The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-05-24
John d. Rockefeller, Oil
King. Died On Sunday

week outdoors. While he was .
young man IN Cleveland. organiz-
ing the Standard Oil Company, ne
ussd 70 take tine off Ia work en-
the grounds CT his estate, 90 FOR
crixes and bicycle rides.
Did Not Own A Home
Toward the end OF his lie, Mr..
Rockefeller apparently wanted TO
get rid Of every sort OF lospon-
sibllity. In Ju.y, 1925, he sod
the Pocsntico Hills estate, near
TarFytown. ~ Y.-S,000 acres,
covering five square miles, it even
tually grew to be-his place at
Lakewood. n. j., his town house
in New York, where he had not
li~sd for many years, and his win
ter home al 0rmond Beach (Fla.l
to his son. for $s.06s. 900. So he
actually did not own any home
Much Of the enlargement OF
II. Pocantico Hills estate was done
after John d. Rockefeller, Jr.,
took Il over. He even bought an
entire village-paid the individual
property owners for their land
and reimbursed them for their ex-
lenses in moving away. AS Mr..
RockefeIler's grandchildren mar
Fied, homes were built for them
at Pocantieo Hills Nelson A.
Rockefeller. his grandson, brought
his bride there % live IN a new
house on their return from a
round-the-wOrld honeymoon in
1891. faf
For many years after his retire
ment, Mr.. Roekefeller's life hard
~ varied. Summers were spent
at Pocantico Hills, a few weeks
each autumn and each spring at
Lakewood, n. j., noted for its
mild climate, and winters at Or
mond Beach, Fa. His town house
on West 54th street, just off
Fifth avenue, was still kept up, but
he seldom went there.
John ID. Rockefeller's life story
started at Richmond, Tioga Coun-
try, n. Y, where he was born on
July s, 1889. Frequently in his
advanced age he used to motor up
there and visit his boyhood haunts.
He was Of the fifth generation
in descent from Johann Peter
Rockefeller, who came with his
sons 10 America from near Coblenz
on tia Rhine in 1920 and settled
in New Jersey. The family was
originally French, named Roche
feuisle" or '(Rocqueville," mean
ing ''Rock.eaf," and they had liv-
ed for q long time in France,
whence they fled when the Hugue-
nots were being prosecuted in
1885.
DIR. RockfelIer's father, William
Avery Rockefeller. was a shrewd
farmer and doctor, who often
went away from home on long
trading trips. His mother was
Eliza Dawson, daughter Of John
Dawson, of Niles Township, near
Moravia. n. Y. She was noted for
her deep piety and her firm,
though gentle, rule Of her children.
They all had to work hard and
study hard, though they had plen-
y Of time for play, too. The fam
~ lived five years near Moravia
and later moved to Owego, n. Y,
where John and William, a broth.
er, attended for two years the IA
nous old 0wego Academy.
Il had 4 peculiar training in my
home" Mr. Rockefeller said. 81
cannot remember when hard work
was new or strange to me. We
we're taught TO work, to save, and
to give.
Ours seemed to be a business
training from the beginning. We
we're encouraged to be self-reliant.
| was taught to do as much bust
ness at the age OF 10 and IL as it
was possible for me to do. was
sent over, the hills to try to buy
eornw00d. and | did not require
the presence Of anyone to enable
me to obtain good masure of good
wood from the men who sold il.
Il was good training for me-"
John completed his first bust
hess transaction when he was 8
years old, on the farm near
Aoravia. A turkey hen had wan
dered away and hidden her nest.
The boys mother told him he
could have the brood OF little
turkeys if he could find them. He
found the nest, raised the turkeys
and sold them.
Early Saving Habit
After several frugal years he
accumulated $50, which he loaned
cut at percent. At the age of
IA h. dug potatoes for a neighbor
for three days Of 10 hours each
and received Slip for his labor.
This made him think. The pay
for three days of hot, back-break-
ing toll was less than a third OF
4 years interest on his $50. He
resolved to make more savings
work for him.
The family moved to Cleveland,
o.. in 1883. John spent a year