The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-10-31
OUR MISH
There is Growing War Cloud on
the Horizon Which May
Break at Any Time.
Two Rival Oil Companies Want
PrincetOn's Patronage
A Scrap Imminent.

The oil war spoken of in last weeks
UNION bids fair to be more serious-to
the comprehension was at first be-
lieved. There is no reason to doubt
that the Standard Oil company has
been skinning oil consumers here ever
since it put in it's tank. One of our
merchants had occasion to visit towns
on the Breckenridge division Of the
Great Northern last week and found
oil much cheaper there than here. At
Montrose, practically the same dis
lance from the cities, the wholesale
price is only eight and one-half cents
while Princeton merchants have been
obliged to ''cough up'' Is cents until
the past week when the price lowered
to IL! cents. The freight can not make
this difference Other towns are re-
failing oil at 10 cents. Speaking of
the low prices in Minneapolis the
Standard people give two very weak
excuses for it. One is that the drivers
of the wagons give customers short
measure and sell the residue of their
loads to merchants at reduced prices,
pocketing the proceeds. Another is
that the low priced oil is not the
''Eocene' but an inferior grade. This
may be true, but Princeton merchants
have only the company's word to as
sure them that they secure ''Eocene."
Another thing limited at is that the
measures furnished the driver by the
company are scant and that one of its
fye7gallon pals will not fill a fve-gal-
4 Ion oil can by half a gallon. This is a
matter for the county inspector OF
weights and measures to investigate.
A Representative of the Pennsylvania
Oil company informed UNION repre-
sentative last week that his company
would assist the merchants if they
wished to put in an independent tank.
He guarantees his oil to be as good as
that now in use here. The raise in oil he
says is never occasioned by a scarcity
Enough oil goes to waste every year tc
supply the whole nation, but the oil
monopoly has such hold that the indie
|pendent refineries cannot find market
for the product OF their wells.
| 1t has been frequently stated during
the past week that the Standard Oil
company made overatures to each
merchant to sell him OF
at figure which would enable
him to sell at a lower price than those
handling the Independent product and
still leave them a margin of two cent:
if he would countermand his order fol
new oil. This is an open violation of the
law and an investigation is being made
looking to prosecution for con
|spiracy.
The UNION has also heard consider
able talk of a boycott. The average
family uses probably 20 gallons pei
|year. If they paid five cents more
than the Standard Oil company'
prices this would mean only 81 pei
year, and if Princeton should succeed
in bucking the trust to standstill the
money would be we'll spent. A victor!
means wide advertising for Princeton
and Mile Laos county. If oil can b.
sold at Montrose for eight cents a gal
lon it can be sold for the same il
, Princeton and Princeton has goot
grounds to kick. A boycott, however
is a dangerous thing to handle but thu
citizens are agreed that the way tt
fight the devil is to use his own meth
DDS. Developments are awaited will
great interest.
The C0lonel's Work.