The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-11-14
sis, 100000 ROCKEFELLERS GIFTS
"RicheSt Man on Earth"
Contributes a Million
to Cure "HookwormS"
Something About His
Charities and PhiIanthro-
pies of Recent Years.


anything that stands in the way OF hard
work. Only cew years ago the busy lit
lie bees did not yield as much profit as
lie thought they should. so he invented,
as a matter OF pastime. a way that would
make them work harder Just recently
he has given Sl.000.O0O 10 eliminate the
"hookworm." which his investigators
told him, was playing hob with the in
dustry Of the South, says the Chicago
Record Herald
An aversion 90 laziness seems 20 have
been born in Air. Rockefeller. lie never
has been affected with it's virus himself.
so he may be excused for not appreciat-
ing it in the rest of humanity He has
studied conditions that retard the prog
ress OF humanity In every location.
Finally he has become convinced that
laziness among Southern negroes. poor
white trash. and the rest Of the lacJa-
daisical portion OF the inhabitants of the
region south Of Mason and Dixon's line is
q disease. and not a voluntary condition.
Gives More Than Si13,5OO.OOO.
The scientists on his committee TO ex-
anime worthy objects of charity fixed the
blame upon the "hookw0rm." Without
impulse. calmly. in as matter-of-fact
way as he would order the purchase or
sale Of a bunch OF stock. the oil king
wrote a check for 100000 to be devoted
10 research looking 10 the determination
o. the "hookworm." The regeneration Of
the South is bound 20 follow. Bottled-up
energy is sure 10 cause some OF the citi-
zens who lose their ley worm 10 run
amuC& But in the end those who fee,
only the milder effects will benefit and
the theory is that the benehciaries VIII
be in a large majority
His gift TO the worthy cause OF dissl-
pating lazineSs brings the total amount
OF john D. RockefeHer's benevoIences up
TO more than Sl135OG000 That really Is
the question How can one independent
citizen of the United States Of America
have afforded to give away absolutely.
and with hardly a cotton thread string
attached. so stupendous an amount Of
money? One hundred and thirteen million
dollars is the approximate amount The
actual figures are given as Sis. 655 coo
Most of as would be congeniauy happy TO
cut of the last four OF five digits and
count our fortunes by the sum they pro-
nOunce
Were It not that the country IS kept in
formed. with more or less regularity, and
semblance OF reliability, OF the progress
OF Mr. ROckefeller's growing bank ac-
count, we individual investors might be
tempted to make a raid on such stocks
as Standard oil. For any man TO give
away. in less than a quarter OF cen
fury, a cool SlO00o0,O00 and considerably
more. invites a challenge as TO his sanity.
But when we consider that the annual in
come Of Mr.. Rockefeller amounts closely
10 one-half Of his total benefaCtlOns; that
1t began piling up at the rate OF $50 O00 10
600 year as much as five or six years
ago, when, worth easily S5O0,OO0,O00. ne re-
tired from business activities, we begin
10 realize that what 20 as is large
amount is I'm reality, 90 Mr.. Rockefeller,
matter of comparatively small mo-
ment.
Careful I'm Giving.
As he has been I'm business throughout
the three-score years and ten of his in
terestng life, So is Mr.. Rockefeller in his
benevolences. Simple in his own tastes.
rearing his family along the same simple
lines that helped 20 make his vast finan-
cial success; insistent upon conservative
ness and frugality among his employees
as long he could keep personal track
Of them, Mr.. Rockefeller is pursuing the
same course with regard TO his gifts
To him. according 10 his own oft-re-
peated statement, his billion is only a
trust fund. placed in his care by the Al
mighty. He believes that unless he
makes a strict account of II his remiss-
ness will be chalked Up on the final rec
ord as a grievOus sin. Viewing philan-
thropy in such a light no devout believer
could be other than conservative in the
conservation Of such an income as this
plain man finds at his command
Mr.. Rockefeller experienced that which
comes 20 the lot Of every wealthy man
long ago, when he was in his prime.
There was a time when he was consid-
cred adamant. and requests for financial
aid. personal or 20 assist worthy prof.
ects. were made sparsely Then II be-
came known that the oil kings purse
strings were not tight when deserving
project might be aided by the wealth
at his command
Since the day when II came 10 be gen
eral knowledge that not only would John
D. Rockefeller give but give royalty. ne
has not been immune. day or night. from
persistent applicants for his financial IA
vOT.
Few OF these have been people in quest
OF personal aid. Almost invariably the
requests have come from persons inter-
cStod in education. or the promotion OF
worthy scientific propaganda. The COM
mon mendicant who posters the waking
and sleeping hours Of most very rich men
IN search of personal aid usually mas
steered a wide course from the path Of
Mr. Rockefeller. He is not one to invite
The familiarity OF such as they.
But, holding seekers for the distribu-
ton Of his income in proper leash. Mr..
Rockefeller quickly found that the good
people with bugs" 10 benefit mankind
were more numerous than he ever had
dreamed. He was in Cleveland when he
first began giving. Cleveland IS COM
paratively a small city. and the world 8
richest man was more democratic then
than he has been allowed TO be since. So
many people with worthy objects came TO
him at his Offices and his home there
that he was driven 20 New York.
"OnIy One of SIe.s
He was followed 10 the metropolis. Even
In the environments Of Wall street they
penetrated in swarms.
There was only one or me-" he said.
reminiscenty. the other day to an inter
viewer, and they came In swarns.
He surrounded himself with every safe
guard known to ingenuity and available
20 the very rich. Ii came tc the point
that when he went on the street. he was
compelled to surround himself with an
army Of clerks and aids that filled a elsv
block. These were not all necessary "a
hold off mendicants and persons seeking
financial aid for projects OF benevolence.
but the latter class formed goodly por-
ton Of the crowd that hemmed him in.
They seemed 10 think" he relates.
that II they could only talk TO me per-
sonally they could get what was 50 dear
70 their hearts. 1 sometimes wondef
whether il had been dead the length OF
time these good people have been trying