Evening star., 1925-04-26
JOHN d., NEARING SO, KEEPS FIT
BY BALANCED DAILY SCHEDULE
Periods of Relaxation
Frequent in Day of
Fin0Flcier.
Exercise and Carefl,
Diet Big Factors in
His Health.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.

place at Lakewood, n. j., where he
arrived from Ormond Beach, Fla,
a week ago today, in the best of
health and spirits.
AS he approaches his eighty-sixth
birthday, he appears to be in even
finer fettle than year ago. and his
golf is improving. The world of
business and finance, which wears
most men out, has left Mr.. Rookie
| feller physically and nervously sound.
What Is the secret of his health?
1t lies in a well balanced daily
schedule, in alternative periods of
activity and rest and in plenty of
outdoor life. Since hsi early thirties
Mr.. Rockefeller has lived such a life.
On sunny afternoons, when other
men were anxiously watching the
| ticker, he was walking through the
woods, or planting things.
Leads Active Life.
| Mr. Rockefeller has more time for
rest and recreation now, but he still
uses them both to enable him to lead
an active life. Although he makes no
special point of punctuality, this is
| the daily program of the richest man
in the world now, on his 375-acre home
at Lakewood:
| $50, arises.
| f-o, reaQS the newspapers.
8. eats breakfast.
chats.
S:45-10, attends to business affairs
| 10:15t12, plays nine holes of golf
| 12-1:15, has bath and rest.
1:15, eats luncheon.
2S. plays game of numbers and
rests.
| 3-5, takes drive in car
81, rests, then converses with guests
or is read to by personal secretary.
! Z, eats dinner.
| $40, plays game of numbers, talks
with friends or listens to music played
by John Yordi, his valet. Occasionally
tunes in on the radio or has moving
picture show.
| 10, retires.
Relaxes Often in Day.
| The frequent periods of rest are an
| extension of Mr.. Rockefeller's prac-
tice, dating from his early thirties, of
| taking a short nap every day after
| luncheon. He never rests long, but
he relaxes completely, both mentally
and physically, when he does. Two or
| three short rests of from Is to As
| minutes each keep him mentally alert
and in the best of physical condition
| throughout the day.
Like most elderly men, Mr.. Rookie
| feller is unable to sleep late in the
| morning. He usually arises between
| $50 and o'clock.
He begins the day by reading the
morning papers. His personal secre-
tary, \. w. Davis, does much of his
| other reading for him, but Mr.. Rookie
feller always goes through the news
| papers himself, paying as much at
! tentlon to general news as to the
| financial section.
Eats Normal Breakfast.
At O'Clock Mr.. Rockefeller eats just
such a breakfast as any normal
healthy American eats-grapefruit or
the juice OF an orange. cereal with
milk, an egg or two with some bacon,
toast and coffee or milk. He does not
! use cream. To that extent he diets
| He uses separated milk because he
does not wish to increase his weight.
For the rest, he merely takes pains
not to overtax his excellent digest ton.
! The moderation which he has exer-
cised in his daily life for years begins
| at the breakfast table.
| After the meal comes the first of
| the thrice daily demonstrations of
| one of Mr.. Rockefeller's cardinal habits
never to exert himself mentally or
physically Immediately after eating.
He plays a game of numbers, or talks
| about some interesting feature of the
days news.
| Much has been said about Mr.. Rock.
| efeller's golf, but little about his num-
| bers. Yet the latter IS scarcely less
| important, in the preservation of his
powers. One is his physical, the
other his mental recreation.
Numbers is the sort of game a
! financier who has dealt with figures
| running into the billions would choose
| for relaxation, for it involves the
numbers 1 to 13. 1t is much like a
certain variety of solitaire. A set for
four people, which Is the equivalent of
four decks of playing cards, costs 65
cents. 1t may be played by one per-
son or by many, each having his four
| sets of cards numbered l to 13.
Financier Is Good Player.
Mr.. Rockefeller INDUCES in the
| game almost every day, sometimes as
| many as three times. He is a good
| player and usually takes the measure
of his competitors, whenever he has
| them. Rarely he plays alone.
The breakfast session OF num-
| bers is ordinarily quite brief Mr.
| Rockefeller is soon considering mat
ters of business, consisting principally
| of reports and requests for advice
from the heads of the various benevo-
| lent and educational institutions which
] he has created. He keeps intimately
| in touch with the work they are doing
| as well as with their administrative
affairs. He gives each problem the
| thorough and deliberate consideration
which for years he gave to his busi-
ness.
Matters relative to the upkeep of
| his homes also receive Mr.. Rookie
| feller's personal attention. His 500
acres in the Pocantico Hills, and his
! 375 acres at Lakewood were both
handicapped very largely according to
| his own plans.
Still Saves NickeIs.
Whenever any one has saved
| enough dimes and nickels, Mr.. Rookie
feller will exchange them personally
for new 81 or SIS bills. These are al
most the only financial dealings which
| he still looks after himself.
Throughout the day. the giving of
coins continues. He will see boy at
! the side of the road while taking his
afternoon drive and will stop to give
| him a dime. He gives them to pho
| tographers, to reporters and to almost
! everyone else he meets.
Mr.. Rockefeller does not give dimes
| anu liiIhCio do q Pi1iie1AiIiiA OPtoIs Iiio
| $500, 100000 gifts for education and
science are the expression of that
aspect of the man. Dimes and nickels
are to encourage thrift.
! The presentation is a. significant bit
| of ritual. Usually Mr.. Rockefeller
takes the recipients right hand In his
| own left hand. Then he presses the
| bright coin into the waiting palm
! with precise emphasis, accompanied
| by a direct, almost questioning,
| ola nee 0f the ewes