The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-23

tn capital of that company had recrntly boon
soquently admitted that II had t-ueht Mr.. Van
I"rtilts Interest. the rumor seems g. have been
correct. Al all events THE suspicion and indi-
cailone that were convincing lugA that the
Erie was extending tay1r- 70 the Standard
thoroughly frightened all outside refining III
tcr"sts. The renncrs visited the railway Vthees
and kcd ior similar iayors, but were refused.
Thev struggled against fate but only saw their
business growing day hy day less and even
that done al ioss. Nothing hut absolute ruin
seemed az, ad.
At the Head OF the Renaine Iatsre.t.
Then it was that Mr. Rockefeller camc down
upon the great refining interests With sudden
hnl bold movement. and swept them all into
the standard. The thing was done 50 quickly
that almost before the trade could realize IT,
NJ. ho 'keiellsr was az the head Of the refining
business q tho country Some Of the stronger
men Joined him without word. others made q
temporary Aght but soon yielded. The smaller
rehners we're disposed 10 fight when they were
tod they must sell out at price they cunsid-
cred far less than their business was worth or
he forced out Buttheir threats made no differ
ence whatever. They could not stand a month
against the new combination. and 50 one by
one went under AMI the standard was leit
practically alone in the field Then the pro-
ducerr began 10 realizs the situation.
The first time the Producers got their eyes
fairly open after their victory ia ls72 wac in 1874
when II wac announced that the great house u
Charles Pratt & Co. Of New York had. entered
into an arrangement with the Standard. They
could not believe the report at FIRST. IL frenzied
the operators At the OH Exchange in OIL CITY
when the rumor hrst spread. and madr a SEN
saiion almost equal 10 the exposure of the old
| South Improvement contracts. This because
| Pratt was iavoraby known ne the master Il
! large trade connections and hal hccn an i'm
mense buyer OF oil. He was the King II the oil
| refining business in the East and was a man u
wide business experience before Rockefeller
! had got through keeping books. The possihil-
! ity - the standard ever getting am hold on
prSduccrs after 1872. But there came 10 be- no
! doubt about the truth Of the rumor Pratt be-
able as his business was when he controlled il
| exclusively. he Is known 10 have immensely in
creased bis wealth since joining the Cleveland
II was a heavy blow to the producers. They
! had felt comparatively safe 50 long ~ Charles
1 g. Then followed in rapid succession an
| nounccments that DeVoe X Co. ~ New York,
the Acme Refining CO. OF Tiiusyille. and
| Oil City had gone over. either 10y partial or
clean sale. to the standard, Then on tor % all
exchanges In the way q report that the great
refining Interests q, ParkeTsbprga West Va.
managed by J. v Camden. u man oi unusual
business capacity and OF great influence with
President Garrett oi the Baltimore and ohio
Road. carrier that had not hiihert3 been IN
volyed In any Of their contests Then there
were thirty rennerics 10 Erie. The standard
atsoroed them all and to-day refining is athing
~ the pact Ia tlat city. Pittsburgh. the naiura.
refining centre. because in close water and rail
communication with tho oil uclds. had once
| more than forty rvnuerIes but they went down
like q row Of nine piu-. one after another. \
few oi them were allowed run under standard
management
The only renner who made any sort of aehi
| In Baltimore was a widow who iglcd o. carry on
| the business for the SAKE u her children after
her husbands death. She made money AZ ilrst
but lost everything whom the standard a'hed
out 20 Baltimore and her story is one 81 the
saddest Of the incidents that are told of the -
ottAis MONOPOLY. Pni.ad,lphia rstn"rs yielded
| almost without a >tru uggle; ana OF ia" many re-
spou-lblc houses IA New ork oute in IA" lusi
| ness, only those represented 10y Ohlcn-whp d,
now making plucGy hghi-remain a. separ'
$ in the oil regions there were perhsIs hit,
rehuerie- before ls7i. or hose, to-day. Al
that one may see Oi many Of them are rusty
broken-down stills. decayel lumber, and weed.
growing up around them. The standard bough
get them out ~ the way. Even the single con
| cern. the Pioneer, which Cleveland people has
pointed 10 rs being the only refinery that La,
crctly controlled. - 10 j. now said "a good Va
ihor.ty. by l.o,ksieller ana guaranteed by tA'
standard u handsome prpbl
Ten Millions In Four Months.
Excitement was allayed about this time by
-purt in the trade owing 20 tie fact tha
petroleum con-umpt.on suddenly shot AVA
ahead % production. It sent prices kiting
and Ia, pr9lucers were benefited. But after
was a.! over they f-urel out how the standard
through .i- control 20; the relneries had teape'
by the spurt ia about four mouths e.eal
pr1a, % ten million dollars.
How soon after the south Improvement lgl
the Standard began again . le ..iNc rebates u
one outside kuows but producers believe tha
the company had an arrangement with some u
the roads within few weeks after the Ky sur
ofls72. There can b" had ~ positive proc. TIA
, such rebates are given. uules. the >tanda.
, people aud the railroad ofi eas are puton oat
- B.
: in ls12. President i ckeieller II he male an
contra Is az all. did not make them In -uH
. form that they could ever be- made uoile. Bu
| that the relates have been given him uy NOR
than one railroad the producer are as posltiy
~ though they had the actual proofs. Oiher
| wise they claim. aud with apparent reason. IN
Standard Company must have been selling ol
AZ a dead loss for six years past. with the ek eI
| zion of tie brief period above alluded 10.
: But having no opportunity u get these proof
| In any other manner they have secured u
! bringing q the pending suits n the suptem
> put On oatn such Of the oflrers Of the Siancar
r Company as they ecnan TT~ach ~ Pcnnsiy lyanl' ynl'
: | Company and ask them wh,ther -uch relate
, ! have bsen given ami received. This j. tie I'm
: ono faet seems 10 be certain. Mr.. Amas
Stone. then a director % the Lake shore Rail
. road and very influential IN ~ maneeemen
WIS a large stockholder in the standard Mhe
= he suddenly sold out his stock 10 that cOmpan
, there was curious inquiry. and the produ 'er
J say and their statement II cOrroborated D.
4 Cleveland that Mr.. Stone was urged by Pres
j dent Rockeieller 10 use his influence IN III
. Lake Shore 70 secure for the Standard large r.
y bates on that road. He refused. and Mr. Rock
y eieller making Il unpleasant for him 10 r.
y main he withdrew from the standard,
At the meeting with GOV, HnrilHnu which le
Y to these suits the producers committee mad
y oath 20 their boli-f that after the standard ha
. g0t control Of the refining interest. backed b
- the New York railroads IL one u whlch ~ ma
> exercised unlimited authority the Erie. i f.
y strong enough 70 demand the railroads that
/, should be given in future N" sole conduct
u The trade under the South Improvement plan
= | The PRODUCERS. moreover. charge that the grel
: railroad war OF l-74 was melted 10y the StanC
J ard They say that II they have the chanr
d they can prove that, when the war was at u
:, hottest the standard stepped In and propose
q that il should receive a rebate on every barrel
u oil shipped that open rates should be advance
j. and In return. that the Standard would equa
:: | iZe its carrying traffic among the railway
u The war caassd. Was the proposition accepted
Producers claim that they can prove that
was The open rate to-day averages 40 cen
per barrel. but the producers insist that iro
y | this there Is IA rebate OF sixty cents exclusive
> to the Standard. and not only on their own. b
on ere7y other shippers oil. How. they argu
can there b. any outside inyes,m mt in refninl
pi II this Discrimination 10 ma utained. why
10 not tho Standard always 10 DO tie master
IA | the interest