The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-07-16
By BENTON E. JACOBS

Associated Press Staff Writer)
 Hard work, eager play, refusal to worry and an infinite trust in his God-this simple philosophy has helped John Davison Rocke- feller, Sr., through his 95 years
 There probably is no better ex- prcssion Of his philosophy than this brief verse he composed few years ago, had prin.ed on small, white cards and distributed to friends:
 'I was early taught to work
 az well as play;
 My life has been one long,
 happy holiday
 Full of work, and on ther way
 T dropped the worry on the
 And God was good to me every day"
 D, Now at 95, this one-time cOlos- 'sus of finance and philanthropy has sought quiet seclusion where he may spend his declining years in cheerful tranquility.
 His Morning Meditation
 No more does he take an active interest in the affairs of the day, although he keeps informed in de- tail of the doings of his fellow man.
 Until last winter, when illness prevented, John D. Rockefeller for several years received an ASso- ciated Press representative as his train halted briefly in Jacksonville, Fla, en route to his sunny estate at Ormond Beach.
 Always these interviews came just as the first, fresh rays of morning sun filtered through the open windows of his compartment. It was time for the morning meal.
 The breakfast board in the Rockefeller household is always the scene of his daily meditation-an hour for prayer and reverie. x Sometimes "Neighbor John" = many of his Florida friends know him affectonately as that, al- though none ever address him di- rectly tius-would ask the reporter to sit down and read the medita- tion.
 Scl0@m Weighty Discussions
 Sometimes there was a poem, a timely bit If philosophy. always a prayer. Tie interviews usually got into reverse with MT. Rocke- afeller asking many of the questions. chatting of golf, of the sunshine Dr making some other small talk. Never could there be questions about weighty topics of the day unless he himself brought up the subject.
 Always the poem or prayer or philosophical excerpt was timely. Near Thanksgiving the theme would be appropriate to. the sea- son. Once there was the general .jdea of the golden rule"
 Most times breakfast sat before him-a baked apple, cereal and weak tea. There was only slight variation from this morning menu.
 All his meals while travelling were prepared in his special car by a servant well acquainted with his needs
 Occasionally one or two of the ladies of his household, or his sec- retary, would sit down for the morning meditation.
 C. A Beautiful Thought"
 nd-shaking and felicitations exchanged. MT. Rockefeller would smilingly hand over the selections for the reporter to read.
 If you please he always said, adding, Read it slowly It is a beautiful thought we have today"
 The breakfast could wait. The nervous valet might fidget, but the morning devotional came first. - Once when the sentiment partic- uhrly appealed to MT. Rockefel- ler's mood. tear slipped all but unobserved down his cheek Un- ostentatiously he wiped it away
 Golf was his greatest hobby until recently. He did not play at all last winter, but walked among the flowers in the sunshine at the Easements, his winter home, for exercise.
 For many years he took great delight in distributing the famous Rockefeller dimes. He always re- membered the reporter and each