The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-20
Dealers Were Surprised that They
Were Not Aware OF tho
Quality.
the Continental Comrany's Agent
Has ~ 9ay.

VII OA0N0 "
child Of the Standard monopoly, was th,
only ono who did not look favoyabiy upo,
the criticism and array Of facts and figure
10 carefully presented. This Was expected
~ we're the insinuations Of IL men thu
The INDEPENDENT was paid for the produc-
tion Of the article.
The grocery dealers from whose stock O
oil samples were secureed and tested ex
pressed no little surprise that ,suoh an in
feriof quality Of oil was being furnished
Az foreshadowed In these columns yesteY
day they were not aware Of its inferior
grade, and expressed surprise that more 40
eidsnts and explosions have not occurred.
A peculiar incident Of the visit among tn
merchants whose names were given ysster
day was, that with the exception Of Bach
Cory q Co.. every house used the same
quality Of oil Tor at l6ast they thought they
did), and purchased II from the same
scurce-the Continental Oil company
which. has . monopoly on the oil business
and which alone sells oil IN bulk, Or tanks.
therefore al tie more peculiar. There
we're ok samples which registered 70 degrsel
f.. while ONT went ~ high a. ITO degrees.
This was T. X. Turner'S sample.
well, IT WAS 9 pretty good advertise
Went ZOE me- oal0 At. turner, u LII
~lHDEPEMDENT made = ton strike In bringing
this matter before the public. There il no
reason why the people should be imposed
upon, as they seem to be according to the
figures Of the analyst. Just how my oil
stood Q better trial than the others ] don't
know. II is probable, however. that some
Elaine oil got mixed with the tamil oil.
You see, sometimes we fnd = leaky can,
and to save the oil we pour it into our tank,
1t is . pretty good joke on Il. g. Wallace,
anyhow; his oil only went 90 degrees and
We buy II from the same SOURCE"
Mr.. John r. Watson, whose kerosene reg.
istered eiehty,three degrees. was found
back. "There is no doubt said Mr.. Wat
son to the reporter, that it is bad oil, and
this 10 the hrst 1 knew Of il. 1t is possible
that water sometimes gets into the tanks;
in fact whom oil becomes dirty or dusty
water is q good thing to clean it with. The
# the people are getting such oil, it is time
that the Legislature took some action and
kept such oil out Of the country. Why
eighty-three degrees! Just think Of it. It
gets up to ninety degrees here in the sum
mel and combustion should surely result.
that the inferior quality Of the oil was
shown up, but that the tests were mostly
from the same oil. Its surprising to me
how many people read the Monday morn
ing paper" said he. "Why l had hardly
got down town until people commenced to
the low test that mine made. People have
been in here every minute during the day.
Now we handle the tank oil and Elaine oil.
but sell about four gallons of the latter to
one Of that in bulk. The Elaine costs a
good deal more; We sell it for
IS cents for the other, but within
the past lev days the price has
been reduced to twenty cents. It's qoeer
that We have not had more explosions; but
it is probable that many of the small fires
OF last summer started from that cause.
thing in bringing this matter before the
public. It is nothing more than right that
they should Know what they are getting"
At this point Mr.. Wallace t~elephoned
down to the Continental %company's office
and caught Mr.. TinRling, the oompany's
agent, but he had nothing Whatever to say.
Its very amusing" continued Mr.. Wal
lace. that my oil should register so far be-
low the Others"
Mr.. Cunningham, of the Corner Gro
cery." ~ Sixth avenue and Main street,
said he also used the tank oil furnished by
the Continental company, I'VE have never
heard any complaint about it, but the peo-
pie from the country will not use it. They
want Elaine"
VIM. .Weinstein said: II was on the
train this morning and bought q paper.
When ! started in to read the article about
oil l was greatly pleased. At first I feared
it went to IS degrees, next to the highest.
Now. that is a great thing for The INDIE
PENDENT, and b best thing it ever did tor
the people Of Helena. There il no dopbt
that SOM very poor oil is being sold in Hell
ena. I'll bet can guess how Turner'S
went SO high. He must have mixed it with
EIaina kaav sn y oil Dutos5a %hn 1on1w 49,.
and in q place where water drops on the
tank, and II 10 Hkely'thst somt water falls
into it. We ought to have some law reou-
lating tho standard test Of OIL"
The A: r. Gates company heartily en-
dorsed the expose and said they are in for
mo honest Rroceryman,'' said the book
keeper ''can object TO it.. II the people are
being imposed upon 1t is the duty Of the
lawmakers to protect them. / was at first
inclined to think that it was an advertise
ment, but cannot see any reason nov for
pany give us a better quality of oil, ! say
make them do IT,"
One of the Boiler Bros, who retails oil
In a tank wagon. stated that they bought
their oil from the Continental Oil company
md it Is the same as sold in the grocery
stores.
The manager of Charles Lehman's gro
sery store, where the oil registered sixty
eight degrees, said hs also used the CONT
mental %company's tank oil. Mr.. L. 8.
Wells, of Bach, Cory 4 Co., said the man
who made those tests for The INDEPENDENT
was away of. "Wby," said he,
we don't handle any but can
oil. and every can Of 1t
is tested and sealed before IL leaves the
east. You fellows are mistaken and the
tests are not right. We handle about four
brands OF oil and the lowest il about 100
degrees at the flashing point. All the
oil is the same; IL comes from the same
company and they have too much of it, and
have too much Of . monopoly to make
cheap or explosive OIL"
Mr.. Wells would not think that chesp oil
could be put upon the people especially
when Il comes in fiye gallon cans.
Mr.. TinglinR, the Continental company's
aRent for Montana, attempted to throw
cold water On the whole proposition. lie
insisted that the tank oil was all Of the
same grade. II comes from Colorado while
the other IN cans comes from Pennsylvania.
He also denied that naptha was used in
making the oil. saying that il would not pay
to ship IL ont here. 'But we don't obiect
TO tho Legislature passing q law on the sub
ject." said he; ''les them pass q law and then /
see that 10 ia enforced. T~raphaRen re-
csntly made some tests in Deer Lodge and
the result in a paper there. /