The advocate., 1892-02-24
SOMETHING ABOUT THE STANDARD OIL
COMPANY.
No the EDITOR Of THR ADvooATBI

We wlsh to congratulate you on your
expose Of the National Union Company.
When it's supporters compare It to the
Standard OIL Company it is time 70 In
vestiRate the workings Of the concern.
We know but very little about the Ma
tional Union Company; but we do know
BomsthIng about the Standard Oil Com
pany. While you were convsrsant and
familiar with the workings At the oil
wells, we lived at Cleveland, and know
something about the management OF the
greatest monopoly on the face OF the
globe. The originator Of the Standard
OH Company was j. D. Rockefeller. It
was organized about the year 1865, with
J. D. Rockefeller, Samuel Andrews,
M. B. Clark and James Clark, with very
small capital, not to exceed 5000. The
two Clarks withdrew in short time,
and the company was known 0O Rookie
Reller & Andrews. A year or two later
Mr.. Flagler was taken in, and 1t became
the Standard Oil Company. Mr.. Andrews
was the superintendent and manager OF
the works, while Mr.. Rockefeller was the
financier and general manager Of the
output. They commenced with q small
tank or boiler probably not over ten bar
rels capacity, but their profits were 30
large they were compelled TO enlarge
continually. They rented small patch
of ground on the side hill Of an old brick
yard. In a short time they bought the
whole brick yard, which contained forty
acres, and filed It full Of refining tanks.
In the meantime other establishments
were sprlnglng up and there were proba-
bly, twenty five reHnerles In Cleveland,
employing large force Of men. When
Mr.. Rockefeller conceived the idea Of
forming the Standard Oil Company, TAX
ing into his confidence such men as w.
Fl. Vanderbllt, the Paynes and other cap
italists, they bought out all the other re-
flneries In the country, and then monop-
ollzed the whole business, and would not
allow them to compete or to commence
in the refinery business. Some Of them
built rehneries and commenced but the
Standard froze them out by controlling
the railroads. / see that you are posted
In regard to the cost Of the crude oil at
the wells, and while the transportation IL
comparatively nothing, for they force 1t
through underground pipes TO the re-
fineries, the cost Of refining Is only .
fraction, and no waste 70 It whatever, all
the parts Of the principle being utilized
for some purpose. They undoubtedly
clear Ave hundred per cent. over all cost
Of manufacture. Now, II competition
was allowed, we should buy our oil az five
cents per gallon. Now we are paying 10
to 20 cents per gallon. All the parties
connected with the Standard OIL Com
pany are mlllionaires. ]. D. Rockefeller,
now worth 1876 million dollars, was poor
man 81 years ago, and commenced 70 earn
livelihood by clerklng In q commission
house on River street He was probably
q moral man and was noted for being q
Sunday school teacher. His general sp.
pearancs denotes the man that he Is
with hatchet face and no expression
and always ready to take advantage ol
the people. In closing ont all other re-
fneries there was q large number Of mer
thrown out Of employment and he theE
commenced to cut his mems wages dowI