The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-08-20
THE RICHEST MAN IN AMERICA

pressed an opinion. The conversation
win Andrews gave tho deciding touch
TO itockefeller's ideas. He consulted
with Clark, and together with An
drews they built Il little petroleum re-
llnory up the river u short distance
from ST. Louis.
Rockefeller n Clarkc's Investment
IN this enterprise was Tl 900. Tho
firm still held on to their commission
business, however. But the petroleum
refinery gave promise OF u big busi-
ness, and Rockefeller determined to
give this entire attention to it. He
tried to persuade Clark to his way OF
thinking, but the latter dil not care to
venture into untroGden fields.
The firm was therefore dissolved,
Clark buying out tockcfcllcr's in
forest Andrews, who had been SUPER
intending the refinery on q salary, had
saved lew hundred dollars, and
Rockelcllcr, knowing him to be q
practical man, took him in Us partner.
Thus the Standard Oil company
came into being as commercial entcr-
| pflSc, one OF It's OriginatOrs u book
keeper hardly moro than u boy, the
| other porter in a. commission house.
The bOukkccpcr is now president Of
the company, while the porter lives in
$780, 900 residence.
At the timc Clark withdrew from
the little refinery the entire property
could not have been worth much more
than $4,000. 1t was not much Of u nest
egg, yet from this humble bcgiDni
has grown the great Standard Oil
! company, with its hundreds of oirshoots
and its $70,00O 900 of capital. SO the
little refinery kept pcgging away,
with an over increasing business and
an ever ambitious management. In
The meantime, young William Rookie
fcller, who had bccn working at q
! salaricd position in Cleveland, came to
st. Louis and took Il position in the
little Oil refinery OF Rockefeller 4 An
drcws. The investment continued to
pay Il Handsome profit, and II year or
two aitcr' beginning business tho firm
had snug sum in the bank.
y year or two after Rockefeller and
Andrews had Joined fortunes they, in
con junction with William Rockefeller,
cstabilShcd Il second refinery, and the
money making business was greatly
Increased. The two establishments
were finally consolidated, and the
younger brother, William, was made /,
Iullilcdgcd member OF the firm. y
warehouse for tho sale Of refined pctro-
leum was opened in New York, and
William Rockefeller was placed in
charge Of it. john D. was the business
head Of the consolidated concern, /
while Andrews look cd after the muchid- |
cry and men.
There were no disagrccmcnts or fric |
tion. The members of the firm were
very liltlc more than boys, but they |
were enthusiastic and ambitious to Il !
degree. IA their lexicon, rs they then |
regarded IT, there WAS no such word IL |
tail. They were confronted with |
l,,t L..
soIidutton. They had built and pur-
chased and Planned without regard to /
their financial abilities. until tinutly |
they found themselves in very deep
water. TNcy had spent Il wrcat duu! |
o' thcIr little hoard in extending their !
: business, anu were threatened with
ruin before they could get returns from
their Investments.
Creditors hHrrl5sud them, their
funds were exhausted and their husi-
moss, was apparently ruined. "its no
use, said Andrews. - gUuss we are
in Tor it. do not see how we can tide
! things uvcr.'
William HucNrirllrr Was n,uomiy
dcsponucnt. one morning jonn d. APP
pcarrd at the office OF the refinery,
carrying Il valisC.
Where are you going :" asked An
| drCws.
" am going 10 get help" was tLu
reply.
Where, hc could not tell. He had
no dciiE.tr plan. But help must be
had, and, just aS he had long before
set out to win aiortunc, young John d.
NockrlClicr took his grip and went
forth TO obtain assistance In retaining
the little nc had, already accumulated.
l'y luck, instinct, good Judgment, @.
what you viii, he met MIR. $. V. llnrk-
ness, Il rich whisky distillcr, whose
son-in-Iaw, Henry NJ. Flaglcr was then
,, doing badly in the salt and lumber
business near Saginaw. darkness in
L vCSuGntcd tockcfcllcr and the re-
fncry business and made up his mind
i th"t nc would take IN interest in it, fol
Il his sOn-inlaw
i About a month after he had started
" ont on his still hunt for money Hockc
, fclicr returned with llurkncss' Aiichi
e gan son in-law and stu, 900 with whicl
IL to continue the business name O
" iOckt tfctlcr, Andrews X l'Iaglcr
u This WAS the pivotal point in tn,
fortunes Of John y. RDckcfcllcr. a.
: we'll AS Of Henry NJ. I'laglcr. TN,
money of darkness and the methods
- OF FlagIcr were just what the pctro
Il lcum refinery needed. Previous tt
/ the advent Of F!aglcr the cumpan,
Z mental way. John ID. Rockcfcllcr'
u heart had not yet hardened int,
u granite IN his business dealings, al
Z though he WAS the principal schcmc
y in the firm.
. 1t was different with FIaglcr. Al
IS though he had beer iar from success
D. ful as IL maker OF salt and Il sawyer o
IL logs, Nc developed remarkable talent
- when IL came ITO petroleum. In deal
< ing with opposing rciincrs he went a
far as the law would permit. fic argucl
g that there WAS neither friendship no
II feeling in traffic. Consequently, whel
I he got his business enemy in Il hole h,
G squeezed him.
II Under these tactics, the firm o
e ltockclcllcr. Andrews X 'laGlcr thirty
J; cd npacc. Their business was extend
Il ed amazingly, and in Il sort OF 9romr
; trical progression. In 1870 the firm
1 had become SO imposing and their busi
, ness SO immense that it was though
best to Incorporate under the style O
" The Standard Oil Company with
capital Of 81 100000. More consolida
: | .