The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1908-11-27
IS MODEST AS TO HIS ABILITY
Scheme Greater Than Any One He
Could Have Planned
Railway Presidents at One Time
Stockholders in the Big Conn
pany Trust Stock Held
for Individuals.

Jersey-waS given by John ID. Rookie
Teller as a witness under cross-exam-
ination in the federal suit to dissolve
the Standard. at New York city.
to two men, Henry N Flag.er and
Samuel G. L. Todd. To these two
master architects Of the oil comb ne
Rockefeller gave fun credit, saying h
was sure. it was not himself. as he q 4
not possess the ability for SO progress
sive a move. Rockefeller spent an
arduous day on the stand under the
incessant questioning of Frank B. Ilel-
alogg, the government counsel. and
when adjournment was taken he gave
every evidence of delight that the day
was done.
Trail of Some Missing Books.
Kellogg, who with other government
investigators, has been endeayoring
for over year to locate the missing
stock transfer books of the Standard
Oil trust, sought through Rockefeller
to find the missing trail to these books.
and Rockefeller promised to do what
he could to find them. Rockefeller's
examination carried him through the
period of the Standard Oil trust and
the years of its subsequent liquidation.
which lasted from 1892 to 1899. Dur
ing the day kellogg developed from.
Rockefeller that early in the industrial
existence Of the Standard the presi-
dents of two railroad companies. to-
gether with several railroad directors,
were stockholders in the oil comb.na-.
ton.
Vanderbilt Once a Stockholders.
In testifying as to railroad presi-
dents and directors holding stock i'll
the Standard, Rockefeller said that
they may have but it was for short
time or a trifing amount w. FL.
When kellogg asked If certain papers
did not show certain facts Rockefeller
invariably replied that the paper would
be the best evidence. He identified
fifteen small companies which had
been bought by the Standard and said
twenty OF twenty-five Cleveland con
Germs had been purchased. He could
not TELL without thinking 1t over, how
many purchased plants had been put
out of business.
Who Ran the Companies.
In reply to questions as to who ran
certain companies after their purchase
by the Standard Rockefeller was
somewhat uncertain, but thought that
the De Voc people managed that plant;
Carley, the Chess-Carley company;
Pitcairn and Vandergrift, originalown-
ers, the Imperial; Warden, Frew and
Lockhart, the Atlantic, etc. The basis
of value Of the purchases, Rockefeller
said, was fair one.
Position of Acme Company.
The question came up of the posi-
ton of the Acme company, whether
after it's foreclosure it continued as an
independent company. Rockefeller
was certain that it wos so operated
until after 1882 when Archbold man
aged it for time After testifying t.
the acquisition of other companies by
purchase of stock Rockefeller said
that the trust agreementso of 1879 was
made to hold those stocks for the bene
fit of the individuals for whom they
had been acql ired. Kellogg asked
whether the shares were held for the
Standard or for individuals and
the Standard Oil company held the
certificates in the names of individuals.
All the companies were managed by
their own managers and each manager
was doing an independent business
who Got Up the Trust /?
Then came the question: "Who got
up this Standard Oil trust?'' and
Rockefeller replied: II should say
that III. NJ. Flagler and S. G. T. Dodd
should have the credit. | am sure 1t
was not I. am not so learned ia
legal matters as that. do not claim
any credit, for Mr.. Flagler and Mr.
DOdd should have full credit Reply
ing to questions about the acquisition
of pipe lines of the Standard Oil com.
pany, Rockefeller said: Il did not
construct the first pipe lines for trans
portation of OIL Quite a number OF
lines were constructed before we be-
gan to build and buy. We did not be-
gin to buy those lines until 1873 or
1874
Stock of the Tidewater.
He did not recall that the Standard
owns 81 per cent of the Tidewater:
nor a conference in which an offer of
$5,OCO,OOO was made for, the Lombard
pipe line; nor how the stock of the
Tidewater came into possession of The
Standard; nor that the Standard got
possession Of the United States pipe
line. He did not think the Standard
built the first refinery, the first tank
car or tank steamer, but when asked
If the Standards innovation were the
buying up OF such things already es-
taiblished, he replied: .sOh, should
think not" This ended the days ex-
animation.