The  cause  of  the  trouble  was  that  the  managers  of  the
Pennsylvania  Railroad  had  begun  to  reach  out  for  the  control
of  the  oil  trade.  They  had  joined  in  the  agreement  in  1872
to  give  it  to  the  oil  combination,  but  now  they  wanted  it  for
themselves.  Through  a  mistletoe  corporation — the  Empire
Transportation  Company  —  they  set  to  work  building  up  a
great  business  in  oil  cars,  pipe  lines,  refineries.
"  We  like  competition ;  we  like  our  competitors ;  we  are
neighbors  and  friends,  and  have  been  all  these  yeai*s,"  the
president  of  the  oil  trust  testified  to  the  New  York  Legis-
lature,' but  he  served  notice  upon  this  competitor  to  abandon
the  field.*  He  and  his  associates  determined  to  do  more  than
compel  the  great  railroad  to  cease  its  competition.     They

»  Teatimony,  New  York  Assembly  "  Hepburn"  Report,  1879,  pp.  2792-95.
*  Same,  p.  2795.  •Testimony,  Trusts,  New  York  Senate,  1888,  p.  446.
*  TettiiDODj,  Commonwealth  of  PenDsylvania  vt.  Pennsjlvaaia  Railroad  et  al^
1870,  p.  67a


determined  to  posaess  themselvcB  of  its  eDttre  oil  ontfit,  though
it  was  the  greatest  corporation  then  in  America.  This,  the
boldest  stroke  yet  attempted,  could  be  done  only  with  the
help  of  the  other  tmok  lines,  and  that  was  got.
