The Monte Vista journal., 1899-10-07
THE UNIVERSAL TRUST.

Kings OL tuP eNrtn were Rt work III
New York organizing what the
New York Journal terms the Uni
versal Trust. Concerning this
trust the Journal says:
"In Fridays journal appeared
a map which, to those who could
read it's meaning, was portentous.
II showed some Of the principal
railroad lines to be controlled by
the new Vanderbilt Rockefeller
combination, together with the
centers of industry dominated by
the associated trusts.
"The railroads covered the en-
tire Uni:ed States. Gridironing
the Eastern States, they threw out
their lines across the deserts and
mountains, along the routes of the
Great Northern, the Northern Pa
cific, the Union Pacific md the
Southern Pacific to the Western
coast, where they ranged up rnd
down the entire slope, from Los
Angeles to Seattle. They bound
together the Atlantic and Pacific,
the Great Lakes and the Gulf of
Mexico; they paralleled the in
ternal waterways, crossed both
our land frontiers and almost
touched every important city in
the Union. "In Winter" it was
said, "transcontinental traffic could
be handled in great part by South
ern lines, thus saving much for
operating account" Thus the
currents of nations life could be
swung from one section to another
by little group Of capitalists, as
similar group swings the shopping
and theatre traffic on n city's
street car lines, and communities
would flourish or wither MS their
masters spoke the word.
But that is only the beginning.
At Buffalo were shown the cle-
vators by which tie Vanderbilts
and Rockefellers controlled the
movement OF the nations wheat
crops. At Cleveland converged
the Rockefeller oil and iron ore
interests. In Western Pennsyl-
vania were the oil wells controlled
by the Standard Oil Company,
aud the gigantic iron and steel in
dustries ruled by the various steel
trusts. In West Virginia and In
diana were more oil wells, and in
Alabama iron mines. In Cincin.
natl and Louisville were distiller-
les, breweries and tobacco ware
houses belonging to the Whiskey,
Beer aud Tobacco trusts, in which
the Rockefellers are interested.
In Peoris were thirty-six more
distilleries OF the Whiskey Trust.
In Michigan and Minnesota were
Rockefeller iron mines.
All these are only few of tho
fortresses OF commerce occupied
by the new dictators Of America.
Almost every strategic point in
the Union contains n Rockefeller.
Vanderbilt garrison.
Consider what this means for
business. In any
productive enterprise the producer
must first get his raw material; I;
next he must bring it, together
with his fuel and accessories, 10
the point Of manufacture, and
then he must send his finished
product in all directions to the
when the trust goes into steel
manufacturing il uses its own
steel. made from it's own iron.
brought from its own mines over
it's own railroad or in it's own ships.
The ships themselves are built in
its own yards. the railroad cnrs in
its own shops, and the rails over
which they run in its own mills.
II sends It's products to it's Gus.
'"mers over its own transportation
routes, and handles their drafts in
itS own lnnks.
The independent producer Inns
to take tho chances OF tho market.
on both sides. When h.. gets nm
order he has no certainty ,hn, H..
will l,e able to all il witlou, rnin.
His profits mxy ln wip Il ont by n
riss In the price of materials, and
Il hs las protected himself hy
contracts there. he mny he crushed
by an increase IN freight rites.
Or . rate war may catch Inn
heat vi1v sln..k..1 ., -. LII. .i.