Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1919-07-11
Eightieth Birthday Of
John D. Rockefeller


tThe First Billionaire Since Creation
John D. Rockefeller was born in
Tioga County, N. Y, July 8, 1889.
His father was farmer.
When the future Millionaire was
10 years old the family removed to
the valley of the Susquehanna, near
Owego.
At the age Of Is John D. accom-
panied his parents to Cleveland,
which city he has ever since regard
ed as his home.
At the age of Is he left school,
and took SHORT course at COM
mercial college.
In 1855 he found his first employ
ment as an office-boywith a firm Of
produce commission merchants.
In 1859 he engaged in the produce
commission business on his own &C
count with $1,000 capital, borrowed
from his father at 10 per cent. in
terest.
In 1851 he first became interested
in the petroleum. industry, which was
destined in time to make him the
richest man in the world. D..
In 1866 the oil refining firm of
William Rockefeller & Co. was es-
tablished, consisting of William
Rockefeller, John D. Rockefeller,
and Samuel Andrews.
In 1869 the firm of Rockefeller,
Andrews and Flagler was merged in
to the Standard Oil Company of Ohio,
with s1,000,000 capital.
In 1882 he organized the Standard
Oil Trust, which was dissolved in
1892, and since then various COM
panies have been operated separate
ly, but under Identical control.
In 1911 MIR. Rockefeller retired
from the active direction of the coli
ossal industrial enterprises which his
genius and energy had established,
The most authoritative estimates
put Mr.. Rockefeller's present hold
ings at ,200,000,000, and his year
ly income at s60,000,000.
His income is larger than the COM
bined incomes of all the sovereigns
of Europe. In Federal income tax
last year he paid s38,400,000.
He is frugal almost to penurious-
ness in his personal expenditures.
His houses are transformations, his
habits are truly simple. He lives
like any well-to-do, middle-class
man.
AS youth he became identified
with the Baptist church and has al
ways been most active and gener-
Gus supporter Of the denomination.
His gifts to the church grew greater
in proportion to the increase in his
income.
The total gifts of Mr.. Rockefeller
to colleges, schools, churches, mis-
sions and other charitable causes
now amount to $200,000,O0O or more
He claims that the greatest happi-
ness that has come to him has been
identifying himself with Christianity
He is moral man, of blameless
private life, He doesn't drink, nor
does he smoke.
He never speculates-he deals on
ly with those things which other
people have proved sure.
He declares that his success is due
to the training he had at home and
his willingness to work,
He says that the first aim of every
young man DESTROYS to succeed in
life should be to win reputation for
integrity.
His speech is low, deliberate agree
able, and has something of the |
rhythmic cadence of preacher.
Days spent on the golf links have
given him a rather rudy complex
ion. He has small, keen, steel blue,
restless eyes. He has a wide, thin
Tipped restless mouth, scanned at the
corners with lines of repression and
tenacity.
Mr.. Rockefeller was an old man at
sixty, but through care, careful diet
and exercise, is young man at