Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-11-21
A STANDARD OIL ROMANCE.
How Dan o'Day Rose From Humble
Life With the Great Company.

A Utican who knoys the facts gives
to the Observer this sketch of
Daniel O'Day, one of the big men in
the Standard Oil company, and it
brings to my mind the fact that
O'Day had humble beginning. He
was born in Ireland something over
sixty-two years ago, and came with
his father to Buffalo. The elder
O'Day was finally led to buy some
land in Cattaraugus county, near
Ellicottville, and he moved there with
his family of boys and girls. The
family lived in a small house, away
hack from the main travelled road,
and as he land was new and markets
were not of the same character as
they are now they had quite hand
to mouth and precarious existence
for many years. The boys and girls
went to the district school when they
had clothing enough to make them
selves respectable, which was not al
ways, and as they were Irish, keen
witted and quick to learn, they man
aged between them to pick up pretty
fair common school educations.
Dan was a good natured, happy go
lucky fellow If he got a job of work
he performed it as best he knew how
He did not watch the clock or com
plain about an extra hour or two OF
work. He was ready and willing, and
whether he was moving with ar old
fashioned scythe the steep meadows
of a neighbor, chopping or hauling
wood or digging drains for some OF
the swamplands in the vicinity, he
put in a full days work, devoted
himself to the man for whom he was
working and took an interest in whal
he was doing. When the oil excite
ment broke out he managed in some
way to get hold of team of horses
and, like many other young fellows
he went away to the oil country
which was not far distant, to make
his fortune at teaming Fabulous
prices were often paid for the work
of team for a single day, and young
out from the farm home with an in
different team, an old wagon and a
poor harness, determined to win a
fortune. In his widest dreams he
never for a moment imagined the
wonderful success that would come
to him.
In the late COS this was, and when
Dan O'Day struck the oil country he
hit his pace He prospered. While
most of the young fellows who went
there spent their time and money in
gambling resorts, saloons and
brothels, Dan ODay took care of his
horses, saved his cash, bought more
horses and wagons, and soon De came
recognized as power in The trans
portation problems which confronted
the producers, whose wells were
throing out thousands of barrels OF
oil every day. He went on, and be
fore long he attracted the attention
of John D. Rockefeller and those who
were at the head of the South I'm
provement company He was put
in charge of the first pipeline that
was ever operated, and as the lines
began to extend. and as O'Day's re
sponsibilities increased, he would
send fellows who he had known and
to whom he hoped to extend oppor
tunities to do something better thar
till the stony and steep hills of tina
section. He became in time an EN-
ployer Of thousands of men, and
finally became principal factor IL
, the Standard Oil company.
IN 1879 Mr. O'Day was indicted
along with John D. Rockefeller an,
others, in Clarion county, Pa, chare
ed with conspiracy in attempting &,
get a monopoly Of the oil bushes
and with attemr ting to control tn
price Of crude oil by fraudulen
means and evices. Feeling was run
ming high at that time; mob Law va
threatened in some places attempi
ed and the Standard Oil men wer
keeping shady for fear Of the law o
If private attacks. Mr.. O'Day wa
not IN the state when he was If
1!cetd. and Gov. Hoyt. who was Gale
upon to issue acquisitions for the e,
tradition Of O'Day and several Others
refused to do so, or delayed doing
for so long a time that tha Who'll