The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-04
CHANCES FOR POOR
BOY ARE GOOD YET.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Is Re-
sponsible for Statement
EXPLAINS LIFE WORK
MIR. Rockefeller Talks of the Road to
Success Which May BE Attained
By the Poorest If Opportuni-
ties Are Accepted

New York, July 2.-(Special. John D.
Rockefeller, Jr., the son of the worlds
richest man, declared today in an inter-
view that the chances for the poor boy
who starts in life without an education
as a newsboy are just as good as they
were 10 or 20 years ago. Mr.. Rookie
Teller said any poor boy of today with
the proper grit and ambition could forge
to the front as a man of wealth and
influence.
Mr.. Rockefeller started in first to dis
cuss the work of the special grand jury,
of which he was foreman, whose task
1t was to investigate the white slave evil
in the environs of Greater New York.
Il am glad the work is done. for 1t is
thankless task" said he I'VE did our
best and l am confident our work will re-
suit in safeguards being thrown around
the young men and women of this city to
protect them from the preying vultures
of the streets"
From this the interview drifted into
broader channels. In reply to a ques-
ton he said: you certainly can't ex-
pect me to tell you off-hand what we
propose to do with the funds at our COM
mand Why, II is a work of lifetime
and to it l expect to dedicate the great
er part of my time
That settled beyond doubt the question
that has been paramount in many minds
for long time concerning John D. Rock
efeller's future and his lifework.
you see,'' Mr.. Rockefeller went on to
say, Eve all have our work cut out
for us, and II we are true to ourselves
and the trust reposed In us we can only
devote our best efforts to carrying
through to success that task. We must
not sit back and wait for the door of
success to open for us. We must find
the door when the time is propitious and
be ashamed of work. no matter how
mental 1t Is. If he is ambitious he can
always find something better. but let him
do we'll the task he originally sets for
himself.
your name rarely figures in club news,
Mr.. Rockefeller,"it was suggested
Naturally. I have no time for club
life" he replied. I'm fact, I wasn't reared
nor educated with that end in view. AS
matter of fact. I belong to very few
clubs and rarely visit any / go to
the country clubs. and that's about ALL
l 20 there for golf, which am fond of,
and then, too, my family can accompany
me on these visits"
OF all things Mr. Rockefeller abhors
is that class of men known as sponges
Nothing is more despicable to my
mind he said, than the man who can
not afford luxures or expensive pleas
ures and yet makes a practice of OBJ
oiyfn fhor, ut
man should be disconnected with life be-
cause he fails to amass great wealth
There are many things much more worth
having-happiness, health and clean con-
science among them. The man who wor-
ships the almighty dollar can never
achieve that which we all should strive
for-entrance into the Kingdom Of
Heaven.
ut is the character, not money, power
or influence that spells happiness in the
long run.
mo one takes more pleasure than I
do in seeing a man who Is honest and
perservering accumulate fortune Mr..
Rockefeller continued. 'It is no crime
to accumulate wealth. provided 1t is Sc
cured by honest methods, but the black
est of all crimes is to devote 1t to an
improper use. When one considers all
than can be done with money-alleviat-
ing suffering and spreading knowledge
broadcast-what baser crime Is imaginable
than turning that money into channels
reeking with sin and for the gratifica-
ton of the baser passions?"