Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-10-24
The Phillips Brothers Remark
able Career.

A history of the oil development with
the Phillips Brothers omitted would be
worse than the play of Hamlet, with Ham
! let left out They had been identified with
the oil country since Petroleum Centre and
| Pithole were in their glory, and 'things on
the creek were boomin', +" as an old-timer
expressed it the other day. The Phillips
Brothers were residents Of Lawrence
county. Issac n, John, Thomas W, and
Charles were four brothers who left New
Castle early in the sixties and commenced
operations on the creek. Isaac Phillips,
who was the eldest, had been Prothono-
tary of Lawrence county, and at the time
of the first excitement was in the ware
house business in New Castle with his
brothers. They were all religiously in
clined. and Johr and T. W. preached fire.
auently in the Disciple churches in New
Castle and vicinity until few years ago
They were very successful at Petroleum
Centre, and when the excitement on the
'creek" had subsided they returned and
built magnificent Disciple church on the
Diamond at New Castle. The attractions
of the oil country were too great for them
to remain idle, and they commenced wild
eating on an extensive scale in Butler
county. Fickle fortune had deserted
them, however, and in 1872 or 1878 they
failed, owing between 100000 and $780,
coo. The largest amount of their paper
held by a single firm or individual was
1000. This was in the hands of Phila-
delphia parties. and it was this claim that
preeipitated their failure. Their failure
caused depression throughout the entire
oil country The feeling in Butler county
was exceedingly bitter against them. and
threats against the lives of any one of the
brothers who dared to enter the county
were made openly. The Phillips Brothers
at this critical period proved themselves
men Of more than ordinarily determined
character, and developed the qualities
which have enabled them topay all of their
immense debt and amass a fortune besides.
They had been together in prosperity, and
the union was cemented only more firmly
in adversely. The homes, the jewelry and
silverware, and even the furniture which
they had accumulated when fortune smiled
upon them, were sacrificed. They lived
more economically than they had ever
done even before petroleum was discov-
cred. Their wives gave up all their prop
erty and valuables which had been be-
slowed upon them during the palmy days,
and, throwing everything together in a
common fund, they went to work with
determination to retrieve their fortunes.
It was not as Phillips Brothers, but as Il.
J. Agnew, agent for the wives of the Phil
lips Brothers. They commenced wild
eating again, and in '76 they had opened
up the Bullion field. The tide had com
menced to turn. They wereagain on the
road to fortune, but it was all up hill work.
-Four hundred thousand dollars of a debt
was constantly staring them in the face.
The new field. however, was prolific.
When Bullion died out they had new
field to bring in, and gradually the debt
was reduced. Agnew died few years az
ter he became their agent, and David 0s-
borne, also Of New Castle, was appointed
in his place. Early in the eighties, Isaac
Phillips, who, with 7. W, had always
been the active member and leader in the
firm of Phillips Brothers, died, and II. W.
was compelled to shoulder the whole Bur-
den. Less than two years ago the last dol
lar of the firm had been paid off, and T.
W. Philips took charge of all their pro-
ducing interests. A producer who had
been associated with them since 1865 said
yesterday: "a more honorable, upright,
honest and conscientious set of men than
the Phillips Brothers never looked at an
oil derrick. From one end of the oil re-
gion to the other do not believe q man
can be found who wi speak an ill word
of them. Their sterling qualities are
known to few outside of the business.
Most men would never have tried to lift
such load Of debt as overwhelmed them.
Not so with the Phillips Brothers They
pinched and starved and scraped until dol
lar for dollar has been paid. Less than IS
months ago Thomas W. Phillips walked
into an Office in Pittsburg and paid note
for 50, 1000, which was over twenty years
old. He said it was about the last thing
held against him, and he wanted the rec
ords cleared John Phillips is now living
at New Castle, and Charles is at Los An
geles, Cal. Both have still a small inter
est with T. W Phillips, but to him alone
belongs all the credit which can be given
to a man who has accomplished what he