The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-09-12
RockefelIer's Wealth tx
ceeds a Billion # He Has
Adhered to His Original
Biblical Plan Of Devoting
One Tenth of His Total
Accumulation to Charity
Much Of His Donating Has
Been Accomplished with
Scriptural Secrecy.

}4Ft NOT my lett hand know what thy
riEet hand doeth-Matthew 6.2
John D. Rockefeller. upon whose
oii monopoly the United States gov
eminent has laid a penalty Of oyeE
s29,000,000 for alleged violations oi
The law against rebates, has given
away, up to the present time, more
than st00000,0 900 for public good
to churches. schools, hospitals.
asylums and missions.
IN an address some years ago be-
fore q Cleveland religious gathering Of
bis own Baptist faith Mr.. Rockefeller
told the story Of his early struggles.
He said he had always followed the
Scripture rule adopted BY him when a
poor clerk. which provides for giving
one-tenth Of his earnings to charity
Accepting this statement as true, it
follows. from q simple mathematical
calculation, that the oil king has made
during his business career at least
billion dollars in order to have given
away a hundred millions, unless per
chance IN an excess Of zeal for the
public veal he has trespassed on his
capital
II Is the general testimony of those
who have been brought In close con
tact with Mr. Rockefeller that he has
likewise followed, more closely than
the ordinary public benefactor, that
other Scripture maxim In regard to
the right and the left hand in the act
of giving He has never so far as
known, handed out list Of his dona.
tions. although II is said that such
list has been compiled BY one Of his
secretaries and Is now in the inner
archives Of the general education
board Personal gifts and annuities
and strictly private charities do not
appear on this list, Notwithstanding
they are said to have absorbed in the
aggregate about s10,000000 Of the
Rockefeller accumulations.
Said to Be an "Easy Mark"
Mr. Rockefellers reputation among
professional gift hunters Il that OF an
easy mark" that is, II approached
cautiously and yet frankly and piaus.
IDLY through properly accredited chan
nels he gives up generously and much
more easily than the great steel king
whose benefactions rival those Of the
founder and preseryer OF the Standard
Oil company. Mr.. Rockefeller, say
his friends, is not q man Of the world
in the ordinary sense Of the term I'M
I'll ten or a dozen years ago he was
so engrossed In the development OF
the oil business that he knew little Of
what was going on. He attended
church and devoted himself to .busi.
ness. and that was about as far as he
went
Although he has been compelled to
take more leisure in the last ten
years, on account OF his health, and
consequently has been drawn into
0tner spheres OF experience and obseF-
vation whereby he has grown interest
ed IN tho general subject OF secular
as well as religious education. he has
never crossed the threshold OF art. Of
literature or Of science. Hence the
limited primary scope Of his colossal
gifts From this Is to be excepted his
interest in the Rockefeller Institute
for Medical Research, which was
originally aroused, however, by a mis-.
fortune IN his own immediate family.
and not, It Is said, by any general con
siderations for humanity at large.
John D. Rockefellers charity has as
sumed four great forms Of expression:
Church and mission work SIC. .o00. 900
The general and southern educa-
non boards ..... ..........s--. 44.09l.099
The University Of Chicago ...... q. 10000
The Rockefeller institute.......... 100000
Private gifts to schools, individuals,
churches. parks. hospitals. societies
and reformatory and benevolent insti.
tutions have absorbed the rest Of the
500. .000, 600.
Started with Church Work.
During the first quarter century Of
his business career Mr.. Roekefellers
charities did not extend beyond church
and missionary work. He began his
activity IN that direction In Cleveland.
where ne gradually built up, IN con-
Junction with other rich Bapusts,
splendidly equipped church and parish.
He mas always considered Cleveland
his home city. and has given large
amounts to nearly every one Of the
publicly supported institutions there.
Including the rarks Il h.s donations
As the OIL king grew IN fortune be
gradually became a dominant figure IN
lthe Baptist denomination throughout
the United States and gave systemat.
icaliy to the foundation and main.
tenaneo Of Baptist churches through.
out the length and breadth Of the
country. lie early became interested
in the working church" scheme, and
under the guidance OF DR.. Judson and
others invested" largely In the new
idea The working church, it was ex.
plained to him. would solve the indii.
ference Of the masses Ii the great
cities toward the cause Of religion.
Mr.. Rockefeller accordingly eslab-
llshed. With Rev. DR. Judson. the fine
RELIGIOUS Institution Of that Kind on