Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-01-11


parked in the oil
business he was so poor that he could
not get credit for carload of OIL
MOrgan's every step IS known to
the world at large. To-day he is scour
ing the country in his private car. To
morrow he is buying a painters mas
terpiece in Paris for 100000 Next
week he is taking party of clergymen
to California to an Episcopal conven-
ton. He gives great dinners to cap
tains of industry and princes. He dons
knee breeches and calls on the King
of England. He buys a palace in easy
reach of London to spend his last days
in. He promotes monster corpora tons
for bankers commission. He is Il
patron of the opera. He breeds fine
dogs.
Rockefeller's doings are never heard
of. When he gets to his office at 26
Broadway, New York, not even his
clerks are aware Of ii. He employs
q. 900 men. and not more than 800 Of
them ever saw him. He gives away
$IoO0OO every year in charity. and em-
ploys clerk at $4,000 annually to
keep track Of his givings. except when
he hands over to President Harper a
million or two for the Chicago Uni
versity.
This shrinking. delicate man, this
Yelled Prophet of Bowling Green. con-
trolls 70 per cent of all the oil product
of the land. He owns more stock in
Standard OIL constituent companies
than the Standard OIL Company itself,
and Is 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, 200 ocean and river steam
ers and $4,000 delivery wagons.
Rockefeller's first money was earned
in speculation in hoop poles He had
saved few dollars on the farm of his
father, and with them bought IA IT of
poles, which he tloated to a mill on the
Ohio river and sold at profit of $50
John y. Rockefeller and his brother.
William. are members of the Stock
Exchange, but neither is to be seen on
the floor. If the former should walk
upon the floor there would be panic
among the brokers. They would con-
clude 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 tomorrow.
~
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 liz rs plain
ly dressed as an. man Of small salary
in New York.
Rockefeller never drinks. and II is
said there never was bottle Of wine
on his table at home. While less fond
Of corned 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 Is 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 ma Omen to catch John
d. Rockefeller in the meshes of legal
nets. but he always has escaped.
Mr.. Rockefeller had standing offer
of 81 100000 a year to young man
who could satisfactorily manage the
affairs of the Standard Oil 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 indlffer
ent He is the deepest, darkest of mys
teries. Intensely pious The is nick
named "Pious John in the street,
giving millions to churches-Lord
knows how many he owns on mort
gage!-he Is almost parsimonious al
home.
Whenever anything threatens the
eouanimity of "Pious John" he gives q
, million to church. 100000 to a hos
pital, 100000 to President Harper't
toy college and goes early to Sunda y
. school, For breakfast he drinks ho
water. He does not smoke. His men
tor Is his good wife, who used to be 4
school teacher in Cleveland.
q No Other Course Open.
- "It's a very old plot"