The Washington times., 1905-07-11
Venerable Iona Farmer
Not Oil Kings Father
John M. Phipps, of Shenandoah, Emphati-
Cally Denies That He Is the Sire of
John D. Rockefeller

copperhead during the rebellion, and that
he did not get along with either war
party. Stories also are current that his
Missouri career was somewhat checker
ed, and that the old man has reasons for
blotting out that page of his ife's his
tory, which is entirely disassociated
from any connection with the Rockefel-
lerS.
However, his reputation for a genera
ton stands unimpeactIsd. 1t seems that
Phipps never has beer poor He is now
worth SIS, 600 or $4,000. having given
most of his fortune to his children. He
is considered a man of keen business in
stincts, and talk of money seems to in
tereSt him. The man who Is hunted as
John D. Rockefe1ler's father apparent
~ takes genuine delight in saying that
his sons are well-to-do
Occasionally Phipps leaves home to
De gone several weeks. but his neigh
pors profess not to know whittier he
goes. This fact is seized upon as a
bolster for the story that he is father
of the oil king and sometimes visits
him.
Is Good Business Man.
Phipps memory is said to be excellent.
His hearing also is unimpaired. but his
eyesight is fast falling. He still trans
acts business in Shenandoah and is
said to be amply able 10 take care of
himself in driving bargains. He is non
communicative, however, and his neigh
bors OF a generation profess 70 know
little about him. 1t is not claimed that
he is cordial or has intimate friends,
fact which is scarcely consistent with
his declaration that he has paid in the
aggregate $4,000 In his lifetime as sure
ty on bad notes.
The report in a current number of
| magazine that the elder Rockefeller
was tall and powerfully built man does
not tend to identify Phipps' as the oil
magnate's father. Phipps. although
slightly bent never could have been
a tall man nor is 1t probable ne was a
dude" as Rockefeller pere is supposed
to have been.
Phipps III his prime probably was a
man of medium weight and height. He
has the thin, pinched lips and elongated
deep-set eyes seem to read at a glance
all they see. When it was suggested to
Phipps that he looked somewhat Ike
Rockefeller he replied: No. he is
But why" he continued somewhat
| excitedly. Should all these people want
me to be Rockefeiler's father?
Il have enough money to live on, per-
laps, though somebody VIII get the
money If they find the old man. One
woman who called on me insisted | was
| old man Rockefeller. Well, / am not,
50 they viii! have 20 keep on hunting
Regular CnuFCn Attendant.
| Phipps attends the Congregational
church at Farragut and always occupies
the front pew In politics he says he
| believes in voting for honest men.
| II voted twice for Lincoln, said he,
| .'once for Garfield and twiee for Bryan.
| I always hated slavery ard whisky and
| tobacco
| Phipps says the only bet he ever made
! in his life was 500 on the election of
| William Henry Harrison as President.
| He says he won, but gave the money
} back and vowed never 10 bet again;
/ Phipps drives alone TO Shenandoah ana
| Sydney and works in the winter months
! often without gloves
Despite Ingenious attempts 10 prove
Phipps to be the ..Oid Rocky of Mora
via those who claim to know the Ere
mont county farmer best scout the story
of his connection with the Rockefeilers.
| There is no discounting the fact how
ever, that Phipps is a puzzler. that there
are chapters in his life history which
he will not diyulge with particularly,
and that he is in many respects shrewd,
| eccentric and incomprehenSible. Phys
! ically he IS marvel Tie talks fiuently,
connectedIy, and, for a man OF his
years Is fairly familiar with latter-day
! Yernacular.
Has Eye for Money.
! As the correspondent drove away at
! the close of the interview Phipps shout
ed: Say. if You find old man Rookie
Teller and get any money on account of
| II don't forget me-.
! Phir1s expresses no regret that he and
his aged helpmeet are living alone and
apparently enjoys his hermit rlife. The
old man takes pride In his farm. and af-
! fects to relax his studied demeanor as ne
eXclaims while pointing to d grove OF
lot. civ V,Ia tod VI .aNF
| how cLuld. [ be Rockefeller's father?''
II is noteworthy that only six miles
from here, in the little village Of Essex
| is the home of another distinguished
patriarch He IS Presbyterian and
| claims to be the father of John Alexan-
! der Dcwie.
| ]. A. Kyle, grain dealer of Shenan-
doah, says his father employed John D.
| Rockefeller and William Rockefeller
| the oil kings brother as corn huskers
! on farm near Owego, n. Y, fifty-six
years ago. Mr. Kyle. however, says he
knows nothing about the Phipps mys-
terry.