There are 48 States in the Union but only twelve States in the roster of Standard Oil companies (California, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas).
It would seem that there would be room enough for 36 or 37 (counting the District of Columbia) more Standard Oils, but they are not needed, for many of the companies do business in several States. Yet last week the Standard Oil Co. of Rhode Island was made a corporate entity. Eagerly the financial world sniffed the wind—to see which of...