Page:The History of the Standard Oil Company Vol 2.djvu/196

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

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 AGREEMENT 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 LINE—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.

 

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER'S one irreconcilable enemy in the oil business has always been the oil producer. There is no doubt that Mr. Rockefeller has sincerely deplored this. And well he might, for he learned in his first great raid on the industry in 1872 that the producers aroused and united made a powerful and dangerous foe.

No doubt, if it had been practical, Mr. Rockefeller would have begun at the start to take over oil production as he did oil refineries and pipe-lines, and thus would have gotten his enemy out of the way; but during the first fifteen years of his work it was not practical. The oil fields were too vast and undefined. It not being practical to own the oil fields, and yet essential that those who did own them, and of whose oil he aspired to be the only buyer, should be kept sufficiently satisfied not to interfere with his domination or to attempt to

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