ompetency. I have respect for all these reasons, but if a man has
succeeded, he has brought upon himself corresponding responsibilities,
and our institutions devoted to helping men to help themselves need
the brain of the American business man as well as part of his money.

Some of these men, however, are so absorbed in their business affairs
that they hardly have time to think of anything else. If they do
interest themselves in a work outside of their own office and
undertake to raise money, they begin with an apology, as if they are
ashamed of themselves.

"I am no beggar," I have heard many of them say, to which I could only
reply: "I am sorry you feel that way about it."

I have been this sort of beggar all my life and the experiences I have
had were so interesting and important to me that I will venture to
speak of them in a later chapter.

CHAPTER IV

SOME EXPERIENCES IN THE OIL BUSINESS

During the years when I was just coming to man's estate, the produce
business of Clark & Rockefeller went on prosperously, and in the early
sixties we organized a firm to refine and deal in oil. It was composed
of Messrs. James and Richard Clark, Mr. Samuel Andrews, and the firm
of Clark & Rockefeller, who were the company. It was my first direct
connection with the oil trade. As the new concern grew the firm of
Clark & Rockefeller was called upon to supply a large special capital.
Mr. Samuel Andrews was the manufacturing man of the concern, and he
had learned the process of cleansing the crude oil by the use of
sulphuric acid.

In 1865 the partnership was dissolved; it was decided that the cash
assets should be collected and the debts paid, but this left the plant
and the good-will to be disposed of. It was suggested that they should
go to the highest bidder among ourselves. This seemed a just
settlement to me, and the question came up as to when the sale should
be held and who would conduct it. My partners had a lawyer in the room
to represent them, though I had not considered having a legal
representative; I thought I could take care of so simple a
transaction. The lawyer acted as the auctioneer, and it was suggested
that we should go on with the sale then and there. All agreed, and so
the auction began.

I had made up my mind that I wanted to go into the oil trade, not as a
special partner, but actively on a larger scale, and with Mr. Andrews
wished to buy that business. I thought that I saw great opportunit