The daily tribune., 1908-07-14
SOME COLD
FACTS ARE
DEVELOPED


for the past several days. was con
tinued until one week from next Fri :
day BY Judge Bailey. who leaves to-
day for Buena Vista to sit IN the
July term Of the court Of that county.
All the evidence has been introduced
and the arguments are yet to be
made by tile several attorneys IN
the case. The session Of court was
held until O'Clock last night
Although the proceeding is one In
equity it has attracted widespread
attention on account Of the charges
made by tile plaintiff aud the heavy
damages asked of the defendants
The primary things sought by the
complainant in this suit are first. a
receivership for the Inland Oil and
Refining company of Boulder, an in
junction restraining 1t from any fur
ther issue or sale of bonds and to
compel II to make an accounting of
the funds used in the exploitation and
the development OF the Boulder Pc
troleum field.
A gentleman familiar with the pro.
cedure and routine Of courts of record
said that the case was being remark
ably we'll tried and that the facts ly-
ing ut the bare Of the controversy
were being brought to the surface In
a way that was quite unusual. While
the hearing was largely OF prelimi-
nary character 1t cannot fail by rea-
son Of the thoroughness of the inqui-
sition to which the witnesses were
subjected to be influential in the flna
determination OF the matter at ISSUE
Samuel +. Rathvon, secretary and
treasurer of the Inland Oil and Re-
filming company and large stock
holder Of the United OIL company Of
Florence, WAS ON the examination
stand the greater part of Saturday
afternoon and was one Of the star
witnesses in the case. Mr.. Rathvon.
perhaps. had been more closely iden-
titled with the Inland Oil and Rein.
ing company than anybody else,
aud, consequently, was more familiar
with its history than any Of the
other officers or stock holders He
was Intercepted In relation to the
origin and purposes of the Inland
Oil and Refining company and OF
the extent and value Of the Boulder
petroleum field and many Of the
allegations set forth in the complaint
were established by his evidence.
Several witnesses were called yes.
terday morning, chiefly for the pur.
pose Of showing that Rathvon in 1905
~ secretary ana treasurer Of the
United Oil company. ordered the In
dependent companies operating here
not To increase the product Of the
Florence oil field, ~ a result Of which
the petroleum industry languished,
despite the fourishing condition Of
affairs In the Boulder territory. 1t
was proven that the oil industry here
during that period WAS carried on
under great handicap, due to the
more advantageous position occupied
by the Inland Oil and Refining com.
pany. a competing corporation. which
with its associated org EXAMINATIONS,
dominated the western markets. In
1907, according to Mr.. Wallace, the
output Of the independent companies
In the Florence field had dwindled
to mere bagatelle OF what 1t had
formerly been. producing only about
one-sixth Of what they had done In
more prosperous times. The Unit.
cd OIL company's production dropped
at one period under the incubus II
had to carry. to daily output Of
something like two hundred and
sixty five barrels. Mr.. Wallace found
out about that time that most Of the
lubricating oils were coming from the
Boulder wells, 1t Ia said. and that
there was practically no market for
tho Florence product. The price Of
these oils In 1905 and the year follow
Ing were reduced to six and a fourth
cent? gallon. q price below the
cost Of production to the Unitel OIL