The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1908-10-09
CHARACTER OF ROCKEFELLER
Alfred Henry Lewis GIRLS the Oil Magnate
in the November Cosmopolitan


number. I believe him one who
honestly and sincerely regards his cal
ling and election sure.
True if one accepts what the churche:
teach, and owns Rockefeller past any
thing like a steady contemplation oi
the eternity which lies beyond should
surely start perspiration. However,
all things in the way Of human con-
clusion depend upon point of view,
and the shield that is black to one
shows white to another. Mr.. Ryan,
Mr.. Schwab, Mr.. Morgan, like Mr.
Rockefeller, are pillars Of the church,
and l see no reason why the latter
should despair Of getting through a
needles eye any more than they. Be-
cause I am bound to truthfullness, l
confess that for myself cannot, by
the light of what they daily do, clearly
make out just how these gentry read
their bibles. By the same token, l
have been lost in equal wonder as to
how a farmer plowed a field full of
stumps. Plow it he did, however,
managing in some fashion to plow
around the stumps, and in the end
took off very fair crop for his pains.
The Rockefellers and the Ryans the
Morgans and the Schwabs must needs
finds their fields of religion thickly
dotted Of Biblical stumps; and yet
they would seem to plow around them
and who shall say what final harvests of
saving grace they may not reap?
Judge not lest you be judged. What
if it does fret one when John D., Jr.
before his bible class, justifes Stand
ard Oil in its destruction of its rivals,
by parable Of how the rose is brought
to a multiplied perfection by bud Kill
ling what other roses start from the
same stem? At worst it is no more
than a SNUG sentiment of self-justif-
cation, horticulturally expressed, and
its defensive value may safely be left
for settlement to day, told of in the
Scriptures, when this world will have
disappeared and ended, and time shall
be no more.
Mr.. Rockefeller, in the sense popu-
lar, does not understand men, and
there is a pleading, helpless look about
him as though he wished he did. This
may throw a trifle Of light on the
matter in immediate hand. Across
from Mr.. Rockefeller's Euclid Avenue
house in Cleveland lives man whom
he has known for many years. Prob
ably this mans house is the only one
he ever visits. At intervals he is wont
to run across for an evenings chat-he
couldn't tell you why himself.
The man visited is bookworm, and
cares as little for money as Mr.. Rookie
feller cares for anything else. The
visiting Mr.. Rockefeller invariably
comes upon the bookworm surrounded
by shelves OF books. Never but once
did Mr.. Rockefeller so much as notice
the books; they no more attracted his
eye than would a dead wall. Upon
arrival, Mr.. Rockefeller's first move
is to ask permission to turn down the
gas; for he likes to sit in a sort of sell
constructed twilight and finds food
of radiance disquieting. Then in the
half darkness he will talk-talk o.
money, always of money. The one
time he referred to the books wa:
characteristic. The visited bookworm
sat with his finger keeping the place
in a volume Of Moore's Life Of Byron
Mr.. Rockefeller noticed it.
''You get pleasure out Of your book
Judge?" he said musingly.
''Yes" responded the bookworm.
do you know the only thing tha
gives me pleasure7" said Mr.. Rookie
feller, looking up with fashion Of guile
lessness, at once sly and bland. 1t
to see my dividends coming in," hi
whispered; Just to see my dividend
coming inl" And as he said it hi
made drawing, scraping motion acros
the table with his scooped hand, a
though raking in imaginary riches.
And yet" observed the bookisl
man, who himself told me the above
Mr.. Rockefeller is haunted with de
sire to be popular. Strange as it ma
sound to you, he'd give anything