Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1913 — OIL MAN LONESOME [ARTICLE]

OIL MAN LONESOME

Frank Rockefeller Says Brother Is Afraid of Kidnapers. Declares Old Associates of John D. Fear Him—Remorseless Business Methods Responsible—Asserts William Is Now the Richest. Belvidere, Kan.—" That brother of mine, John D. Rockefeller, is the most lonesome man in all the world; there is no man who walks the earth that he can call his real friend,” says Frank Rockefeller of Belvidere, Cleveland and New York, according to a correspondent Rockefeller is spending some time at his big ranch near Belvidere, where he comes every winter for a few weeks’ vacation. He is a brother of John D. and William Rockefeller, and was, for twenty years, general field man for Standard OiL His 16,000 acre ranch in this county is called “Rockefeller’s mlllion-dollar plaything." ”l’d rather live on a 160-acre western homestead, with a homesteader's usual fare, than live like John D. does in his palaces. He’s living in a regular hell. He’s the most lonesome man on the face of the earth. He can call no man ‘friend,’" continued Frank Rockefeller. “John-D. has been relegated to the beckground by all the big business men with whom he once did business. None of them will have anything to do with him. They don’t like his way of doing business. Anyway, Brother William is worth 60 per cent more money than John D. is, but people don’t know it John D. hasn’t reinvested his money for many years and is practically out of the game. He has the income of his investments, but nothing more. William Invests and reinvests, and today is worth onehalf as much again as John p. “John D. is fearfully afraid of being kidnaped and held for ransom and he never stirs without his guards.” Frank Rockefeller is seventy years of age, as straight as an arrow, weighs 217 pounds and is an athlete. Regardless of his appearance while in New York or Cleveland, when in Kansas Mr. Rockefeller looks Just like an ordinary Kansas rancher. And he acts like one, too. Wall street and lower Broadway would never recognise this man. He purchased the ranch thirty-nine years ago and came out here soon after wards to take a look at his property. As he neared the sod house he passed under a big cottonwood tree. From its branches three men were swinging.

“Horse thieves!” laconically said his foreman. Then there followed 6uch a vigorous campaign against the rustlers and horse thieveß that the Rockefeller ranch was troubled no more for years. But gradually the rustlers returned and the Rockefeller herds began to suffer. On one of his periodical visits to the ranch Rockefeller was given proofs that a gang of “bad” men had gathered on an adjoining ranch and were cutting fences and running off cattle. In Ohio and New York Rockefeller’s reputation may be that of a peaceful man. But out in western Kansas he is known as a daredevil and as reckless as they make them. He mounted his horse and, unarmed, rode over to the rustlers’ ranch. There were fourteen men on the porch aB he rode up. The head of the gang was not to be seen. * “Where’s your boss?” demanded Rockefeller. The boss came out on the porch. Rockefeller shook his finger in the man’s face.. “I Just came over here,” he said in an ordinary tone of voice, “to tell you that you are a thief and that if my fences are again cut or a single head

of my cattle stolen I’m coming back over and kill you.” The rustler pulled his gun. “That’s all right,” said Rockefeller. “I am unarmed. But you’re a thief Just the same. You can shoot now or you can have one of your men shoot me in the back as I ride away. Or you can give me a rifle, take one yourself, get out here in the road and we will shoot this thing out right here.” The rustler refused and Rockefeller turned hiß back on the gang and calmly rode away. Not a gun was lifted to prevent his going. And no more of his cattle were stolen, either.