The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-24

his fortune, but was generally be-
| lieved that he had between $780,
O00, 900 and s250. 900, coo concentrat-
ed in various Standard Oil COM
panies, Anaconda Copper, Console
dated Gas, Brooklyn Union Gas, ST.
Paul and National City bank.
| Wan Street Gets News.
| A friend recently stated that Mr..
Rockefeller's death, when it cames
| should have no appreeiable effect
on the stock market as none Of his
holdings would be loose on the open
market.
Announcement Of his. death was
received in Wall street nearly an
hour before the market opened.
William Rockefeller had been in
1 i'll health for many years. The
state of his health, in fact, and his
whereabouts, became a matter on
intense public curiosity in 1928
when the congressional committee
i investigating the money trust de-
j sired him as a witness. He could
/ not be found. For months the SER
geant-at-arns of the house OF rep
resentatives led search which was
/ fruitIess. The ffnancier's Fifth ave-
nue. house in New York was besieg-
ed by subpoena servers, detectives,
| reporters and an idle throng for
days; his residence at Tarrytown,
n. Y, the Standard Oil Offices on
! Broadway and his clubs, were
! watched without avail.
| When attorneys representing him
finally capitulated by accepting the
subpoena for him, it was disclosed
subpoena for him it developed that
| he was at Nassau, Bahama Islands.
! but his physician emphatically
maintained that to ask Mr.. Rookie
| Teller to answer questions on a wit
ness stand was to invite his death.
| He was subject to such spasms Of
coughing that speech above whis-
per was likely to strangle him.
Had Threat Cancer.
The Pujo committee, still deter
mined to get his testimony concern
! ing an alleged manipulation of the
copper market with H. H. Rogers
several years previously, arranged
| a special sitting in the f1nancier's
! cottage at Jekyl island, but had pro-
! ceeded with less than dozen queS-
| tions when the witness was seized
with laryngeal spasms and palsy.
! The committee was unable to con-
tinue without fear of causing his
death
1t was then that his physicians
admitted he was suffering from a
cancer of the throat.
The subpoena-servers' search for
Mr.. Rockefeller, which. it was esti-
mated, cost the government many
thousands of dollars, was the most
| conspicuous feature in newspaper
history of his latter life. Although
! the active head of the Standard Oil
company of New York from its es-
Enlistment in 1865 to 1911 and one
! of the richest men in America, his
prominence was overshadowed by
that of his elder brother, John u.
Rockefeller, the founder of the
Rockefeller interests in oil, and for
many years the head of the parent
company.
Born May 81, 1871.
They were both born at Rich
ford, Tioga county, New York, on
their fathers farm; william on May
81, 1S41, two years after the birth
of John In Cleveland, Ohio, to
which the family removed while the
brothers were boys, William began
his mercantile career in the pro-
duce commission business, as did
his brother, and joined the latter
soon after he became interested ia
oil, about 1862. The establishment,
soon afterwaTd, of a branch office
in New York, led to the removal of
William Rockefeller to that city to
take charge of it. From that time
until his retirement in 1911 he was
the active head of the New York
company.
In almost every respect except
his success as an oil magnate. Will
liam Rockefeller differed from his
brother. He was a club man; his
brother belonged to none. He was
Interested but slightly in philan-
thropfc work of any kind, or relig-
ious activity. Along side the blocks
OF millions his brother gave away
William Rockefeiler's largest known
gift was 100000 to Wellesley col
lege. He was an enthusiastic mo-
torist, and saw nothing in golf, of
which his brother was such a de-
voice. He did not enjoy the latter's
rugged health. Although there was
no known enlargement and they
both had summer residences at
Tarrytown, N. Y, the brothers were
seldom seen together.
Was Rail Director.
William Rockefeller departed fur
Their afetd from the oil industry
than did his brother. He was a
large factor in the railway world.
having succeeded Cornelius Van
derbilt as a director of the New
York Central railroad and having
been officer or director of a score
OF other important transportation
lines, and as many more miscella-
neous enterprises, including large
interests in copper, insurance and
public utilities.
On May 25, 1864, he was married
to Almira Geraldine GoodselI Of.
Fairfield. Conn. He had two sons
and two daughters, William G..
Percy A, Ethel G., wife of Marcel
lus Fl. Dodge. and Emma, wife of
DR.. David Fl. McA1pin, Jr.
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