The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-20

, John O'Brien who has charge of the
interests of the Standard in Kansas
gave out the following statement on
Saturday:
4 do not wish to sound a discord-
ant note to the assem- blage called for
the purpose of congratulating each
other for the work supposedly we'll
done, but for the Prairie Oil & Gas
company, as one of the parties inter-
ested. 1 viii give you a few truths
which I trust will bear fruit in the
THE history of 1.-THE oil business
on Oil Creek, Pa, and from that dis
covery to the opening of the field in
Kansas, the story has been the same,
an over production and lower prices.
Demand and supply regulating the
prices, the Kansas field differs only IN
this particular, that not one barrel of
oil was lost by waste Not so at Pit
hole, Bradford, and Ohio, where
thousands of barrels of oil was lost
owing to inability to handle or store.
THE Prairie Oil and Gas company
made great efforts to take care of this
field and spared neither time nor money
in constructing pipe lines Finding this
not sufficient iron tanks were erected
and oil backed into them until we had
in tankage alone nearly 5000, 900 barrels
of oil. Parties were induced to con-
struct a refinery in Kansas City and we
laid a pine line to furnish them oil but
of this field We are still storing oil in
tankage at the rate of $4,000 barrels per
day. A pipe line was started from Kan
saS City to Chicago and is at present
being constructed, through which we
hope to be able to handle the oil Of this
field. The Prairie Oil and Gas company
has never shipped any oil for any other
party or corporation. It has either pro-
duced or purchased all the oil it ham
dies The pipe line was built for the
purpose of handling its own oil, just as
the city of Chanute lays its pipes for
the purpose of handling the gas from
its lines to the citizens of Chanute. If
they have not gas enough they either
buy gas from other parties or prospect
and develop more territory.
with the investment of millions or
dollars in Kansas, with almost super
human efforts to handle the oil in a
field that was increasing and stretching
out in every direction in the face of a
declining market from competition from
Russia, which has increased it's produc-
ton in the past year IS, 600 barrels daily;
with the Pacific islands furnishing the
oil for Japan and eastern ports, and
taking this market away from Amerl-
can oil, and with the Schell OIL company
of Burmah, India, absolutely shipping
naphtha to this county, we are beset
with a hostile sentiment in Kansas, in
spired, I think, by a lack of knowledge
of conditions on the part of many, but
mainly by large per cent of people
who know nothing about the oil bust
ness excepting that they have their
money invested.
THE Prairie Oil and Gas company de-
sires only a square deal and that we
expect finally to get, and when the peo-
pie of Kansas get their sober second
thought I am satisfied that justice will
be done US and peace will reign again
between the great state of Kansas and
one of it's humble, but I believe, most
fair of it's corporations. Kansas should
encourage capital and 1 think we have
in the last two years added as much to
the taxable property of Kansas as any
corporation within its borders.'