Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-10
WHAT DOTH III PRorlr7

The Croesus Of ancient history, whose
name in our day typines fabulous
wealth, reached pitiable condition IN
his later years. He was sentenced to
be burned TO death, but the sentence
was commuted as he stood upon the
pyre.
our modern Croesus. compared with
whom the Lydlan king was pauper.
appears to have troubles scarcely less
terrible than standing on pyre.
doomed to death by the torture of
burning Last wednesday John ID.
Rockefeller arrived at Plymouth Eng
land. en- route from the United States.
So secretly was his voyage planned
that no public Information of 1t leaked
out, although report had been given
out that he contemplated visit to
Europe at later date.
Here Is an extract from dispatch
announcing Mr.. Rockefeler's safe ar
rival at Plymouth, n comparatively OBJ
scure British port; ''The Deutschland
arrived ten hours behind her schedule
time, and startling rumor explains
the delay. 1t is said that in 'coallng
up the greatest precautions had been
adopted by the engineers for fear of
possible bombs from anarchists, and
that practically every shovelful of coal
was carefully inspected before being
thrown into the furnaces"
1t was possible pyre that our later
and greater Croesus was on top of
throughout that voyage across the At
lantic. 1t was by his order and at his
expense, of course. that every shovel
of the hundreds of tons of coal used
was carefully examined in search of a
bomb that might destroy the vessel, all
for the sake of killing the richest man
in the world
Think Of the constant apprehensions
that beset the great bllionaire by
day and the proba bic Nightmares that
haunted him when he slept Under the
constant nervous tension which has
made him a physical wreck, he would
naturally be alarmed at every unusual
sound, fearing, like his ancient proto-
type on the pyre, that his moment of
doom had come.
And now Mr.. Rockefeller is in the old
world, for the first time in his life, it
is said. Such seclusion as he has lat
terly maintained by reason of his sew
eral homes in this country III be prac-
tically impossible in Europe. Whether
life or not, he will surely suspect such
design. Wherever he may go the con-
stant fear will beset him that, at any
moment, he may be hurled to eternity.
Poor old mani Can more pitiful
condition be imagined? He can hardly
be said to have a real friend in the
world. outside of his family circle. Os-
tensible friends fawn upon him and
relatives worry about him, but with a
common inspiration having a half bill
lion units.
And what does he get in return for all
the fear and worry that he endures, day
and night? Nothing more than comes
to the poorest laborer in Los Angeles
not half as much that is desirable. He
gets his board and clothes and a place
to sleep, nothing more. And his dys-
peptic stomach will allow him to eat
nothing but the plainest food, with
holding even the pleasure of enjoying
that, because of miserable digestion.
While being situated no better than
the poor laborer in what he gets out
of life, he lacks the greatest of all
aids to life's enjoyment-good health,
contentment and freedom from worry.
No sane man, however poor, has
cause to envy the modern Croesus on
his pyre.