Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-27
Very Neatly illustrated in a Little
Story Related by an Old
Oil Producer.
FAITH IN TIE INDEPENDENT MOVE.
wildwood Shows Symptoms of Slight
Falling Off During the
Past Few Days.
FEATURES OF THE EXCHANGE TRADE.
ESWs of General Interest From Many Of the NsighbOr.
ing Fields.

s. P. BOYER a large producer and IL
Guential citizen of TitusvIlle, was seen BY
The DISPATCH scout at the Hotel Boyer
last night In discussing the situation OF
the independent producers and refners he
said: "The present attitude of the Standard
toward the outside trade is the same policy
which has characterized that soulless monop-
oily from its first inception. The producers
and independent refiners of the middle and
northern fields heartily irdorse any indie
pendent movement that will loosen the coils
of the octopus, restore their liberty,
that thev may once more exercise
the freedom of their inalienable rights.
What grand and fourishing country this
would have been had not the oil trade-one
OF the greatest industries the world ever
knew-iallen into the power of monster
monopoly. The time has come when the
producers must do something, and am con-
fdent that the present movement Will result
in the most formidable independent organi-
Eation in the history of the business. Ii we had
independent pipe lines and refneries in every
section of the producing fields everybody would
be benefii ed and every branch of trade, di-
rectly or indirectly connected with the indus
try. would feel the salutary effect.
Building pipe lines and refneries is our only
deliverance, and by united efforts we will be
able to get all there is in it, from the sand rock
to the consumer.
HELP TO THE INDEPENDENTS.
THE recent decision of the Interstate Com
merce Commission was ten-strike for the re-
hners and shippers, and 1t seems to me that
everything just now conspires to the advantage
al, will
slow to avail ourselves of the opportunity. If
the present equitable rates of shipment over
railroads had been in force 10 years ago, the
refneries of Pitrsburg and along Oil creek that
were then running would not have been forced
TO sell out or quit business on account OF the
rebates given the Standard 1t was the Stand
ard Oil Company that ruined the refining inter
% ests Of PIttsbuTg which from IT'S nat at,
TO the greatest producing field on record
to-day should have been the leading city in the
worla in refining oil. 1t is not yet too late for
the producers OF the southwest to concentrate
their strength and make Pittsburg the head
quarters. Here is the place to refine their pro-
duct.
Il will give you some idea of how we pro-
ducers have had to fight the Standard, and the
tricks they resort TO in order TO accomplish
their ends, and I have not the least
doubt but in the present independent
movement they will try the same tricks.
I'm the year 1871 a number of producers at
Bradford associated themselves with LON bards
reiners, of New York, TO pipe and ship oil to
New ork. Producers built a pipe line called
the Equitable in the Bradford field. When they
undertook TO arrange to ship oil by rail over the
Pennsylvania or New Y ork and Erie we could
make no Just freight arrangements that would
make it possible TO do so. nor would they agree
- furnish cars, of which they had plenty, which
forced our company to tnd some other outlet.
50 we made freight arrangements with the
Buffalo, Philadelphia and New York
Railroad TO ship to Buffalo, and in
order TO get to New York with our oil, the New
s1sar,+N rio
canal boats into compartments to ship in bulk
over the canal. After all these arrangements
were made and freight rates satisfactorily
fixed with the road TO Buffalo, the Equitable
Pipe Company proceeded and carried their oil
10 point called Erisby.
MEAN TRICK.
Cars were ordered in by our company to be
loaded with oil but in the night, before the
cars were placed to the loading rack, The frog
leading into the switch was removed by
someone unknown to us. 1t would be fair TO
presume the railroad ordered the removal of
the frog which caused great loss of oil to us
by tanks overtiOwing. Our only resort was to
enter suit against the railroad company, which
called out the directors to a meeting, and they
made new freight rates which were so exorbi-
Jant that the officials Of the railroad or better
say, the Standard Oil Company. thought we
could not ship successfully. But we did
during the summer of 1873 ship the oil
in bulk to New York over the New
York and Erie Canal Notwithstanding this
rate Of freight by rail to Buffalo and by canal
TO New York. and many other obstacles the
Standard Oil Company put in our way of lay
ing pipes and piping oil in the field, we did a
good, profitable business during the summer of
lS7&
.'When winter set in and tn canal was closed
our piping and shipping business came to an
end, and so did that of our indepe1 dent re-
fneTs, with the exception of whist oil they
could purchase from the Standard Oil Com
pany, and that was very little and
wouldn't give them very much profit
The Standard were determined that
the independent refiners should do
no business. The next thing in order to have
an outlet we secured the right of way to " ILL
Transport. and had the line laid which is now
the Tldewater. Every effort put forth by
the Standard folks to prevent the laying of
that pipe (uhcre was no free pipe bill at that
Jine); nevertheless the work was accomplished,
but tnc II .-ht was continued against the Tide
water Company by the Standard, until finding
they could not crush this new enterprise, they
made amicable arrangements at last. and to
this day the 1Idewater Pipe Company is run
ming successfully