River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-03-23

while he is a recognized factor in the
affairs of the Colorado Fuel and Iron
company.
Very much the same story as his
profitable investments in iron-ore lands
could be told of his connection with the
lead and zinc mines which were trans
ferred to the trust at profit that ran
into millions.
Other industrial companies in which
he is largely concerned are the Ameri-
can Linseed Oil company, two of the big
express companies, the sugar trust and
the various organizations known collec-
lively as the tobacco trust.
Not Railway Man, But
John d. Rockefeller is not known as
a railway man. While there are Van
derbilt, Hill, Morgan and Hartman
systems, there is no combination of
roads known as the Rockefeller system.
Nevertheless Mr.. Rockefeller is the larg-
est individual holder of railroad securi-
ties in the country. He is heavily inter-
ested in the Gould roads-Missouri Pa
cific, Missouri, Kansas & Texas, Texas
& Pacific and Wabash-and it is through
his backing and assistance that George
Gould has been able to fight his way
successfully against the powerful COM
bination of railway interests in bringing
his lines eastward toward the Atlantic
seaboard But in addition to this he is
a heavy holder of the stocks and bonds,
more particularly the bonds, of almost
every one of the big eastern lines, as
we'll as of Northern Securities and of
half a dozen of the big roads running
out Of Chicago. Probably not less than
$50.000.000 of his wealth is invested in
railways. And it should be borne in
mind that practically all these holdings
were bought when their market rating
was much less than it is to-day.
The solidity and power that come from
the backing of unlimited millions are
valuable assets for a bank or trust COM
pany. A number of the most important
of these institutions in New York and
other cities have prospered through the
magic of connection with the Rookie
Teller name Certain of these, like the
National City and Hanover banks, of
New York, the First national of Chi
cago and the two largest banks in Cleve-
land, are known as Rockefeller institu-
lions.
The Country's Richest Banker.
These are by no means the measure
of Mr.. Rockefeller's banking interests.
A well-informed Wall street fnancier
showed me a list recently of SO banks
and trust companies, all of which are
reputed to be more or less under the
Rockefeller influence. If John D. Rock
efeller had nothing but his bank hold
ings he would be known as the coun-
try's richest banker and would have a
fortune equaled by few in the United
States.
Oil, steel, railroads, banks and trust
companies have not been equal to the
task of providing occupation sufficient
for all the fast-multiplying Rockefeller
millions. Within the past ten years
especially a great many of them have
gone into a particularly lucrative form
of investment-city lighting and trac-
ton companies Whether $40 900 900 or
SIS 900, 900 more nearly represents John
D. Rockefeller's investments of this sort
in and about New York it is impossible
to say, but the amount is likely to be
near the latter figure. while he has other
large sums similarly invested in New
England and tae central west.