The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-07-29
Tarrytown is A-Flutter

his life on his vast estate in the Pc
cantico Hills, at last letting down tn,
barriers he has always raised agains
photographers and reporters?
This is a question which has beer
interesting the newspaper profession
: ever since the worlds richest man, OIL
q recent Sunday, permitted Gamer:
men to snap him to their hearts col
! tent after they had consented to fol
low him into church for service.
Mr.. Rockefeller, who bears the rep
! rtation of being one of the most cam
cra-shy men in America, may be be
coming more lenient in his attitud,
! toward photographers, but as yet he
has given no indication of taking re
rorters into his confidence.
An effort to interview Mr.. Rookie
feller on the recent occasion of hi.
S4th birthday anniversary-made, a.
usual, through a third party repre-
senting the ousehold-brought the
response Impossible" AS no report
ers as yet have succeeded in storm.
ing the well-guarded gates of the
Rockefeller home, the modern Croesus
goes uninterviewed.
Even to his fellow townsmon the
little man, slight Of frame, who ap,
pears ir midsummer in leather waist
coat, overcoat and muller, is very
much of an enigma.
Tarrytown points out to each visito,
the home of John d. Rockefeller
urges the visitor to go up and see
where Rockefeller lives, talks con-
stantly about Rockefcller-but rarely
sees him itself.
Very seldom do Tarrytowners get
inside the gates which guard the big
home back in the hills. Once in awhile
they see John ID. come downtown and
sit in his machine while a chauffeur
goes into bank or a store-but Tar
rytown almost never talks to its rich
est citizen. He comes and goes-there
is excitement while he is downtown,
and discussion afterwards, and that is
all of Tarrytown's claim on its most
famous citizen.
Ever since the oil king celebrated
his S4th birthday, Tarrytown has been
seething over the question of who is
its oldst citizen. There is no question
as to the most famous.
An ancient who sits in front of the
big hardware store, just around the
corner from the station, comedies first
place to John D. The ancient admits
he is only 83.
But an Italian has asserted his
grandfather is 88-and there is a
farmer who lays claim to 90. Still,
even in the face of odds, Tarrytown
stands loyalty behind it's prominnt
citizen, and announces to the world
that it's oldest citizen today is none
other than the man who made oil
famous.
But the town maintains that Mr..
Rockefeller is still youngster in spir-
it's.
"Any man who plays golf as fire.
quently as he does," began one citi-
zen, when he was interrupted with a
vate links were regular size.
Certainly it is, but John D. goes
around it slowly" replied the citizen,
but another Tarrytowner broke in
with a denial.
at is not. 1t is only about four
holes of normal course. And John
d. take three hours tc make two of
'em.'
Last but not least, in Tarrytown's s
viewpoint towards its leading citizen
is the tradition of the dimes, the day
of days for the boys and girls. Spas
medically, John ID. Rockefeller gives
10 cent pieces away to children. How
did it start?
Three stories are current:
No. Three boys, many years ago,
walked up the hill, climbed the stone
well, went up to the porch and saw
Mr.. Rockefeller. They asked him for
a dime apiece-and got 1t. Since then,
it is sail, the oil magnate has held
his yearly party.
No. "A boy was standing down.
town when the Rockefeller machine
drove up. A package dropped out.
The boy picked it up and handed it to
Mr.. Rockefeller personally. The boy
got a dime, and John D. Rockefelle'
got an inspiration which he has fol-
lowed ever since.
No. "a lad was lost. He wander
ed onto the Rockefeller mystery links
The oil king saw him. He took I'm
into to house, gave him dime and
sent him home. An3 cne 10 cent party
sprang from mat.
Whatever the cause, "Dime Day
mas become to the youth Of Tarrytown
day apart, ranking with Christmas
and the Fourth of ,July.