| Introduction |
| About the Editor |
| Note |
| Author's Preface |
| 1. THE BIRTH OF AN INDUSTRY |
| Petroleum first a curiosity and then a medicine |
| Discovery of its real value |
| The story of how it came to be produced in large quantities |
| Great flow of oil |
| Swarm of problems to solve |
| Storage and transportation |
| Refining and marketing |
| Rapid extension of the field of operation |
| Workers in great numbers with plenty of capital |
| Costly blunders frequently made |
| But every difficulty being met and overcome |
| The normal unfolding of a new and wonderful opportunity for individual endeavour |
| 2. THE RISE OF THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY |
| John D. Rockefeller's first connection with the oil business |
| Stories of his early life in Cleveland |
| His first partners |
| "Organisation of the Standard Oil Company in June, 1870" |
| Rockefeller's able associates |
| First evidence of railway discriminations in the oil business |
| Rebates found to be generally given to large shippers |
| First plan for a secret combination |
| The South Improvement Company |
| Secret contracts made with the railroads providing rebates and drawbacks |
| Rockefeller and associates force Cleveland refiners to join the new combination or sell |
| Rumour of the plan reaches the oil regions |
| 3. THE OIL WAR OF 1872 |
| Rising in the oil regions against the South Improvement Company |
| Petroleum Producers' Union organised |
| Oilblockade against members of South Improvement Company and against railroads implicated |
| Congressional investigation of 1872 and the documents it revealed |
| Public discussion and general condemnation of the South Improvement Company |
| Railroad officials confer with committee from Petroleum Producers' Union |
| Watson and Rockefeller refused admittance to conference |
| Railroads revoke contracts with South Improvement Company and make contract with Petroleum Producers' Union |
| Blockade against South Improvement Company lifted |
| Oil war officially ended |
| Rockefeller continues to get rebates |
| His great plan still a living purpose |
| 4. "AN UNHOLY ALLIANCE" |
| Rockefeller and his party now propose an open instead of a secret combination |
| "The Pittsburg Plan" |
| The scheme is not approved by the oil regions because its chief strength is the rebate |
| Rockefeller not discouraged |
| Three months later becomes president of National Refiners' Association |
| Four-fifths of refining interest of United States with him |
| Oil regions aroused |
| Producers' Union order drillings stopped and a thirty day shut-down to counteract falling price of crude |
| Petroleum Producers' Agency formed to enable producers to control their ow |
| Rockefeller outgenerals his opponents and forces a combination of refiners and producers |
| Producers' association and producers' agency snuffed out |
| National Refiners' Association disbands |
| Rockefeller steadily gaining ground |
| 5. LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS OF A TRUST |
| Evidence of reappearance of rebates soon after agreement of March 25 is signed |
| Principle thoroughly established that large shippers shall have advantages over small shippers in spite of railroads' duty as common carriers |
| Agreement worked out by which three roads are to have fixed percentage of eastern shipments |
| Oil regions robbed of their geographical advantage |
| The Rutter circular |
| The Rockefeller circular |
| Rockefeller now secretly plans realisation of his dream of personal control of the refining of oil |
| Organisation of the Central Association |
| H. H. Rogers' defence of the plan |
| Rockefeller's quiet and successful canvass for alliances with refiners |
| The rebate his weapon |
| Consolidation by persuasion or force |
| More talk of a united effort to counteract the movement |
| 6. STRENGTHENING THE FOUNDATIONS |
| First Interstate Commerce Bill |
| The bill pigeon-holed through efforts of Standard's friends |
| Independents seek relief by proposed construction of pipe-lines |
| Plans for the first Seaboard Pipe-line |
| Scheme fails on account of mismanagement and Standard and railroad opposition |
| Development of the Empire Transportation Company and its proposed connection with the refining business |
| "Stand, Erie and Central fight the Empire Transportation Company and its backer, the Pennsylvania Railroad" |
| The Pennsylvania finally quits after a bitter and costly war |
| Empire Line sold to the Standard |
| Entire pipe-line system of oil regions now in Rockefeller's hands |
| New railroad pool between four roads |
| Rockefeller puts into operation system of drawbacks on other people's shipments |
| He proceeds rapidly with the work of absorbing rivals |
| 7. THE CRISIS OF 1878 |
| A rise in oil |
| A blockade in exports |
| Producers do not get their share of the profits |
| They secretly organise the Petroleum Producers' Union and promise to support proposed independent pipe-lines |
| Another Interstate Commerce Bill defeated at Washington |
| "Immediate Shipment" |
| Independents have trouble getting cars |
| Riots threatened |
| Appeal to Governor Hartranft |
| "Suits brought against United Pipe-lines, Pennsylvania Railroad and others " |
| Investigations precipitated in other states |
| The Hepburn Commission and the Ohio investigation |
| Evidence that the Standard is a continuation of the South Improvement Company |
| Producers finally decide to proceed against Standard officials |
| Rockefeller and eight of his associates indicted for consp |
| 8. THE COMPROMISE OF 1880 |
| The producers' suit against Rockefeller and his associates used by the Standard to protect itself |
| Suits against the transportation companies are delayed |
| Trial of Rockefeller and his associates for conspiracy postponed |
| All of the suits withdrawn in return for agreements of the Standard and the Pennsylvania to cease their practices against the producers |
| With this compromise the Second Petroleum Producers' Union comes to an end |
| Producers themselves to blame for not standing behind their leaders |
| Standard again enforces orders objectionable to producers |
| More outbreaks in the oil regions |
| Rockefeller having silenced organised opposition proceeds to silence individual complaint |
| 9. THE FIGHT FOR THE SEABOARD PIPE-LINE |
| Project for Seaboard Pipe-line pushed by independents |
| Tidewater Pipe Company formed |
| Oil pumped over mountains for the first time |
| Independent refiners ready to unite with Tidewater because it promises to free them from railroads |
| The Standard face to face with a new problem |
| Day of the railroads over as long distance transporters of oil |
| National Transit Company formed |
| War on the Tidewater begun |
| Plan to wreck its credit and buy it in |
| Rockefeller buys a third of the Tidewater's stock |
| The Standard and Tidewater become allies |
| National Transit Company now controls all pipe-lines |
| Agreement entered into with Pennsylvania Railroad to divide the business of transporting oil |
| 10. CUTTING TO KILL |
| Rockefeller now plans to organise oil marketing as he had already organised oil transporting and refining |
| Wonderfully efficient and economical system installed |
| Curious practices introduced |
| Reports of competitors' business secured from railway agents |
| Competitors' clerks sometimes secured as allies |
| In many instances full records of all oil shipped are given Standard by railway and steamship companies |
| This information is used by Standard to fight competitors |
| Competitors driven out by underselling |
| Evidence from all over the country |
| Pretended independent oil companies started by the Standard |
| Standard's explanation of these practices is not satisfactory |
| Public derives no benefit from temporary lowering of prices |
| Prices made abnormally high when competition is destroyed |
| 11. THE WAR ON THE REBATE |
| Rockefeller's silence |
| Belief in the oil regions that combined opposition to him was useless |
| Individual opposition still conspicuous |
| "The Standard's suit against Scofield, Shurmer and Teagle" |
| Seeks to enforce an agreement with that firm to limit output of refined oil |
| "Scofield, Shurmer and Teagle attempt to do business independently of the Standard and its rebates" |
| Find their lot hard |
| They sue the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway for discriminating against |
| A famous case and one the railway loses |
| Another case in this war of individuals on the rebate shows the Standard still to be taking drawbacks |
| The case of George Rice against the Receiver of the Cincinnati and Marietta Railroad |
| 12. THE BUFFALO CASE |
| The Standard buys three-fourths of the Vacuum Oil Works of Rochester |
| Two Vacuum employees establish Buffalo Lubricating Oil Company and take with them an experienced Stillman from the Vacuum |
| The Buffalo Lubricating Oil Company has an explosion and the Stillman suddenly leaves |
| The Buffalo Lubricating Oil Company is sued by Vacuum for infringement of patents |
| Matthews sues the Everests of the Vacuum for deliberately trying to ruin his business |
| Matthews wins his first civil suit |
| "He files a second suit for damages, and secures the indictment of several Standard officials for criminal conspiracy" |
| "Rogers, Archbold and McGregor acquitted" |
| The Everests fined |
| 13. THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY AND POLITICS |
| Oil men charged Standard with intrenching itself in state and national politics |
| Election of Payne to Senate in Ohio in 1884 claimed to establish charge of bribery |
| Full investigation of Payne's election denied by United States Senate Committee on Elections |
| Payne himself does not demand investigation |
| Popular feeling against Standard is aggravated |
| The Billingsley Bill in the Pennsylvania Legislature |
| A force bill directed against the Standard |
| Oil men fight hard for it |
| The bill is defeated |
| Standard charged with using money against it |
| A growing demand for full knowledge of the Standard a result of these specific cases |
| 14. THE BREAKING UP OF THE TRUST |
| Epidemic of trust investigation in 1888 |
| Standard investigated by New York State Senate |
| Rockefeller's remarkable testimony |
| Inquiry into the nature of the mysterious Standard Oil Trust |
| Original Standard Oil Trust agreement revealed |
| Investigation of the Standard by Congress in 1888 |
| As a result of the uncovering of the Standard Oil Trust agreement Attorney-General Watson of Ohio begins an action in quo warranto against the trust |
| Marcus A. Hanna and others try to persuade Watson not to press the suit |
| Watson persists |
| Court finally decides against Standard and trust is forced to make an apparent dissolution |
| 15. A MODERN WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE |
| Producers' Protective Association formed |
| A secret independent organization intended to handle its own oil |
| Agreement made with Standard to cut down production |
| Results of agreements not as beneficial to producers as expected |
| "Producers proceed to organise Producers' Oil Company, limited" |
| Independent refiners agree to support movement |
| Producers and refiners' company formed |
| "Lewis Emery, Jr.'s, fight for Seaboard Pipe-line" |
| The United States Pipe |
| Standard's desperate opposition |
| Independent refiners almost worn out |
| They are relieved by formation of Pure Oil Company |
| Pure Oil Company finally becomes head of Independent Consolidation |
| "Independence possible, but competition not restored" |
| 16. THE PRICE OF OIL |
| Earliest designs for consolidation include plans to hold up the price of oil |
| South Improvement Company so intends |
| Combination of 1872-1873 makes oil dear |
| Scheme fails and prices drop |
| The Standard's great profits in 1876-1877 through its second successful consolidation |
| Return of competition and lower prices |
| Standard's futile attempt in 1880 to repeat raid of 1876-1877 |
| Standard is convinced that making oil too dear weakens markets and stimulates competition |
| Great profits of 1879-1889 |
| Lowering of the margin on export since 1889 by reason of competition |
| Manipulation of domestic prices even more marked |
| Home consumers pay cost of Standard's fights in foreign lands |
| Standard's various prices for the same goods at home |
| High prices where there is no competition and low prices where there is competition |
| 17. THE LEGITIMATE GREATNESS OF THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY |
| Centralisation of authority |
| Rockefeller and eight other trustees managing things like partners in a business |
| Newsgathering organization for collecting all information of value to the trustees |
| Rockefeller gets picked men for every post and contrives to make them compete with each other |
| Plants wisely located |
| The smallest details in expense looked out for |
| Quick adaptability to new conditions as they arise |
| Economy introduced by the manufacture of supplies |
| A profit paid to nobody |
| Profitable extension of products and by-products |
| A general capacity for seeing big things and enough daring to lay hold of them |
| 18. CONCLUSION |
| Contempt proceedings begun against the Standard in Ohio in 1897 for not obeying the courts order of 1892 to dissolve the trust |
| Suits begun to oust four of the Standard's constituent companies for violation of Ohio anti-trust laws |
| All suits dropped because of expiration of Attorney-General Monnett's term |
| Standard persuaded that its only corporate refuge is New Jersey |
| "Capital of the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey increased, and all Standard Oil business taken into new organisation " |
| Restriction of New Jersey law small |
| Profits are great and Standard's control of oil business is almost absolute |
| Standard Oil Company essentially a realisation of the South Improvement Company's plans |
| "The crucial question now, as always, is a transportation question" |
| The trust question will go unsolved so long as the transportation question goes unsolved |
| The ethical questions involved |
