The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-02

or Hardness and~the methods of Flag
Ter We're Just what the petroleum re-
finery needed. Previous to the advent
! of -Flagler the company had been con-
Quoted in semi sentimental way.
John D, RoekefelIer's heart had not yet
hardened silto# granite in his business
dealings, aithsugh2 he was the 'princi-
pal schemer insthe ifirm
1t was diffefentz with Flagler. AL
though he had been Tar from success
full as a maker of salt and a sawyer OF
logs, he developed remarkable talents
when 1t came to petroleum In deal
with opposing refiners he went as far
as the law wduld permit. He argued
that there was neither friendship or
feeHng-in- traffic consequently when
he got his business enemy in q hole he
squeezed him. szss,&
:. Under these new, tactics the firm of
Rockefeller. Andrews & Flagler throve
apace. Their business was extended
amazingly, and In sort of geometrical
progression. In 1870 the nrm had be-
come so imposing and their business
so immense that 1t was thought best to
incorporate under the style Of 1.-THE
Standard Oil Company" with cap
ital of 100000 More consultations
followed. They resembled the consoli-
dalton of the bird and the worm, but
they We're within the limits Of business
ethics.
r. During the days when he was a conn
mission merchant John D. Rockefeller
had married a Cleveland school
teacher, Miss Lucy SpeIlman. The
union proved a very happy one. and at
the time of the incorporation of the
Standard Oil Company he had two lit
tie daughters, Bessie and Alta, who
have since become lovely young women.
Altogether the Standard Oil magnate
has had four children. The oldest
daughter Bessie, Is the wife of Profess
scr Charles Strong swhof occupies 81 the
Chicago universfty THE youngest OF
the four is John D., Jr, who is now "a
years of age. A year or two ago
Edith become the wife Of one Of the
Mccormick boys, of Chicago.
Mrs: Rockefeller Is g. slight little
woman. with grayish hair that was
once jet black Her life. has been de
voted almost exclusively to her. hus-
band, her children and her household.
She has never. figured inr the society
columns Of the newspapers or in great
Social events. She ehas been giving
money away in charity continually
since her marriage. The idea of one
great concern that should control all
the petroleum in this country original
ed WITH John DH RocKefelferss The
] Standard Oil GmlpaAy was already an
! Immensely ,WeaA hY acorporation sMheI1
.~this<@id ea- Was A5oNed. Shortlxssafter
! the company haa bsgun tofswa1fow the
-snralfer rof1cefr AfFa Andrewsss the org
iginaI partner u tM business. became
/ dissatfsffed.
!. He still gema inedHt the Eefineriessip
the capacity Oh superintendent, while
=Reekefeller, sla8lersand the rest of the
firm had evoluHd,@so to speak, into
carpeted offices and easy chairs. So
Andrews, afteP% making. the matter
over offered To- SELF his interest. He
claimed to be @gnAaon, practical man,
while Johns d SoeH efeller~ considered
himself livery pFopeIly, an uncommon
man. 1t Is probable that this was the
beginning Of the fonple. s
GOOD BgsINEss DEALr
rate.falera was a. complaint
ON Andrews part, and, quick as q wink
-ReekefeHfeF asked him how much money
he wanted for his share. Andrews was
already rich man. He grew somewhat
excited. and, grabbing piece of paper,
wrote upon 1t, lone million dollars, "a
and handed it to Rockefeller. The. lat
ter accepted the offer Instantly and
the transfer was made.
A few days later Rockefeller sold
the Andrews stock to w. III. Wander
bilt for 81, $50, 600, thus clearing a mod
crate fortune on the transaction.
After the retirement of Andrews from
the Standard Oil company the 'con-
solicitations and extensions continued
without cessation, until practically all
the petroleum output of !. this country
was under its control Then it began
to reach abroad for the control of the
Russian output. Although as yet it has
not secured full control, it has sue
ceeded in underselling the Russia MS,
even in their own country, 1t seems to
be only a question of time, however,
before the Standard will have the Oil
markets Of the entire world in its
hands.
1t was when the Standard Oil COM
pany began to be a concern of national
ma gnitutie' that John d. RoekefeIfer
began TO give away those magnificent
sums for charity that have made his
name a synonym for benevOlence. They
have increased with his growing for
tune until at present his gifts to various
charaties range from 100000 to $1,000
000 annually. e-~
The Standard Oil company in one
sense has been only bureau for the
distribution of the earnings of the COM
panies unC er its control. 1T has paid, and
continues to pay,NHst profits to it's Ger
tificate holders. For the pastaeight years
1t has paid dividends at the rate Of
twelve per cent paEAear. Inlsthe earlier
years the profits were not so large, but
they were substantial. Is it any wonder
that under the circumstances John d.
Rockefeller is thAzEiehest man in the
United States? He once said before a
legislative investigating committee that
he did not know1 how rich he was by
Several millions. 3 Nh other man ever
made money so fast. Although much of
his income is derived from the oil bust
ness, his outside interests bring him
several millions a. year.
OTHER AMBITIOUS PROJECTS.
In the neighborhood of Puget Sound
there is. a.. lake but little known TO
Eastern people. i It. is called Lake
Washington. It is spring fed, and is
about twenty-five miles long,. from
eight to ten miles wide and has depth
OF water sufficient to- float the largest
steamships.
Mr. Rockefeller's scheme was to build
belt line of railways around the lake.
making connections with the great
trunk lines running to the East Next,
in connection with Gen. Russell =.
Alger, he proposed ito build a. canal
twelve miles long, running from the
lake to the sea. 1t was to be-a ship
canal, capable of floating steamers. en-
gagged in the China trade, and was to
become a port Of entry which was to he
come the future metropolis OF the coast
north of San Francisco.
Mr.. Rockefeller IS an iron king as
oil In Y1T-l - n q tyy