New-York tribune., 1919-12-25
Record of Receipts and
Expenditures Started in
Boyhood Days Taught
Rockefeller How to Save
Learned to Economic Early
SsPoorest Man / Know" He
Declares, els Man Who
Has Nothing But Money!

On the desk of Ivy Lee yesterday,
when he told about the latest Rookie
fellcr gifts. were dozen or more thin
pamphlets bound in paper with red,
yellow and gold on the title page.
First Ledger of Successful Man Of
Affairs" is the title to the little book
'The title page says:
Mr.. Rockcfellcr's Ledger-The First
He Kept and What Was in It-Saving
Money and Early Giving.
address delivered at social gath
ering of the Young Mems Bible Class
of the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church
Saturday evening, March 81, 1897 Is
sued by the class"
The narrative follows:
"One of those rare occasions upon
which John d. Rockefeller is prevailed
upon to address an audience came re-
Gently in the parlors of the Fifth Ave-
nue. Baptist Church, says The New York
Tribune. Mr.. Rockefeller was one of
the speakers at a social gathering of
the Young Mems Bible Class of the
church. Much that Mr.. Rockefeller had
to say was extremely interesting. In
laying many excellent preccpts before
his hearers he brought forth several
lessons from the experiences of his early
life. By references to his first ledger,
more than small paper covered mem
orandum book, Mr.. Rockefeller ex-
planned how he managed to save money,
even on a small salary
Record of First Earnings
"The little book contained the first
items of his receipts and expenditures
when he first began to earn money, and,
to judge from the care with which he
hnD nd 11od !,
giles, Mr.. Rockefeller was in earnest
when he intlmated that it would require
fairly large fortune to purchase it,.
The Rev. DR.. W. II. p Faunce introduced
Mr.. Rockefeller, who spoke in an in
formal, conversational manner as fol-
lows:
"'It is not an address at all that
have to give you. | supposed at first
that was to meet here company Of
medical students and young men, and
| had prepared a little address for
them Then, when I came in here and
saw SO many gentlemen Of mature ex-
of students are they?" Let me say
that it gives me great deal Of pleas
ure to be here tonight.
"First Ledger | Kept"
Although cannot make you a
speech, have brought with me to
show you young men little book-a
1t is the first ledger l kept. | was
trained in business affairs and I was
taught how to keep ledger. The
practice Of keeping a little personal
ledger by young men just starting in
business and earning money and re-
quiring to learn it's value is, think. a
good one in the first struggle to get
footing g-and if you feel as | did
am sorry for you, although would not
be without the memory of that strug-
gle-l kept my accounts in this book,
and also some memoranda of little in
cidents that seemed to me important.
{" In after years found that book and
brought it to New York. 1t is more
than forty-two years since I wrote what
1t contains. | call it Ledger A. and
now place the greatest value upon it.
have thought it would be little help
to some Of you young men if read one
or two extracts from this ledger
"Mr Rockefeller then produced from
his pocket, carefully enveloped in pa
per wrapping, the LEDGE to " ich ref-
erence had been made. Proceeding. he
said:
".When found this book recently 7
thought it had no cover, because | saw
that it had writing upon it's back. But
| had utilized the cover to write upon.
In those days | was economical, even
with paper. When | read it through it
brought to my mind remembrances of
the care with which | used to record
my little items Of receipts and dis
ursements-matters, | think, which
many of you young men are rather
ligious duty to get all the money you
can, fairly and honestly; to keep ali
you can, and to give away all you can.
| think that is a problem that you are
all familiar with. | have told you be
fore what pleasure this little book
gives me-
"'l dare not let you read it through.
because my children, who have read it,
say that | did not spell toothbrush
correctly: But then, you know, we
have made great progress in our spell
ing, and suppose some changes have
taken place since those da $. have
not seen this book for twenty-five
years.
at does not look like a modern
ledger, does it? But you could not
get that book from me for all the
modern ledgers IN New York. nor for
all that they would bring 1t almost
brings tears to my eyes when I read
over this little book. and it fills me
with sense of gratitude that I can
not express. 1t shows largely what I
received and what paid out during
my first years of business 1t shows
that from September 26. 1855, until
January l, 1856, received $50. Out Of
that | paid m. washerwoman and the
lady boarded with, and | saved little
money to put away. | am not ashamed
to read it over to you.
Among other things. l find that T
gave a cent to the Sunday school every
sunday That is not very large sum.
IS IT? But that was all the money
mad to give for that particular object.
| was also giving to several other re-
liglous objects and what | could afford
to give regularly, as | was taught to do
and 1t has been a pleasure to me all
my life to do so.
81 had a large increase in my rev.
enue the next year. 1t went up to S25
month. began to be a capitalist.
and had | regarded myself then the
same way as we regard capitalists now
| ought to have felt like q criminal be-
cause | had so much money. But we
had no trusts or monopoies then. |
paid my own bills and always had a
little something to give away and the
happiness of saving some. In fact, |
am not so independent now as l was
then.
"'It is true | could not secure the
most fashionable cut Of clothing. re-
member bought mine then of cheap
ClOthier He s0ld ma clOtbiro ~hoor