John Davison Rockefeller.
The owner of what is believed to be the largest individual income in the world began his business life as a poorly paid clerk in a small provincial firm. John Davison Rockefeller was born at Richford, New York, on July 8th, 1839. He was educated in the local public schools. In 1853 his parents moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where, while still a boy, he obtained a position as clerk in a general commission house. When nineteen he went into business for himself by becoming a partner in the firm of Clark & Rockefeller, general commission merchants. Subsequently the firm admitted another partner, and under the title of Andrews, Clark & Co., engaged in the oil business. Its so doing, so it is said, was due to the sagacity of Mr. Rockefeller, who was one of the few men of the period who recognized the future and gigantic possibilities of the oil industry. Later changes were made in the organization of the firm, and in 1865, under the name of William Rockefeller & Co., it built the Standard Oil Works at Cleveland. In 1870 the works were consolidated with others and were then known as the Standard Oil Company. From time to time other oil interests were acquired, and in 1882 all were merged into the Standard Oil Trust. Ten years later, however, the trust was dissolved, and from that time to the present the various companies of which it was composed are operated separately, with Mr. Rockefeller at the head of the business as a whole.