New-York tribune., 1911-12-08
IS Broadway. New York.

IS Broadway. New York,
December 7, 1911.
Nr. Rockefeller and myself have. re
=ived this morning Chairman Stanley
stter, permitting US, II we desire TO 40
}. 70 appear before the Stanley eo-I MT l!,r
se. ! shall reply 70 Chairman STANLEY
.tter in due time, and the reply will be
iven 70 the public when written. Mean
me, hand the press for publication the
blowing letter from c. w. Wetmore ano
eonidas Merritt Note the date and par
cgisrly The P0stscriPt Sr, paraSraphs T Which
New York, Nov. %, 1898.
John D. Rockefeller, Esq, 26 Broadway,
Ny Dear Sir: In view Of the rumors
that have become current, refectng
upon your trea tment Of the interests OF
the Nerritts and myself in the Missaoe
enterprise l feel that IL is due 70 you
that ! should write you, giving you my
personal assurance Of the injustice OF
such rumors.
When in December last I concluded
an arran ngenlent with the Nerritts and
their associates 70 assist them in the
extension Of the Duluth, Mlssabe q
Northern Railway Company my OBJECT
was simply 70 secure the transportation
of The Niissabe ores for the American
steel Barge Company.
The bitter attacks made by the Min
nesota Iron Company last January ana
February upon the contracts Whlcn !
had concluded made IL necessary in or
vestment should be made in the stock
Of the railway company, and that
further advances for this purpose
should be made 10 the Merritts. TINS
contest for the control OF the ral!way
threw me into most intimate aSSocla-
ton with the Merrirts. and my inVest-
cations Immediately impressed upon me
the great valus Of the interests when
they controlled and the almost un!lIn-
tied Orqortunities for profit which lay
taine,i clo-e relations with the Nj saoe
Pailvray and the mines tributary TO IT,
Ire idea Of 4 great con r6lnatlon OF
mining interests IN the MlsSane ana
elsewhere also suggested itself 20 me.
Tpon my return from the West ! sought
earnestly 70 interest you further than
as z mere subscriber 70 the railway
bonds. I need not rehearse the events
Of last summer. AS they progressed !
saw the possibility Of carrying out my
ideas OF q great combination. ! had
won the confidence Of the Merrltts Tor
myself and for you. l esteemed you
most highly in every relation or pusl-
ness and private life. / had been a> o.
ciated with you in many enterPrlseSs .,o Lo
which I knew Of my own knoWiedse
how generous your support had been
and also knew OF your kindly assist
ance 70 friends IN their business
troubles. ! felt that the best service
could render 10 the Merritts was 70
bring them into close association with
Won. and this I sought earnestly and
successfully 70 accomplish.
A. Every step that has been taken
resulting in the great combination OF
mining and railway interests now con
cluded, with the single exception as far
p can remember, of the purchase OF
the railway stock by the CONSOLIDATED
company. which ! believe was tirst sug;
v-t t.T =
proposed by me and urged upon you.
e With the eN option stated, 90
rOr recall any contract leading TO the
consolidation. whose essential terms
were not first suggested by myset, anc
i'm every case YOU fulfilled, without
question every obligation which was
imposed upon you by these contracts
C. The financial crisis Of last sum-
mer made II necessary 70 make heavier
demands upon you than any of US an
ticipated. Had I foreseen the extent
and severity OF that crisis ! certainly
should not have attempted TO effect the
consolidation Of mining interests which
has been accomplished.
y. All these extraordinary and uu.
foreseen demands upon your time ana
resources have been met by you, IN my
opinion. most generously This Is the
simple truth and / am glad 10 say II 10
referring again 10 the rumors TO the
contrary. ] have supposed that they
originated with the open enemies or the
NeIritts and myself. and would there.
fore be dismissed a S unworthy or beiler
and as q part Of the dishonoraole guer-
lila warfare which has been continually
carried on against US, but neNertnele-
] a. we'll - the Merritts nave suueieo
severely By them in Duluth, in Chicago
and in New York. Suggestions OF warn
ing have also been made 70 me under
the euise Of friendly consideration tor
my inteIests In every case nave SAID
what ! have written IN this letter. !
have resented all such rumps ano IN
situations ard no one can say Ihdt J
have not steadily stood at all times 20
the same confdence in YOU which ex-
pressed 70 The Merritts when ! led them
10 closer association with you.
an distressed beyond measure that
any question OF this kind should have
arisen, and equally anxious 10 90 any
thing that I can 70 set u a. rest
(sisnedj c. W. wETMoRE.
! have carefully read the above state
ment or facts signed by Mr.. Wetnore
and very cheerfully certify 70 their ac-
(Signed) LEoNIDAs MERRITT"
The postscript, signed by Leonidas Mer-
itt. is al written IN Mr.. Merritt's own
c. w Wetmore IS well known in New
-Ork as president OF the North America n
company. Al that time he was vice-presi-
ent OF the American Steel Barge Company.
which had q fleet OF ore carrying vessels
n the Great Lakes Mr. Wetmore s in
crest In the Merritts and their ore prop
rty originated IN q desire 20 secure con-
racts 70 carry their ore for his vessels
n 1898 Mr.. Wetmore was the Merritts'
BUSINESS associate.
Look again al the date-Novenber %.
Sa3 That was the panic year When
his letter WAS written every contract be-
Ween Mr.. Rockefeller Mr. Wetmore and
ne Merritts. connected with the consoli-
ton of the Lake Superior mining prop
rites had been duly signed sealed and
eliyered, the last one nearly three months
reviously Mr Rockefeller had already
oaned the Merritt railroad the Merritt
.ines and the Merritt brothers personally.
mounts 70 save their properties from
ankruptcy which aggregated between
] 100000 and $4,000 900 Mr.. Rockefeller
sd already loaned 10 the Merritts all the
money he ever loaned them. The we'll
irected erorts Of the Merritts and, Mr..
Vetmore during the summer months 10
ecure money from Mr. Rockefe Ter had
ucceeded Tbs mines and the railroad
lere saved. The suits AGAINST them for
ecfiNefshlps, etc. had been Dismissed
,eonldas Merritt and his brothers had
) 10000 OF Ir Rockefeller's money in
heir rocket with which 10 pay their pri-
ate debt@ The postscript represents Nv
lerl1t e.atlon 2t the happy outcome or
Let me say again that neither before