Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1911-11-23
Near Pers onal Encounter.

AT one time during the remarkabla
recital of his dealings With Mr.. Rookie
feller, an encounter between the wit
ness and George w. MURRAY. counsel
for the Standard Oil magnate. Was
narrowly averted. Mr. Merritt said
that Gates told him Rockefeller was
hard up He believed it at the time.
but today he said Mr.. Gates had lied.
During q controversy between At
torney Murray and the witness, Chair
man Stanley said:
mir. Rockefeller ought to be sum
moned here. and will! be summoned"
The committee however, up to the
luncheon recess had taken no formal
action. Representative Danforth re-
publican of New York. at the conclus-
ion OF Merritt's testimony. moved that
all the testimony of the Merritt broth
ers be stricken from the rec ords on the
ground that it was irrelevant.
The motion WAS lost, Representatives
Stanley, Beall and McGilicuddy. dom
ocr. Is, voting mo" and Representa-
tives Danfcrth and Gardner. republic
ans. voting ave MIR. Lttleton. the
only other member of the committee
I'm Washington was not present.
Tells Story of Ruin.
Merritt is a brother of Alfred Mer-
Iltt. who told yesterday the story OF
the family loss of valuable ore and
railroad property to John ID. Rocke-
feller, and reiterated today many of
his brothers statements. In detail he
described how his father. back in the
Sos had predicted a great future for
the Mesaba regions and how he and
his brother sank the first ore pit in that
country in 1891. Later, he said. there
had been rush to the territory.
Soon afterward, Merritt said, experts
went over the range and condemned
the ore as useless. That prevented the
Merritts borrowing money. But they
worked away on their own resources
and began negotiations with capitalists
to build a railroad. which led up to
the Subsequent dealing with Mr.
Rockefeller.
THESE transactions described by my
brother yesterday. Merritt said
caused the downfall of our famil,,.''
He further testified that among ~
men he tried to interest in the orc
properties and railroad projects with
ont success were Ii. c. Frick and An
drew Carnegie.
''Hrick, who was then in the Carnc-
gle company, invited me 10 see him
said Mr. Merritt He bulldozed me
cut me OFF short and ridiculed my
project"
After the completion of the road III
1892 some OF the officers OF the com
pany tried to sell out 81 per cent of
the stock in the mines and railroad 10
the Minnesota Iron company, a rival
concern. The deal was blocked.
He Goes to Rockefeller.
At that time Senator Clapp. who was
n stockholder with the Merritts ard
their attorney. urged them to sell. bat
they did not 1t was at this time that
they first had Mr. Rockefeller suggest
ed to them as the man who might be
f!tereSe ed in the project
Merritt related how. in 1893. he went
to New York with Rev s. d. Gates
Mr.. Rcckefeller's almoner Gates was
his constant companion. and urged him
to accept the consolidation OF interests
proposed by Mr.. Rockefeller
"Gates took me TO Rockefeller" said
Merritt. II felt honored at being
called before such magnate h
seemed to be kindly. brotherly sort
of fellow. He talked about the wealth
or and esked after my family. He
told me that my brother and l were all
right, for lie had looked US up, and
that VIC had done q great work in Min
nesota. He said if we would agree ia
the consolidation he proposed he
would take care of US. He said he
would he proud to be my partner and
backer. He also said he never specu-