The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-03

Over two years ago when the oil trus
raised the black flag in Kansas and boy
cotted the Kansas oil fields the indicted
secretary who has received so much abus'
from a few oil trust-controlIed newspaper!
was at that time largely interested in the
Publishers Oil company at Cherryvale
Kan. In the early development of the
Kansas oil fields, by letter and by wore
of promise, the oil trust held out inviting
inducements to investors to develop the
Kansas oil fields. The Publishers company
was one of the many to place reliance il
these promises. and in good faith pur-
chased valuable oil properties in West La
bette county, near Cherryvale, at a cost
of Sc, 200 cash, and during the months
ending with the boycott by the trust OF
all producers drilled and connected uI
1orty-four oil wells and had four drills
at work in the Publishers field, and had
Just completed the second pumping plant
when the Infamous boycott order of the
trust was issued to shut down the
Kansas producers, meaning ruin to the
Publishers company, as well as others
unless something was done to provide an
mdcCendent market.
Instead of becoming discouraged and Civ
ing up and deserving our properties, as
hundreds of others did, the indicted secre-
1ary and his chief associate I Fl Ritchie
organized the Uncle Sam Oil company. AT
nrst the oil trust gang laughed at our
enorts. but the management had faith in
stone unturned to build around this Uncle
Sam OH company the brestworks of de-
tense tnaI would protect 1t from being
Sobbled up by the trust some of its
. where it would be Worth steaTing ~ we Fe
capital stock Of the said Gnci teH Sam oii
company should have charter control of
payment of $4,000. should become the prop
erty OF h H Tucker. jr., the indicted
stock should not be sold by said H II.
by him and voted in accordance With the
wishes n a ma lori Of
the treasury stock, which should be free
from oil trust influence, and to keep the
pany during that time, and that prior to
his sale of any of said preferred stock
eres meeting, called for the purpose of
amending the charter vote all of said stock
IN favor of an amendment reducing the
Young power of said stock to equality
of the treasury stock so that each share
of said preferred stock will have the same
Young power or each share of the treasury
stock. 1t was especially provided in the
charter that this stock was not to draw
any greater dividend than any other stock
The very fact that this charter-controi
stock was not allotted any more of the
earning power Of the company than any
other share of stock should be evidence
enough alone to any fair-minded man of
the good intentions and fair motives of
sad, indeed. however, that this much-de-
spised Tucker and Richie should have
looked far enough ahead to provide against
the oil trust securing control of this great
enterprise Just as soon as ii is completed.
Inc whole punch. as before stated rid
iculed and laughed a this Tucker and his
associates and pOked all manner of fun at
them. but now. when the properties have
grown to be valuable and the company has
Sl.oCO.OOo of assets, we at once become un-
reliable and Enthusiastically and must be
kicked out and the organiza ton we have
built up by years of hard labor must be
taken away from our control, to be ditched
IN the hands of strangers. At the time
this company was organized there was not
a man probably in Kansas that would
have given $4,000 for this charter-cOntrol
stock, even though it were not encountered
by said agreement. The indicted secretary
however, put uD the cash that started this
enterprise and pledged himself for the full
amount of the 100000, and was good for it
and always has been.
we put up our money and together with
Mr.. Ritchie started out to make this com
pany success Our credit with the press
was good and we became obligated for
thousands of dollars of advertisements to
place the matter before the public, all of
Which would have been dead loss to us
had not our ideas been Endorsed by the in
VeStlng public. We took chances that few
would have taken, but we believed we were
right and had confidence in the fact that
right thinking people would see the cor
rectnesS of our ideas and rally to orr
support in building up a strong competitor
of the OIL trust. Our confidence was not
misplaced. The people did come to us with
their money and moral support and we
have honestly expended every dollar en-
trusted to us in the interest of the treas
ury stockholders and the comDany now
owns three refineries. pipe lines, distribut-
ing stations, tank wagons. tank cars, oil