The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-27
STORIES OF H. H. ROGERS
From the Baltimore News.

From the Baltimore News.
 @HE human, lighter side of a mans
 (CU life is always the most appeal
 ing and so the most interesting. There was such side to Henry H. Rog- CTS, and this little collection of anec- dotes gives a glimpse of the man dis associated from the things that ruled his life.
 MT. Rogers success was brought only by an untiring devotion to business that wore his vitality out.
 He seldom received visitors at the Standard Oil offices when he was active in the administration of affairs there.
 One day his secretary was besieged by a man who filled the outer office with his views.
 MT. Rogers is too busy" was the firm reply to all his appeals.
 Just then a waiter came with tray bearing the oil kings modest luncheon. Surely I can see MT. Rogers now" be- sieged the importunate one; "he's only eating"
 But" the secretary replied, "he works while he eats."
 A firm believer in monopolies, not as the best thing that could be had, but as the best we can now have, MT. Rogers was always quick to resent attacks upon trusts. A young lawyer dealt with the subject in his presence a few years ago at Fairhaven high school gradua- ton exercises and MT. Rogers, to the surprise of all present, took up the gauntlet
 "If anyone can convince me that there is more evil than good in trust will gladly forego my present opposite be- lief" he said. But what is a trust? Nine-tenths of the lawyers and news papers cannot define one-and they are the critics who find the most fault with the so-called trust evil. The first trust was a savings bank trust. Have they been improving or have they not?'
 Litigation occupied much of MT. Rog- CTS attention during the last years or his life. In the proceedings following the Boston Gas company deals a law yer of the Bay State Gas company had elicited the information that he had been president of the Standard oil com pany for 40 years and asked if he had anything else to say he replied:
 q am trying to think If I had ever been in the gas business"
 A few months after he remembered that he had and that his profits had been $3,000,O00.
 Strangely enough, MT. Rogers never told his age. The date of his birth Is carefully left out of his report in Who's Who," nor does it appear in any other of the standard biographies. The rec ords of the Standard Oil company do not show it, although tho company's publicity agent can turn In minute to the exact date of the birth of any of the other high officials. Why don't you go to the town clerk of Fairhaven?" one seeker for information was advised
 Again MT. Rogers proved himself a diplomat. Some years ago fire in Fairhaven destroyed the birth and death register.
 Mr. Rogers seriously considered leav- ing the oil bushes in 1882. believing he had got enough of it. At that time
 
 the Standard had just taken over the Pratt refinery, of which he had been the guiding spirit, and he felt anything but optimistic over the future of thc oil business.
 Cur company is going to sell out to the Standard he remarked to friend in Fairhaven, and I am thinking of getting out of the business. have thought it all over and I believe I could get out with s250,000." 1 Courteous and talkative MT. Rogers | always was in his meetings with news paper men, but somehow or other he never vouchsafed much of any informa- | ton. At the time of the gas litigation