The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-12

tied. So stupendous was the idea that
it staggered the most tlmid operators,
but one man, John d. Rockefeller, saw
the wisdom of it. $
Out of that suggestion, it is said, the
pile up millions upon millions Of dol
lars for Mr.. Rockefeller and the man
who originated it.
So from selling newspapers and being
clerk in a country store, III. Isl. Rogers
has become one Of the greatest capital
lists of the land, worth nearly 100000
900. It was then that his heart re-
turned to the town Of his birth, and he
made it his country home.
When he found the roads bad he,
quietly gave somebody a 8 tip" that he
would like to have a chance to look
after the streets. A town meeting was
held soon afterward, and to the sur
prise of many Mr.. Rogers was chosen
superintendent of streets at the same
salary as his predecessor, $3.50 day
and 'tteam hire
4 Since then Fairhaven has acquired
the best streets for a town Of its size
in America. Nor has the money to
build them been appropriated by the
town.
The real gifts of Mr.. Rogers to Fair
haven, however, began with school
house. It is said that when he went to
a tall lad, and his chief complaint was
that his legs were so long and the desks
so low that fe was unable to sit in
comfort in any seat.
eff I ever get money enough he
is quoted as having said,i"I will give
this town school that will have desks
ITO fit all sizes of pupils
Whether the legend be true or not,
he has given the school-two of them,
in fact, as the old Unitarian church has
now been converted into school build
ing.
In his boyhood days Mr.. Rogers and
Uncle George Taber, who died re-
Gently at Fairhaven at the age Of 81
years, were; boon go, companions: Tabe1
and it was his delight to perpetrate
FRANKS on the boy,' as he called
When Mr. Rogers gave beautiful.
business block, with handsome lodge
room, to the Masonic lodge: of Fair
haven. a short time ago, he stipulated
that the name. of, the body be changed
Taber lodge, in honor of his old friend
This was done, altho Captain Tabe1
was still alive, and it was unusual tt
name lodge after a living person Dur
ing the last years Of his life Captain
Taber IS visits to the building were very
frequent, and his happiness was com
plete. - -9..=
The town hall built by Mr.. Rogers
and presented to Fairhaven contains
everything, from postoffice to police
station, to meet the municipal needs
The town fathers transact their bust
ness in luxurious offices, with big pill
lars of marble, quite different from til,
l rough, old-fashioned rooms that Rogers
knew as a boy. ~-.-s--
1 DIT NJ L
haven did not stop here. He erected :
public library building that is described
as an architectural gem.
Most magnificent of all the gifts O.
Mr.. Rogers to Fairhaven, however, i
the new Unitarian church, just dedi
Gated. Altho the structure was planne,
to cost $1,000,00O, it is probable tina
nearer $2,0O0,0O0 has been expende,
upon it,, It is erected as memorial
to the oil magnate' s mother, a life
long resident of the town.
With all the costliness of the church
the parish which it serves embrace
hardly more than sixty families, mostl,
those of working men, the descendant
of the neighbors whom Mr.. Roger
knew as boy.
In proportion the edifice is mos
noble. Indeed, it presents one of tn
few specimens Of pure Tudor architect
u1c w Uc IOuuu LII sAulCIlCd. 2. tbullC U
the finest granite, taken from ledg
near old Fort Phoenix, Fairhaven, wit
trimmings of Indiana limestone, tn
distinguishing feature of the exterio
is the delicate carving of every but
tress, every pinnacle, every cornice an
every entablature. Hundreds of marbl
statues and small figures, carved i
Italy, ornament the interior, while tn
windows are Of the most magnifcen
stained glass that money could buy.
Among the most striking feature
of the church are the main entranc
and the lofty tower. Both are reminis
cent in many ways Of the Cathedral O
st. Peter, at Gloucester, England, bu
with the Norman features of that build
ing eliminated. In itself the tower
a monument, it's height Of 157 feet be
ing accentuated by it's perpendicula
lines. =. .e ~ t-Est"
In all the external ornamentation tn
carving is elaborate, with tree and vim
leaves and figures of birds and animal
predominating. High up on columns a
either side Of the entrance stand figure
Of st. Peter, carved Of stone, one repre-
senting him as being armed with tn
sword and the other as the simple fish
erman of Galilee.