Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-05-09
"STANDARD OIL

b4 1A1NOxxHO VxA9
Ihel Works of the Mammoth Kerosene
Factory at Cleveland.-An Institution
Whose Gigantic Operations are Conduct
ed without Publicity.-What . Gentle
man Says Who was Allowed 20 Visit
the Establishment.
cleveland Correspondent Chicago Tribune.]
Most businesses thrive by advertising; the
Standard Oil Company never. Most businesses
desire notoriety; the Standard has gained it
and
DOES NOT LIKE IT.
Most corporations and manufacturing es-
tablishments pay largely for magazine and
newspaper articles, illustrating their wonder
full capacity for the work in hand. The Stand
ard takes every precaution to prevent this.
It gaurds the secret of it's craft as the miser
does the boarded treasure OF his strong box.
It takes pride in the magnitude of its works;
but it is silent pride, and gloated over as the
ducats of monopoly are counted and the enor.
NOUS dividends are awarded from month to
month.
Samuel Andrews, the day laborer of fifteen
years ago, has retired from the corporation at
the age of 40, and is just completing pala-
tial residence on Euclid avenue, which eclipses
any of the baronial castles of medieval times;
and has the delectable prospect before him of
clipping the coupons from government bonds
for livelihood for the remainder Of his nat
ural days. 1t is estimated that it will cost at
least $500 week to run his new establish
ment. The prophecy has been made over and
over again, that the great corporations would
some day collapse; and there are those who
think that Mr.. Andrews at times shared these
fears, and, being already possessed Of millions,
and having favorable opportunity to retire,
he chose to do so. The acquisition of his
wealth-so rapid, SO easy, so enormous-must
seem to him like the dreams induced by orien-
tai narcotics or the vaporous visions Of an
Aladdin's lamp.
But the Standard will not collapse so long
as its Alexander the Great-its Cromwell-re-
mains at its head.
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER
has built it up, has fostered every part of it's
growth, understands its workings in every
particular, and, from what he has done and
can do, it is safe to conclude that nothing can
check materially the on-sweeping, all-grasp-
ing power of the corporation. Should he be
removed by death or otherwise, and the COM
mand transferred to his generals or to any
successor, it would in all probability not long
continue. Mr.. Rockefeller is the life of the
whole institution. He looks after the minut-
est details. He has his index finger ever on its
pulse Be it by day or by night; be it q
question of the rise or fall, to the minutest
part of cent, in the price of the crude
orsnanufactured product; be it a question of
purchase or sale-he is consulted, and gives
his vigorous and instant decision. When he
is in doubt, he says nothing. A telegraph
instrument in the room adjoining his sleep
ing apartments is manned day and night,
so that he can be instantaneosly reached
in case of emergency. When in this city,
he is mostly at his residence on Euclid
avenue. He occasionally goes to the general
office, and occasionally to the works on
Broadway. But he keeps very close as q
general thing, and of late spends good dead
of time in New York. Twas told by gen.
tleman who has lived within block and o
half of him here for two years past that
he really had curiosity to do so. He
is said to be a quite constant attendant
at the First Baptist church, however, when in
the city; and possibly the gentleman's curios-
ity might be gratifed by purchasing a pew in
that church, and getting on the good side Of
the sexton. That Mr.. Rockefeller is one Of
the greatest men at present in the business
world, those who have had anything to do
with him are anxious to admit. He has had
a more even and reputable career than Jay
Gould and is probably next to him In
CITY.
The younger Vanderbilt does not compare
with him. The ambition of his life is said to
be to devote large portion of his fortune.
when he gets time to consider the matter, to
some great charitable institution connected
with the Baptist church He will probably
build and endow college sometime, and
connect with it a large theological school.
Il To-
who had just passed through a large portion
of the Standard Works. BE is a friend of the
superintendent, and was invited to take in the
show. His descriptions were interesting,
though, of course, not scientific. He spoke
in substance as follows:
"Since the completion of the great pipeline
which connects the works here in Cleveland
directly with the oil-reglons of Pennsylvania,
and the arrangements for labor and time saw.
ing here at the works, the last steps would
seem to have been completed towards the cheap
production of kerosene. 1have been in my
establishment in my time, but never saw any
thing conducted on
so GRAND A SCALE AS HERE.
They are now absolutely independent of the
railroads. The pumps at the works take the
oil from their own tanks in the oil regions,
and deposit it in the tanks here. The cost of
transportation is only the minutest part OF a
cent per gallon, and the number of Iaen en-
ployed is at the minimum. The employees are
largely Bohemians. The company has found
that these are the best, everything considered.
They work cheaply and are reasonably faith
full. They made arrangements some years
ago for the importation of a very large colony
Of them, and they took the places of their old
employees as fast as they could learn the bust
ness. never saw SO much work done with
SO few men. They manufacture now about
$500 barrels per day. These are
taken from the rough timber, and,
by means of machinery that an un-
skilled man, or boy, can soon learn to attend,
the best of barrels are constructed. They glue
all of them on the inside. This takes large
quantities of glue, and this is manufact ured
by the company ITSELF"
eDo they make their own paint?"
81 cannot answer that question. l saw no
indications of it, and rather think they do not.
After the barrels have been finished by being
passed through the various machines, and
from one to another down long line, they
are placed on an endless chain, and run over
an inclined plane to-. the paint-shop. Here
they are kept moving from one to another
along through the various processes until fin
ished."
"Did you see
THE WORK OF REFINING?'
"Oh! 1 saw it in general way; but, not
being an expert, could say little about it.