The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-09-10
BIRTHDAY
GIFT Of BILL
LION DOLLARS
1T CAME TO JOHN D. ROOKIE
TELLER ON HIS SEVENTY
SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY. THE
RICHEST MAN IN WORLD.

Imagine the perturbation, the wor
ry, the keen, insidious discomfort OF
John d. Rockefeller's closest conf
dental employees when the great oil
magnate's 77th birthday drew nearer
and nearer-and they had not been
able to agree on a present for the
auspicious occasion.
Jewelry-fwhat could a man of n
do with jewelry? Automobiles, mo-
tor boats, yachts, city homes, country
homes, winter, summer, spring and
fall homes-the boss had all varieties
of everything to which their minds
turned; and yet Mr.. Rockefeller
must have a birthday present from
his closest and most trusted en-
ployes.
Frantically they considered every
suggestion, and then somebody had
an idea.
Why not give him a billion dollars?
Mr.. Rockefeller had always wanted
billion dollars. Everything in the
world he ever wanted had been his
everything but the billion. Why not
give it to him also?
Finding the Billion.
They took all his books, all of his
private papers and for days and
nights they worked, getting careful
estimates on the value of everything
he owned, deducting at full value
every possible liability, every depre-
citation, every pledge to friend or pub
lie benefaction-and when they got
through, they drew up a balance
sheet.
And so, when John d. Rockefeller's
birthday-his 77th-rolled around a
few days ago, the employees as was
their wont, gathered at his office to
wish him many happy returns of the
day, and he who was the best spokes-
man among them arose and spoke
about as follows:-
"Mr. Rockefeller: On behalf of
your trusted employees here assem-
bed, | wish to present to you this bal
ance sheet, which shows that on the
occasion of your 77th birthday you
are worth one billion dollars, clear of
all liabilities of all kinds. You are
the only man in the history of the
world who has accumulated a billion
dollars. With all our hearts we con
gratulate you"
What Mr.. Rockefeller said is not
of recrd. Unquestionably he beam
ed, for had he not accomplished what
no man in all history had ever be
fore accomplished? Had he not ac-
quired-or should one say, achieved
"A billion dollars?
Half of the billion dollars, the sheet
showed, was represented in Mr..
Rockefeller's holdings in the Stand
ard Oil company, with all its a.xilar-
les and subsidiaries. Out of a total
of SS3,33S shares in all these com
panies, Mr. Rockefeller personally
owns 247,692, and the stock is now
quoted around $1,7OO.
The other halfbillion consists Of
enormous holdings in railroads in |
banks, in bonds, foreign, national |
state and municipal, and in stock in |
the United States Steel Corporation.
Neither Mr. Rockefeller nor his
son, John d. Jr, is actively in bust
ness now-at least, they are both |
said to have given up their most |
onerous duties. The interest at |
per cent. on a billion dollars is $780, |
100000, so no matter how much they /
spend on their personal living, the |
billion is bound to grow to even |
greater proportions as the years roll /
on. Here are some OF the things I
Rockefeller could do with his billion /
dollars:
He could build fleet of fifty super
dreadnoughts, and make the United |
States navy the most powerful navy
afloat.
He could pay the entire ocst of
building three such canals as the |
Panama, or ten such as the Suez.
For a full month. ne could finance
England in the present titantic strug-
gle.
As terrible and costly as was our
Civil war, Mr.. Rockefeller alone could
pay one fifth the cost of another such
cataclysm.