The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-11-23
HOUSE COMMITTEE
ASKS ROCKEFELLER
/ TOPRODUCEPAPERS
Subpenq Requires Oil King To
Subnrt Documents Bearing
On Deals For Ore Fields.
HARDY PROSPECTOR WAS
/. FROZEN OUT BY OIL KING
Tells OF his Experience in High
Financc When Pitted
AZ inst Rockefeller,

& WASHINGTON Nov -2- Chair
man Stanley. Of Tie house steel com
nittee, this afternoon announced that
he found Il necessary 70 issue sub
rena ordering John d, Rockefeller 70
submit 70 the committee certain docu-
ments in his possession bearing on
his deals in the Minsuesota ore fields.
"a gray, grizzled backwoodsman,
who gave his occupation as "eNplor-
e." today told The Stanley committee
"a the free and easy speech of mine
and woods OF his experience in high
hnance. when pitted against John d..
Rockefeller
Lon" Merritt. who tramped the ore
ranges OF Minnesota, shoudcring a
pack. in the days when Minnesota
was the wild west, told a picturesque
story of the discovery Of ore on the
Mcsaba Range.
The committee and spectators lean
ed forward and watched intently the
prospector as he related his romance
OF the range,
Merritt told of the formation OF the
Consolidated Mines Co. OF which he
retained nominal control, but which
Vas really dominated by Rockefeller,
through ] Wildwood Murray who
acted as counsel for the company
Later Merritt was frozen out entirely,
he said
II early became an explorer" said
Merritt Il moved with my parents
IN 1856 to what is now Duluth, then
only town site.
For 16 years explored the
Mesaba Range country. We went into
business up there and | put all my
earnings into ore. Everybody laugh
ed at me. but I knew there was pay
dirt because my father had told me
so. After good many years my
brother Aft and ] finally discovered
ore We made a magnetic survey,
located the ore basins and finally
bought the Mesaba mountain ore
mine. which later became the largest
in the world.
I'VE were not scientists, but simply
explorers and discoveries. and the
ore experts laughed at us. But we
put some 100000 in small sums into
that mountain min BY that time
we had got together little money,
iii the lumber business and building
I oats in the lake,
Merritt found it difficult 10 secure
money 10 develop the range. He went
TO Carnegie and to Frick. OF Frick
he said: HE did not trea- me like a
kentleman. He bulldozed me and
ridiculed the idea that there was any
ore in the field
He described the building of the
Duluth, Mesaba and Northern rail-
road and then came TO Rockefeller.
c ID. Wetmore and J. Wildwood Muir.
raw. representing Rockefeller. offered
TO help finance the road. They did
furnish $350,000 TO buy stock and
promised further financial assistance.
But this was not forthcoming and
fLaIly Merritt went TO New York.
where lie met the Rev. F, 7. Gates,
Rockefeller's right hand man and now
mis- chief philanthrcpic agent
Under the consolidation agreement.
which Rockefeller persuaded Merritt
TO make. the oil king failed to take
IN the bonds as he had agreed, Mer-
rift alleged
-The way we were held up was
brutal" said Merritt One OF the
stockholders OF the company, an hon
est woodsman | had known years be
fore, came TO me and said i went
10 Rockefeller. Lon. and gave him a
certain number of days 20 dc what be
promised for you boys. Today ! went
10 see him again and he refused to
act I've quit
Attorney Reid for the Steel trust
objected to this line of testimony
Il feel said Stanley in overruling
the objection. that right now ] am