The Topeka state journal., 1905-09-27

maEds. And at this writing the con-
cessions have been. in part at least,
carried out. Oil is being moved in the
state as freely as other freight; a spe-
cial agent looks after it; the arrange
ments for testing it as a fuel are in
progress; loading and unloading facili-
ties are provided. No interstate rates,
however, have as yet been granted, but
withdrawn their suit and it is to be
hoped they will not until they get all
they should have and get it so we'll
established that any failure to carry
it out on the part of the railroad
would be too conspicuous to be safe.
$50 much, then, they have done to-
ward getting transportation by rail TO
possible interstate markets, but this
a. light task beside the complicated
and vital one of pipe line to the gulf
with which the producers have been
wrestling since. their legislative under
! taking finished, they turned to working
out a business machine of their own.
| AS has been said, they were approach
ed early in the spring by representa-
tives of foreign Independent marketing
| concerns, anxious like the Standard for
a new supply of good oil. with an offer
| to take at least 10000 barrels a day
! if it could be delivered at the gulf.
Having assured themselves of the good
faith and solidfty of the concerns from
which the offer came. the producers
! had two taSkS-to secure a pledge or
the 900 barrels of oil. and to get
the capital, some $7,000,000, to build
the line to carry it.
| The Two Tasks.
| "Curiously, as it may seem to those
who are unfamiliar with the oil world,
the former proved the more difficult
task. Beyond the few men committed
heart and soul to the cause Of freedom
and willing to pay what it cost, few
could be persuaded to turn over their
Eproduction. If we do this it will be
months before you can give US relief,
/ and in the meantime the Standard Will
+ refuse to take our oil-our wellssW1II be
injured, perhaDs ruined. Besides We
must sell now, we need the money No
use to try such scheme said others.
| The Standard will certainly stop 1t,
| or buy you up and then We'll be pun
ished' Many of the most discouraging
| opponents were the eastern oil men
men who will stake their last dollar
on wild-catting who will undergo any
hardship in developing territory, but
who in face of the demands OF the
Standard Oil company are the most ar
rant towards. To persuade men ami
mated as these were by varying de-
grees of seIfishness, cowardice or unin-
telligence took a fund of patience and
tact such as few men have or having
are willing to spend except on purely
personal enterprises. But they hung
on, tested one scheme after another,
planned and re-pIanned, argued, ex-
horted. pleaded, and with what results
Why, that now Qess than five months
from the time that they first realized
that an Independent exit to the world s
| market was what the Kansas field must
have in order to be free), they have
organized a company which has Sc
cured from various operators in Kan
sas and Indian Territory over 1900
barrels of daily oil production, together
with 100,0 acres of oil leases. This
company purposes to build pipe line
to the Gulf, and it has already negotiat-
ed a loan of 81, 900 with which to do
the work. They. have also contracted
with the Melons of PittSburg, large
bankers and oil men of long experience,
to refine at least 1000 barrels a day at
the Gulf, and market the same, the re-
finers furnishing sea transportation.
This plan is at this date (July) fairly
sure of realization. The oil men of Kan
sas are certainly playing the game
with might and main.
Still Long Road.
But a long road still lies before them.
1t will be many months before the new
will be long time perhaps before the IN
vestment, meeting it must the hard and
perhaps unscrupulous competition of the
! Standard Oil company, will be paying div
idends. But that there is every reason to
believe that it may win out, the experience
of the Pure Oil company of the eastern
fields abundantly proves. This concern
started, like the Kansas company. in 1887,
by the revolt of few Pennsylvania oper-
ators against the Standards control. They
undertook to take care of their own oil
to do business independent of the Standard
Oil company. 1t was years before they
were able to complete their machine, such
was the strength of the Standards inter-
ference. but for several years they have
been doing profitable business. On a
paid-in capital of about 81. 500. 600 the Pure
Oil company has been able to increase its
assets to some $7.500,0O0, paid for entirely
out OF its earnings. In the last two years
it has invested, out of its earnings, over
s., 100000 in production, in increasing its
pipe lines in West Virginia and Ohio, in
building marketing; stations. and IN erect
ing a refinery costing nearly half million