Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-05-04
OIL KINGS INNER Lire
Congregational Minister'S EST
mate of John D. Rockefeller.
a SINCERELY CHRISTIAN MAN.

Conn.,, Who Spent II Week In Close
Association With Rockefeller and
His Family, Says He Is Intensely
Religious and Tries to Do as Much
Good us Possible.
The clearest insight into the charac-
ter Of John d. Rockefeller ever obtain
ed by those not intimately associated
with him was given recently by John
Hutchins, pastor of the Congregational
church of Litchfield, Conn.,, says the
New York American.
Mr.. Hutchins spent a week in the
spring Of 1908 intimately associated
with Mr.. Rockefeller and his family,
and, basing his judgment upon that op-
portunity for learning much of the real
character of the millionaire, he de-
clareS Mr.. Rockefeller to be q man Of
the most intensely religious convic-
lions and q man sincerely endeavoring
to accomplish as much as possible for
the good of the world. This certificate
Of good character for Mr.. Rockefeller
was given gratuitously by Mr.. Hutch
ms.
Inspired by the attacks made upon
MIR. Rockefeller and his tainted mon
ey," he told of the inner life as he
knows it and which he believes to be
of q sort to make it consistently prac-
ticable for any church or missionary
society to accept freely Of Mr.. Rookie
feller's gifts.
I'm the early spring Of 1908 Mr..
Rockefeller and his family came to
one of the smaller mountain resorts"
said Mr.. uutchins, land l was brought
accidentally into a week of close con-
tact with him. 1t was in the month
Of May. The wild viburnum was in
blossom on the mountain. The season
had not opened yet, and 1 was the only
guest at the hotel and by sufferance,
for I knew the proprietor, who, with
his family, was making ready for the
opening.
"Word came to my friend, the pro-
prietor, that John D. Rockefeller and
his family would like to occupy the
place for a week or two, and occupy it
alone, to the exclusion of other guests.
This was because Of the break
down of one of his daughters. So terms
were made and the family arrived"
Mr.. Hutchins in a letter to the New
York Tribune then explained the man
ner in which he met Mr.. Rockefeller
and of the acquaintance that develop
ed. The intimacy that was developed
in the little hotel during the week that
followed gave Mr.. Hutchins an excel
lent opportunity to observe the method
Of life of the family of New York's
richest millionaire. He was impressed
by the simplicity and deeply religious
character of all its members. There
was nothing Of pretense and no reason.
he says, for attempting to give him any
false impression.
One feature Of the morning prayers
made a deep impression" he says. Gas
they arose from their knees each child
greeted the father and mother with a
kiss, and then the members of the
family, n after the other, held out the
hand to those Of us who were guests.
The greeting Of the father and mother
with a kiss after prayers had been the
pretty custom in my w early English
home, and I was able the better to feel
the beauty Of it. Mr.. Rockefeller and
l had many opportunities for %conversa-
ton, and these talks were more often
than not upon matters Of religion. Aft
er more than twenty-five years Of con-
tact with Christian reality and it's
counterfeit p%retense I know, if I know
anything at all Of such matters. that I
was talking with a sincerely Christian
man"
An illuminating insight in the inf1u-
ence Of John D. Rockefeller's person
atty upon his son is given in this de-
scription Of a characteristic incident
reported by Mr.. Hutchins.
while at the mountain resort Mr..
Rockefeller went to the city for q day.
On his return he told me that he had
found his son at church teaching an
evening class Of young men. There the
father sought him out and in speaking
to me Of it afterward said, Mr.. Hutch
ms, l would rather have my son filing
such a part as that than to see him sit
ting king upon q throne"
Fully as interesting as these descrip-
lions of Nh. Rockefeller's intimate per-
sonal life arc the deductions and opin-
ions of Mr.. Hutchins, based upon the
knowledge acquired by him during that
week Of association with Mr.. Rookie
Teller. Continuing, lie said:
From those days to this one / have
never seen Mr.. Rockefeller again and
have had no intercourse with him 9th
erwise. have read much or what has
been written about him and his con-
nection with the Standard Oil COM
pany. l realize the incongruity Of the
situation and lament it. have heard
a man and Il minister Of Mr.. Rookie
elle W denomination tell things
rejecting upon MI. Rockefeller's moral
character and claiming that he had DOS
tive proofs Of their t%ruthfulness. But
have not believed and do not believe
Mr.. Rockefeller is anything less than
n sincerely Christian man.
1.-THE question will arise how to rec
oncile the private Christian character