-day be is scOur-
ing the. country in his private car. To-
morrow be 10 buying a painters mas
terpiece in Paris for 100000. Next
week he IL taking a party Of clerEymen
10 California TO an Episcopal conven-
ton. He gives great dinners to cap
;sins Of industry and princes. He dons
knee breeehes and calls on the King
Of England. He buys q palace in easy
reach OF London to spend his last days
In. He promotes monster corporations
for . bankers commission. He II q
patron Of the opera He breeds One
dogs.
Rocksfeller's doings are never heard
Of. when be gets to his once at &c
Broadway. New York. not even his
clerks are aware Of IL. He employs
1900 men. and not more than 300 OF
them ever saw him. He gives away
$4,000 every year In charity. and en-
ploys a clerk At $4,000 annually 10
keep track OF his gtvings. except when
be hands over TO President Harper a
million or two for the Chicago Uni
vsnsity.
This shrinking, delicate man. this
Yelled Prophet OF Bowling Green. con-
trols 70 Per cent OF all the oil product
OF the land He owns more stock in
Standard OH constituent companies
than the Standard OF Company itself.
and IL the largest stakeholder in the
parent company. He controls vast
railroad systems. He owns every oil
car IN the United States. 10000 miles
OF pipe line. 800 ocean and river steam.
ers and 1000 delivery wagons.
Rocksfellsr's nrst money was earned
In q speculation in hoop poles He had
saved a few dollars on the farm OF his
father. and with them bought a raft Of
poles. which he noated to q mill on the
Ohio river and sold At 4 pront Of $50.
John d. Rockefeller and his brother,
William. are members OF the Stock
Exchange. but neither is to be seen on
II wv A00Ns IA AAAC Wink
upon the noor there would be a panic
among the brokers. They would con-
ciude at once that he had bought out
the Exchange lock. stock and barrel.
and owned all the securities In the
world. His brokers are unknown to
the public. Some are hired to sell to-
day and others to buy to-morrow.
Secretaries and attorneys attend to
all OF Mr.. Rockefeller's business ex-
cept signing his name. He positively
refuses to let details annoy him, and
knows nothing Of them. He 10 as plain
ly dressed as any man OF small salary
in New York.
said there never was a bottle of wine
on HIS table at home. while less fond
OF eorned beef and cabbage than Nor
gan. his tastes in food are simple. His
favorite meat is bacon. he likes cod
fish balls and tomato sauce. Once in a
while he yields to the cereals.
There 10 not a court in the country
that has ever convicted a Standard OIL
magnate. though all the crimes in the
calendar have been charged. Attor-
neys General and Solicitors General
have toiled like madmen to catch John
u. Rockefeller in the meshes OF legal
nets. but he always has escaped.
Mr.. Rockefeller had a standing offer
Of 100000 a year to a young man
who could satisfactorily manage the
affairs OF the Standard OH Company
and relieve him OF the care OF the bust
ness. The young man never came.
You can hear anything about this
strange man--good, bad and inditfer-
ent. He is the deepest. darkest OF mys-
: teries. Intensely pious Che is nick
! named "Pious John" in the street,,
giving millions TO churches-Lord
r knows how many he owns on mort
a gage!-hs is almost parslmonious at
home.
Whenever anything threatens the
eouanimity Of "Pious John" he gives a
| million TO a church. 100000 to hos
J pitai. 100000 to President Harpers
! toy college and goes early to Sunday
n school. For breakfast he drinks hot
4 water. He does not smoke. His men
tor IA his good wife. who used TO be 4
school teacher in Cleveland.
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