The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-01-07
Gke GntelIiQguGer
Mr. camaen aud bod on Aopoy0Iy.

general way, oil the valuable assistance
which Mr.. Camden has rendered our
State "iu the opening Of mines etc" but
does not enter into particulars. We beg
your readers indulgence while We state a
few facts shout Mr, Camden's business
transactions with those who make mining
Tor oil an occupation. He states in his
published letter that his object was to
build up the oil business OF West Virginia,
Vie will prove that his object wal TO put
1t down Tor the benefit VI himself aud
other members Of the Standard Company.
So eager was the Camden Company to
tasten the Standard monopoly upon the
people that in purchasing the refinery oil
Kraft & Thomas, it made q contract go
clearly against public policy that it could
not be enforced.
In the fall OF 1877, having gotten rid Of
all the competitors but two or three stub
born ones, who we're engaged in the man
uiECture OF lubricating oils, a plan was
conceived for forcing these obstinate men
to come to terms; this plan, was, to per.
suade the West Virginia producers 10
make a contract agreeing to cell their oil
othe Camden Company exclusively, bind
ing themselves 10 cell TO no one else. MIR.
Camden, ailer consultation with the Stand
ard Company, prepared a very in
g%enious contract whereby the Cam
den Company agreed 10 pay tor
crude oil at ParkersbuTg six cents
per gallon, when refined was worth twelve
cents per gallUnj this would give them
about tll'y cents per barrel profit, an ex
Gel ent business margin; then, for every
cent per gallon advance on refined they
were to pay one'half cent per gallon ad'
vance ON crude; for instance, II refined
should advance to eighteen cents, crude
would be worth nine cents, and the profit
would be about 81 90 per barrel. No pro
vision was made for prices below twelve
cents for refined, ashley Rssuredthe produ.
Gers that the Standard Company would
he able to prevent 1t going below that
figure. Now there happened to be among
The producers a Shrewd gentleman who IL
in the habit Of looking two ways at once,
and he said to MIR, Camden that 1t was
barely possible that the Standard Com
pany might not be able to keep the price
Up to twelve cent?, 30 he proposed TO i'll.
corporate O ClaVse by which the Camden
Company should Pgree to 90 down on the
same scale, which they had declared to BIZ
An equitable one to 90 up on this Mr,
Dpmden could not refuse to do, so he
somewhat reluctantly consented, and the
contract thus modified was finally signed
by the Camden OOmpanyA and the majority
Of the producers. There were, however,
some obstinate producers who persisted
in selliDR to the obstinate ~reiners. In
order to squeeze these into the arrange
ment, o conspiracy was formed between
the Camden Company and the West Viz.
GINA Transportation Company by which
the Transportation Company undertook to
charge extOIti0nate rates on all oil not
sold TO .ho Camden Company, AZ will ap.
pear from the tOllnsing freight notice:
"The West Vitgibis transportation
Company apnounceS the following sched.
uIe Of ra'ea from ap4 sItsr this 24.h day
Of June, 1878, until further notiGel
ITO Para ert burg by pipe line
"On oil lighter than so. 73G. per Dbl. oil
10 gallons.
gallOns.
"0n oil 80 8 1O' to S2s', 7yc, per Dbl, OF
40 gallons
ION oil 3Ol0Iand heavier, SOC. per Dbl. oil
40 gallons.
ITO the B 4 O. r. R.
"0n all grades, 500. per Dbl. OF 40 gallons
"Commisslons on the above rates will be
given on application to the Secretary, tn
parties guaranteeing certain average daily
shipments to one consignee.
[Slgued] IN. q. CuURcu,
"EeCTetary.
The distance 10 the Baltimore ard Ohio
Railroad for which 60 cents per barrel was
charged wGs four miles, the freight on the
BAltiOmre and Ohio to PafkersbuTg MAS
% cents, total charge for transportation %
cents per barrel. The rally average ship.
menta necessary 10 obtain the rebate oil
about 80 per cent, here innocently called
Commissions" were so large that no n
except the Camden Company could obtain
them. The ingenious arrangement Of
which the foregoing notice IL merely Of
fered as a sample, worked like a Charm
and brought the Eureka Oil Works and the
Windsor Tub Works, Of Palkersburg,
and the Cincinnati firm Of Gunnison,
Hamilton 4 Miller, into the s%tandSrd'g
fold. In the meantime the producers,
under the assurance that crude would not
90 below Q cents In Pdrkersburg, had com.
menCed drilling a large number OF wells to
increafe their production, but, ut 10 the
impossible that always happens" and the
fall for. which our shrewd gentleman had
wisely made provision, actually OC
Cured. Some necessity compelled
the Standard Company to drop the
price Of refined 10 eight cents and the hli.
ding scale which Mr.. Camden had pre-
pared became u enare for his own feet. II
the sliding scale had been truly equitable
IL would have made no difference whether
refined rose or fell, the reGner would
have had bis profit; but Mr., 0amden's
equity, when turned against himself, de
v0urGd the profits 20 rapidly that, with
the Standard Company at bis back, he was
compelled TO brand with his own hand
upon his business record the ugly word,
repudiatOr; for, after having brought the
obstinate %telnorS 10 terms by means OF
the contract he squately repndisiea the
whole thing, for no other reason than this,
that liz could not afford 10 pay the prices
which he had agreed TO pay. The prtdu.
Gers being at his mercy, were compelled to
take fifteen cents per barrel less than
Penney lvania certificate prices, and lnstesd
Of getting the six cents per gallon assured
them when the contract was made, only
realized one and II half cents at the wells.
At this point Mr.. Sweetser, who alone
hsd maintained his independence, and
Messts KRAFT and Thomas, who we're not
leg lly bound BY their unlawful cuutrrct,
commenced bidding against tho Camden
Company for the West Virginia oils. III
order to check this nOg competition and
ruin any ons who thould attempt to tG.
viye the refining business IL PArkRfsbntR,
MIR. Camden voluntarily pdytd higher priX
for the oil than liz was compelled to pay
BY the contract which he had repudiaied,
and thus he is compelled 10 admit either
that hr did not toll the truth, or that be
can Afford to lose money for the sake Of
breaking down honest Competiiion, but