The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-05-27
mo. ROCKEFELLER
DIES In 98TH YEAR
New York Farm Boy Goes From
S4-a- Week Job to One of
Worlds Largest Fortunes
WAS BENEFIT TO HUMANITY


humanity, died in his 98th year Sun
day at his winter home in Florida.
Death came to the aged capitalist,
who long ago had withdrawn from
the tumult of the financial world,
in the quiet of Sabbath dawn.
His physician, DR.. Harry L. Mer-
ryday, attributed it to hardening
of the heart muscles.
1t was, for the man who had
fought his way up from the farm,
who had seen wars and panics,
booms and depressions, a peaceful,
painless death.
Started at Small Pay
The man who pyramided his saw
ings from $3.50 week job into
the Standard Oil trust which once
controlled three-fourths of the coun-
try's output, once wrote:
Il believe it is every mans religi-
Gus duty to get all he can honestly,
and to give all he can"
True to that credo, he bestowed
more than a half billion dollars on
carefully chosen philanthropies,
transferred much of his holdings to
the present head of the clan, John
D. Rockefeller, Jr., and died leaving
what family spokesman described
as a relatively small, very liquid"
estate.
None of the immediate family was
present at the end, so quickly did it
come, and with so little warning.
The venerable capitalist, who would
have been SO on July 8, had ex-
pressed confidence in recent years
that he would live to be 100, and
his condition had seemed to justify
his optimism.
On Friday, however, he seemed
restless and unable to sleep, but
even then Dr. Merryday did not be-
come alarmed. ~-
Keen of hearing to the last, it was
his habit to have his secretary, Mad
ison, read to him from the newspa-
pers every morning. He had evinced
some interest in the romance of the
Duke of Windsor and Mrs. Wallis
Warfield.
John Davidson Rockefeller, Sr., at
the age of 16 tramped the streets of
Cleveland, O., for six weeks to find
a Job at $3.50 a week.
Retired With Millions
Forty-one years later he retired
from active business with fortune
valued in hundreds of millions OF
dollars. His fortune has been vari-
ously estimated at from $1,000,00Q,-
900 to ,4OO,OO0,0OO.
During the latter years of his life
he gave away more than half bill
lion dollars in philanthropies. He
spent his time in secluded retire
ment on his three estates at Lake
wood, N. j., Pocantico Hills, larry
town, N. Y, and Ormond Beach,
Florida.
Only twice did he emerge from
his seclusion. In 1929 after 20 years
of obscurity as far as the business
world was concerned, he issued two
public statements One supported his
sons fight to direct the affairs of
the Standard Oil of Indiana
The other, issued jointly with his
son during the hysteria accompany
ing the crash of the stock market,
expressed his belief that there was
nothing to warrant the destruction
of values It rallied the market.
Founded Standard Oil
Founder of the Standard Oil COM
pany and pioneer of modern Ameri-
can business, Mr.. Rockefeller, at the
height of his career, directed the &C
tivities of 80 oil companies, controll-
ed mines and mills, influenced the
policies of hundreds of corporations
in many forms of industry and was
a heavy stockholders in trunk line
railroads.
A year before he bought up the
oil partnership that founded his
huge fortune, he married Laura
Celestia Spelman, daughter of an
Akron, O., merchant. She died on
March IL, 1915, at Pocantico Hills
The Rockefellers had five chill
dren. Only two, John D., Jr., and
Alta, who became Mrs. E. Parmalee
Prentice of New York, are living.
One of Rockefeller's most recent
gifts was $255, 900 to the Euclid Ave
nue. Baptist church of Cleveland, Of
which he once was general superin'
tendent of the Sunday school.
Gave Freely to Church
The church, which now looks ou
over a gaudy world of night clubs
and theaters, recently outlined
program of advancement toward
goal of the greatest downtown
church in America"
Long famous in Cleveland as thu
Rockefeller church" the history O.