South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1889-07-19
TRUSTS & MONOPCLIES.
The G;eat Standard Oh Trust.
BY non. WM. T.. WILSON.

Few volumes imagine, would be mnre
inteIestlne than one which would trace viii,
accurate knowleiRea full history Of Toe sue.
cessiVe stages of development by which 4
partnership of oil refuers ia the city Of
cleveland, Ohio, grew into the great COM
n'oetion whose name heads This srtic,e
Much has been written about II. both bv
way OF nccu alton and defence. Mr. J r
nGuson; in his book, The RAILWAYS and The
hepueNc,' adapting q ,i;!e from Victor Hu.
go harraies portion Of its story as the
h'stofy OF Commercial Crime O,hers
nave iecited 'he same story as iheY would
Tell OF sonie great scheme o. universal be
neVolence. Certain il ia that no ons who
mas not bad fell and coufieuiiil kboyI.
eoRe OF ITS progress from tie BEGINNING. and
Oh 'ha' large part of is history Of which no
r'S9r1 vas ever made, will tie abe 10 TN
ioid the wonderful story IA we should ELe
to hear il told Fortuns,ely our rrcss,,
Undertaking requires nnthing more Than a
sum iSa'y OF 80 much the pas, his,orz "a
WIZ enable US 10 understand clearly .h.
present combination. The large ,olpma of
testimony taken by tie House corrnit.eo
contains the testimony of at lest two oe i,s
,onnders, but the purpose OF The inyes,is,a.
uon ala not require niul,e inquiry IN "a
any uat'era beyond the structure of Ia. ex
lsung trust and the railroad discrimin,.
iion from which il is believed 10 hars
drawn i;s greatness.
Upon the latter branch Of The inuuiry
oeiieve this testimony will prove of speoial
Abu permanent yaiueJ or Ihe committee
recognizing the necessity OF expert knowl-
cage Ia elci,ing the facts, employed coupsel
~ the person Of Nr. Gowen. ex o esident ~
NE Heading Railroad Compauy, n gentle.
man Particularly familiar with the general
ueid OF inquiry, and lawyer not often e.
quaIied in his ability to handle Witnesses.
HISTORY or THE STANDARD OIL TAusF.
Prior to ls7J there wac firm Of oil rssn
ers IN the city OF Cleveland, Ohio doing
business under the partnership name OF
t'ocaaieIler, Andrews 4 Flagler They
were MOI producers OF oil. but received their
GRACE oil from the Pc nnsy!van ia held5 Til,
capacity of their refinery Yves six hundred
barrels pes day
In 1870 they became Incorporated uador
tie laws Of Ohio rs The standard Oil Com.
pany,' ui,b capitul OF one million dollars
ana refining capacity Of over thousand
Oarrels per day; that is TO say, capacity
TOT doing about pe-tenih OF ali the oil ref.
n'ng OF he country at that time. There
were many other refining firms aid Gonna
aie5 IN existence, come Of which had eqn,I
plant equipment and capacity.
The location Of the STANDARD at Gle re-.
lacG was not an advantageous one. TIE
numerous reGne;fes nesrer The oil fields and
The scaboard held superior positions and ca
j1yed cheaper ira sportsiion facilities
Those ct Pittsburg, for iost4n,e. received
their crude oil by barges on the Allegheny
RIVER aud bad much shorter rou;e L. the
stabOard FIR their refne1 product thea. &c
now, the great bulk OF cur refined oil be.
ing cent 20 foreign markets. The caffie,s
for the STANDARD. ard doubtless fJs tha otr.
er Tefneiies at Cleveland. we're the rail-
Toads-the Erie and New York Cen,sai
with their connecting lines
The Eastern fefiueries were conscious of
their advantage 10 position, aol PAID little
iced TO The Ohio company, which, however,
seems very early 10 have conceived su am
billion for controlling The refining business
Of The country, and its means o. conq,.as,
we're, vo may believe, suggested n IL l,y ia
very inferiori'y IN location. snd, ~ so often
hnppene, out OF It's difficulties grew its
RTeatness.
Its FIRST Increment was to acquire SRI con-
solidsle with itscf TIE other refasriss i1 H.
OVID city, whose willingness 10 merge fs.o
u vas probably quickenet by ths confd RAJ
tons above stated ~ any rate, before
1872 the STANDARD on Company possessed
ell the refneric3 ia Ulc~eianf hsviny "A Ct.
cd their acquisition By The i7eae OF an ad.
ditionsl million aud bsif o. stock
in Januarg, 1872, q great uproar pss
suddenly raised among III, producer, ADD
reduers IN Pcunoyvs1n By toe discover
that y certain Southern improvement Com.
paDy had communicated secret contract
" ith the Pennsylvania RaiiroaS C5mpsng.
TO which also the Brie aud Nsx York Ger
trai had become pariies Dy wbicl it gas 10
have oil shipped AZ rates ranging from 80
cents % Sl33 per bar-ell cheaper than nry
other shipper who did not ship an eala -
mount and p0ssess and use works mears
and iacillties Tor carrying on and prou3t.
iug lhe petroleum trade equal % itself.
THE 'srRANGE 1STRUDER'
Bot who was this strange iatrutsr whose
hTst entrance into the oil business portend.
ed ruin and disaster 20 ell others7 The
Sou'hern Improvement COMPANY had ooe
or the SPECIAL charters which To those dsys
were freoueuily obtained from toe Pennsyi
vania legislature, not for use. but Tor sale
This charter bad remained uuused Tor sever
oil years unul TIE managers OF the standari
Oh Company acquired q snd orgenized un.
der " for The purpose above fecijed 10
{ Their words The Southern Improvement
Comply OF Pennsylvania was really tho
STANDARD Oil Company Of Ohio, aud AZ tb4t