Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1895-07-03

and desired, and soon it owned prac-
ucally all of the small proportion of
the visible supply remaining outside
of its tanks when Seep's announcement
was made. 1t had the supply cornered
There were men in the oil country
who suspected what was intended, but
the general public had no thought of
it. Therefore, three weeks ago, when
oil awoke from a lethargic sleep of
three years and prices on the Pittsburg
exchange began mounting skyward
there was surprise and interest from
one end of the country to the other.
Oil was sold at the highest prices
touched in years. The contagion of
speculation has spread with great ra-
pidity, but Notwithstanding that there
has not been as heavy a volume of
speculation as people at a distance
might suppose. There are said to be
fewer than 1000 pipe line certificates
outstanding. The Standard has ceased
issuing certificates. 1t is said to have
secured part of those outstanding in
a few days ago. 1t is after those re-
maining-the representatives OF. the
small quantity of oil yet remaining out
of the Standards possession, a guam
tity too small to cut a figure in the
general supply.
Though the methods of the Standard
have been in the direction of stamp
nO NJ IL
they have been changed. The market
has been pushed up, allowed to slump,
and advanced again in the same fash
ion that would be followed by the
manipulators of a corner in grain.
Yesterday the Standard sent out no.
tices of an advance of cents a gallon
on naptha and 21a cents on gasoline.
| That means the prices to jobbers are
111a and II respectively. Both COM
modities, though largely used, do not
concern the public SO much as kero-
sene. Refined oil has advanced to 9
cents in bulk-a rise of cents gallon
since the Standard began to put the
screws on its corner in the crude prod
uct. AS shown before, the total stocks
In its hands, counting the Pennsyl-
vania and Ohio supplies, aggregate ap-
proximately 25,000,OOO barrels. Five
cents gallon on this means $3.50 a
barrel or $67,500,000 on the whole
quantity. Deduct S17,OO0,O0O as repre-
senting unseen expenses and contin-
| gencies and there remains $4,000, 900
as the profit of the corner that can be
counted in one direction. 1t is not all.
Prices of naptha and gasoline, as said,
have been boosted, and the quota
tions of bi-products are all firmer and
in some cases have been put up. The
returns from these sources, though per-
haps cast in the shade by the ransom
of kingdom which is in sight from
kerosene, will be large undoubtedly
| There are men who do not hesitate to
say the ultimate profit of the whole
scheme will be nearer $75, ,000, 900 than
$50, ,0OO, ,O0O."
Fifty million dollars profit" from
the monopoly of a single industry
turned into the Golfers of single in
dividual, mainly; a forced contribution
of Is cents from every man, woman
and child in the United States.
The mind of man fails for the mo-
ment to grasp the immensity of this
gigantic hold-up, of this vertiable rob
berry of industry by the highwayman
Greed.
This $50,000,000 made" by one in.
dividual in few weeks by cornerine
the market in crude oils exceeds by
$3.50 900 the proposed capital of the
celebrated United States bank, the
squelching of which made Gen. Jack
son the second democrat in the history
Of that party.
This S50,000, 900 tax unwillingly pait
to John d. Rockefeller would give EN-
plyoment for two months at dollar
day to the 100000 men now out O
work and scarcely knowing where thei
next meal is coming from.
This $50,000,000 forced from the con
sumers of kerosene and gasoline b,
that "pious" fraud, John D. Rookie
feller, would provide $4,000 famile.
with 81 900 homes.
This $50, 900 hold-up of the Amer
lean people-as premeditated, as cold
blooded and as effectual as though
made at the muzzle of pistol-equali
one thirty-second of the entire circu
lating medium of the United States
and is a greater sum of money thai
could be earned by one man working
at dollar day for one hundred ant
sixty-seven thousand years, or $500,
times as long as the earth is supposed
to have been peopled.
1t is an appalling feature Of thi
transaction that the government seem
powerless to prevent its repetition oil
even a grander scale.
A more appalling feature of this dar
ing exploit of Robber Rockefeller i
the fact that the two most influentia
and powerful guardians of the publ
morals and denunciators of publ
crimes-the orthodox pulpit and dali
press-give tacit or outspoken approva
of the crime, seeming to regard 1t a
legitimate business tracsaction.
Such papers as tho Chicago Tribun
have not word Of editorial disapproy
al and scarcely line Of comment re
garding 1t.
Not = prominent divine Of Chicag
alluded to the subject in his last Sun
days SERMON. or II 50 his criticism