The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-04-07

ST. Louis, ApflI f-JOnn ". MIL
burn. senior counsel Of the Standard
OIL company in the governments suit
10 dissolve that concern for alleged
violation of the Sherman act, resumed
his narrative OF the early history of
the Standard OIL company today
1t is Mr.. Milburn's contention that
the Standard has been q greatly ma
ligned corporation, whereas. as a mat
ter OF fact. 1t had been the nations
greatest developer OF not only local
but foreign commerce.
Having told yesterday OF John d.
BOOKSELLERS introduction Into the
business through the acquisition Of a
refinery in Cleveland, in 1866, today.
the New York attorney continued his
recital He told first OF the establish
ment OF re1neries throughout the
country. both prior and subsequent to
1870 Mr. Milburn said that these
investments had been very prosperous
at first, but later as a result Of over
construction, there had followed de-
cline in profits.
The rise and general development
of the Standard, prior to the trust
agreement of 1882, was next taken up.
and its acquisition OF properties. in
Guiding pipe lines down to 1875, was
explained as necessary TO the devel-
opment of the corporations growing
business
Mr.. Milburn next explained the or
ganization and extension OF the oil
marketing business after 1876. The
lubricatlng field was then invaded, ac-
cordfng to MI Milburn. feature
which the lawyer explained with great
care. especially as the acquisition of
81 per cent of the country's railway
fabrication by a Standard subsidiary
company the Galena Signal OH COM
pany, through the alleged weight of
Rockefeller money In the railway d.
rectorates, had been one Of the gov
ernment's principal charges against
the defendants. as showing a tenden-
cy toward monopolization. The de-
fendsnt's chief counsel told of the
establishment Of the marketing sta
lions for the fabrication business, and
its causes and effects.
Mr. Milburn discussed the facts suy.
rounding the Standards acquisition Of
NdTlOu6 luloCClldueouS DlOpCl tlCo,
which, he said, were only Incidental
to the corporations general expansion,
and thon took up tho properties prior
10 the trust agreement, narratipg just
how and under what conditions each
concern was purchased or founded by
Standard Oil money.
This is one of. II not the most inn
portant. features OF the defendants
case. as II will insist that the prop
critics coming into the trust agree
ment were in no sense competing COM
panies. and from the start were COM
panies possessing distlnctiyely a sep
arate field in the oil world. and there
fore. not competitive.
Mr Milburn told of the care with
which the firm of Rockefeller C Com
pany, even In It's early DAYS. studied
the economies Of the oil business, and
established warehouses and lighter
age facilities In New York, that they
might be independent of local condi-
tions.
AS early as 1S89." said Mr.. Mi.
burn. the young firm made It's own
barrels at 81 so each instead OF pay
''o E-so" LII 'iiO LudihcC lQlS care
o. detail gave the bankers confidence
In them and enabled the young oil
merchants to borrow capital"
Telling them Of the fight made
against Cleveland as q refining CEN
ter by the Pennsylvania railroad, in
an endeavor to dominate the oil world.
Mr. MGlburn. pausing dramatically,
with uplifted hands. exclaimed:
Instead Of sittiug burning their
midnight oil and concocting this 30.
called conspiracy about which we
nave heard so much. Mr.. Rockefeller
and his associates were at that very
moment fighting for their own lives
and commercial existence"
1Ie Standard lawyer denied that
Mr. Rockefeller was one Of the organ
izers OF the famous South Improve
ment company Of PENNSYLVANIA.
MIR. ockefeller had faith In the
oil business then" Mr. Milburn con.
tinued, greater than any other man
on earth had. There are stockbold.
ers now In the Standard Oil who
from Its earliest days. have never In.
creased their holdings a single dol.
lar.
Even when these defendants ac.
quired a refinery In Cleveland that
brought Oliver II. Payne into the
Standard Oil company. many merch.
ants OF that city subscribed for stock
but allowed their confidence TO ooze