Page:Famous Living Americans, with Portraits.djvu/432

 JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER 409 clever at his favorite exercise — you will notice, if you are at all observing, that this same element of painstaking care fea- tures his every movement at play. Incidentally he probably will give you some very good advice, cryptically, but with a whimsical humor running through it all. During his summer vacations at Forest Hill, Cleveland, one of his special delights is taking long automobile rides through the country. Usually he invites an old friend or two to ac- company him. He covers hundreds of miles a season in this manner and greatly enjoys traveling incognito, as it enables him to get nearer to the thought of the people. He will stop at a farm house, engage the farmer and his wife in a discussion of farm life and conditions, crops and livestock, trees and flowers, partake of their hospitidity seldom farther than a cool, sweet glass of milk, and departing leave them wide-eyed with the knowledge that they have entertained the modem Croesus unawares. Several of his boyhood schoolmates still live in Strongsville and he never fails to visit them. On the day, several years ago, that the federal circuit court was reviewing the case in which the Standard Oil Company was fined $29,000,000, and was expected to hand down its decision that afternoon, Mr. Rockefeller spent the day with TlVilliam Humiston, a lank, grizzled farmer cousin whose farm lies a few miles southeast of Cleveland. He talked of nothing but farming and garden- ing and early day conditions during the visit. Lunch was in- vitingly spread by the Humiston daughters under the trees in the farmhouse yard and Mr. Rockefeller ate sparingly, drank copiously of spring water after the meal, and lectured Cousin William seriously upon the evils of overeating. For Cousin William had a true farmer *s appetite. Occasionally he gives an informal house-party at Forest Hill and invites fellowmembers of his church and acquaintances of years* standing. Sometimes he joins in the festivities of a lawn picnic given by some one of these and seems thoroughly to enjoy it. On a few rare occasions he has attended meet- ings of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce and met the busi- ness men of the city. Always he studiously avoids business