his has been done after what most men would have
considered a full business life, and a man of any other nationality
situated as he was would have retired to enjoy the fruits of his
labour.

I first knew Mr. Flagler as a young man who consigned produce to Clark
& Rockefeller. He was a bright and active young fellow full of vim and
push. About the time we went into the oil business Mr. Flagler
established himself as a commission merchant in the same building
with Mr. Clark, who took over and succeeded the firm of Clark &
Rockefeller. A little later he bought out Mr. Clark and combined his
trade with his own.

Naturally, I came to see more of him. The business relations which began
with the handling of produce he consigned to our old firm grew into a
business friendship, because people who lived in a comparatively small
place, as Cleveland was then, were thrown together much more often than
in such a place as New York. When the oil business was developing and we
needed more help, I at once thought of Mr. Flagler as a possible
partner, and made him an offer to come with us and give up his
commission business. This offer he accepted, and so began that life-long
friendship which has never had a moment's interruption. It was a
friendship founded on business, which Mr. Flagler used to say was a good
deal better than a business founded on friendship, and my experience
leads me to agree with him.

For years and years this early partner and I worked shoulder to shoulder;
our desks were in the same room. We both lived on Euclid Avenue, a few
rods apart. We met and walked to the office together, walked home to
luncheon, back again after luncheon, and home again at night. On these
walks, when we were away from the office interruptions, we did our
thinking, talking, and planning together. Mr. Flagler drew practically all
our contracts. He has always had the faculty of being able to clearly
express the intent and purpose of a contract so well and accurately that
there could be no misunderstanding, and his contracts were fair to both
sides. I can remember his saying often that when you go into an
arrangement you must measure up the rights and proprieties of both sides
with the same yardstick, and this was the way Henry M. Flagler did.

One contract Mr. Flagler was called upon to accept which to my
surprise he at once passed with his O.K. and without a question. We
had concluded to purchase the land on which one of our refineries wa