The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-01-12
new news or YESTERDAY
Resentment That Helped to Ex-
pose Standard Oil.
Samuel Andrews, Once Indispensable
to the Company, Had Been Dis
carded, So He Told Many
of The Trusts Secrets.
BY E. j. EDWARDS.

l told recently the story of the re-
ception I received at the offices of
the Standard Oil company at Cleve-
land in 1873 at time when l had
been instructed by the late Charles
Sun, to make a thorough investiga-
ton of the origin, growth and meth
DDS of the Standard Oil company.
That was in 1878, and the report
which I then made was the first of
any length that was ever printed on
the oil trust.
I had met a perfect Chinese wall,
at the Offices of the Standard Oil
company, the sentry of which was
one of the blandest and politest young
men whom I had ever met I told
him that as I could not get my in
formation at first hand I would un-
dertake to secure it at second hand.
So I turned to Samuel Andrews. I
had received an intimation that if I
would call upon Mr.. Andrews at his
home in the suburbs of Cleveland I
would probably find him ready to
talk.
Mr.. Andrews was the practical man
of the first Standard Oil combination.
He was an experienced, in fact, a
very able, refiner. He was of Eng
lish birth and had, believe, learned
his trade in that country He was the
man who made it possible for the
Rockefeller brothers to manufacture
and market very high grade of
kerosene oil. AS he was at first in
dispensable, he was carried along in
the various promotions out of which
the Standard Oil trust, so-called, was
perfected
In reply to note, Mr.. Andrews
wrote me that if I would call at his
house at a certain hour some morning
he would be glad to see me. His
home was beautiful one perhaps
two miles from the center of Cleve-
land. | found him in his library. Al
though of quiet manne' dressed in i'm
macuiate taste, and -urrounded by
luxurious furniture ar1 adornments,
yet it was apparent thai Mr. Andrews
had known hard labor, and labor with
the hands. There was no vanity or
false pride about the man, and I
thought that he was enjoying the
riches that had come to him in a most
reasonable manner. If there were any
ostentation it was not for his sake,
but for the sake of his family.
"You know I am no longer con-
nected with the Standard Oil COM
pany," Mr.. Andrews said, by way of
preface. 81 am out of it. T have
been used for all the value that is in
me and I presume that I am no longer
useful"
I thought I detected hint of re-
sentiment or chagrin in Mr.. Andrews
manner, and I told him frankly that
I had heard that he had been recent
ly frozen out of the Standard Oil
company.
Not exactly that he replied. mo,
it wasn't that; but have been bought
out. ] don't suppose the Standard Oil
company would have been any sue
cess at all if it hadn't been for the
fact that I showed the company the
way to refine oil economically and to
market it in successful competition.
thought my ability of that kind was
worthy of equal recognition with that
of the men who looked after the finan-
cial end of the business. But the
practical man, unless he has plenty
of money, is the man who is of least
consequence, and when others have
been taught all he knows. then he is
not of any more use and is let out.
1t is always so.
'I shall be very glad to tell you all
I know about the organization and
growth of the Standard Oil company"
Mr.. Andrews went on to say. 'T
don't know it all, but I know some
things. But I must ask you to be
careful not to suggest in any way
that I feel that have not been right.
ly used"
He then went on to give me much
of the information which I had I'M
successfully tried to obtain direct
from the Standard Oil company-in.
formation that subsequent investiga.
tions, conducted in the name of the
law. proved to be absolutely correct.
Occasionally, there crept into what
he said some hint of the strong feel
ing of resentment which he apparent.
ly entertained that he had not been
treated fairly by his old associates
Afterwards ! learned that Mr.. An.
drews had received for his interest in
the Standard Oil company something
like S6000,000 an imense fortune for
that time So it was arparent that
the resentment he felt was not due to
any sense Of poverty, but rather ir
ritation that, after the service which
he had given to the Standard Oil
company, there should have been. as
be thought, disposition to cast him
aside. And because of this resent.
ment many of the things that the pub
lie was anxious to find out about the
organization and the methods of the
oil trust were for the first time made
known to it in the printed page.
Copyright, 1911 by r. J. Edwards. All
Rights Reseved.)