The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-30
JOHN ). CAUSES TARRYTOWNERS ID
 FLUTTER, REPORT
Barriers Let Down to Cam eraman to StartIe Newspa- perdom--Pas Indian
 Summer of Life
By AssocIated Presa

dian summer of his life on his vast estate in the Pocantico hills, at last letting down the barriers he has always raised against photog- raphers and reporters2
 This is 8 question which has been interesting the newspaper profess sion ever since the worlds richest man on . recent Sunday, permitted cameramen to snap him to their hearts content after they had con- sented to follow him Into church for service.
 Mir. Rockefeller, who bears the reputation of being one of the most camera-shy men in America, may, be becoming more lenient in his attitude toward photographers. but as yet he has given no indication of talk ing reporters into his confidence.
 No Interviews
 An effort to interview Mir Rocke- feller on the recent occasion of his eighty-fourth anniversary--made as usual, through a third party rep resenting the household-brought the response Impossible" AS no re- porters as yet have succeeded in storming the well guarded gates of the Rockefeller home, the modern Croesus goes uninterviewed.
 Even to his fellow townsmen the little man, slight of frame. who ap- pears in midsummer in leather waistcoat, overcoat and muffier, Is very much of an enigma.
 Tarrytown points out to each visitor the home of John D. Roeke- feller, urges the visitor to go up and see where Rockefeller lives, talks constantly about Rockefeller but rarely sees him itself.
 John ID. No Mixer
 Very seldom do Tarrytowners get inside the gates which guard the big home back in the hills. Once in awhile they see John D. come down town and sit in his machine while @ chauffeur goes into 6 bank or a store-but Tarrytown almost never talks to it's richest citizen. He comes and goes--there Is excitement while he Is downtown, and discussion afterwards. And that Is all of Tarry- towns claim on its most famous citizen.
 Ever since the oil king celebrated his eighty-fourth birthday, Tarry- town has been seething over the question of who Is it's oldest citi- zen. 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, con- cedes first place to John D. The ancient admits he Is only sS.
 Oldest Citizen
 But an Italian has asserted his grandfather is sS-and there Is fma. q cHktH even in the face of odds, Tarrytown stands Loyalty behind its prominent 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 Mir. Rockefeller Is still q youngster in spirits.
 Any man who plays golf as fre- quently as he does" began one cit- izen, when he was interrupted with a question as to whether John DIS private links were regular size.
 Certainly 1t iA but John D. goes around it slowly" replied the citizen, but another Tarrytowner broke in with a denial.
 "It is not. It is only about four holes of a normal course. And John D. takes three hours to make two of em."
 Last, but not least, in Tarrytown's viewpoint towards It's leading cit- izen is the tradition of the dimes. the day of days for the boys and girls. ssmodically. John D. Rocke- feller gives i0-cent pieces away to children. How did It start7 Three stories are current: Number One~-Threc boyns many years ago, walked mp the hill. climbed the stone wall, went mp to the porch and saw
 Mir. Rockefeller. They ssiked him
 for dime apiece--snd rot 1t.
 Since then, it Is said. the ofn magnate hns held his yearly party.
 Number rwv-A boy WIS standing dcwntown when the Rockefeller mnchine drove up. A package dropped out. The boy
 picked 1t up and handed it to
 MT. RcckafcI1er personally. The boy got n dime, and John D. RocI.efeller got an inspiration which he has followed ever since.
 Number Tnrse---A lad was lest.
 He wandered onto the Rocke-
 felfer mystery links. The oil
 king saw him. He took him into
 the house, gave him . dime ana
 sent him home. And tho 10-cent
 party sprnng from that. whatever the cause, Dime Day. has become to the youth of Tarry- town e day apart, ranking with Christmas and the Fourth of July