The San Francisco call., 1897-02-19
GONE To THE
PETROLEUM FIELDS
Strange Visit of Michael
Cudahy to San
Francisco.
He Is Fighting the Standard
Trust-Believed to be Max
ing a Coup.
Received Numberless Cabegrams and
Came and Went Mysteriously.
His Visit to Los Angeles.

Michael Cudahy of Cudahy Bros, the
millionaire packers of Chicago. Omaha
and Kansas City, who were announced re-
Gently as preparing to fight the great
monopoly, the Standard Oil trust, has
been on quiet visit here for the last day
or two. 1t has been quiet so far as would
generally appear, but to those who think
themselves on the inside it was in refer
ence to matters OF momentous import
ance.
Mr.. Cudahy has been very busy, almost
constantly answering cablegrams and tel
egrams. They were going to suite 64, on
the New Montgomery-street side of the
Palace, which he occupied, in large num-
bers, and when Mr. Cudahy was not re-
ceiving them he was usually answering
them.
1t is believed that his visit to San Fran
cisco is in the interest Of oil wells and oil
lands in Southern California. He and his
brothers, who have lately branched out
from meat packing and dealing in grain
corners TO furnishing oil for great corpora
tions, have acquired large oil fields in both
Ohio and Indiana.
They have also lately bought up big oil
wells and lands in the rich belt near
Kankakee, ILL.,, and have constructed
a pipe line to Chicago and built great
tank IN the latter place. 1t has already
been announced that they intend to fight
the Standard OIL trust. When this was
called to the attention of Mr.. Cudahy, he
asked to be excused from giving any In
terview because of the mportant matters
engaging his attention. He soon there
after left for Los Angeles.
1t is believed from all the circumstances
that the Cudahys are laying their ropes
to do land-office business in oil. They
have got into it grad nally and not precipi-
lately, as would at first seem. Michael
Cudahy is the inventor of oleomargarine,
butterlne and several other things which
have revolutIonIzed the packing business.
He made some OF these discoveries while
working for Phil Armour, for, as good
many know, Michael and John Cudahy
and their two brothers were once Door
boys and worked for Armour.
They do not do SO any more, for they
are in front of the van. But as to the OIL
From butterine and oleomargarine and
the packing business itself, in which they
engaged extensively, they got to supply
ing fuel oil and atterward illuminating
oil. All the fuel oil that Charles T. Yerkes
uses for his extensive cable and electric
lines is bought of them. They also have
an exclusive contract to furnish fuel oil
for the Edison Electric Company and the
Union Stockyards concerns, formerly fur
nished by the Standard Trust.
This has given them a great ground
work on which to proceed. They have
Iately started oil wagons all over Chicago.
The Cudahy brothers consist OF John,
Michael, Edward and Patrick. One OF
them failed in the panic five years ago,
but the others held him up and have re-
deemed his notes and acquired fortune
of millions besides.
Michael Cudahy wasted no time when
Eere. He was full of business from the
beginning to the end of his visit. He is
now in the southern oil fields.
A dispatch from Los Angeles last night
said the Standard Company was probably
now about to confront the most formid-
able rival it had ever known. Mr. Cuda hv