ey, and perhaps he really needed it.
Anyhow, he proposed to take such steps as were necessary to get it.
The matter came to a head one Sunday morning, when the minister
announced from the pulpit that the $2,000 would have to be raised, or
we should lose our church building. I therefore found myself at the
door of the church as the congregation came and went.

As each member came by I buttonholed him, and got him to promise to
give something toward the extinguishing of that debt. I pleaded and
urged, and almost threatened. As each one promised, I put his name and
the amount down in my little book, and continued to solicit from every
possible subscriber.

This campaign for raising the money which started that morning after
church, lasted for several months. It was a great undertaking to raise
such a sum of money in small amounts ranging from a few cents to the
more magnificent promises of gifts to be paid at the rate of
twenty-five or fifty cents per week. The plan absorbed me. I
contributed what I could, and my first ambition to earn more money was
aroused by this and similar undertakings in which I was constantly
engaged.

But at last the $2,000 was all in hand and a proud day it was when the
debt was extinguished. I hope the members of the mother church were
properly humiliated to see how far we had gone beyond their
expectations, but I do not now recall that they expressed the surprise
that we flattered ourselves they must have felt.

The begging experiences I had at that time were full of interest. I
went at the task with pride rather than the reverse, and I continued
it until my increasing cares and responsibilities compelled me to
resign the actual working out of details to others.

CHAPTER III

THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY

It would be surprising if in an organization which included a great
number of men there should not be an occasional employee here and
there who acted, in connection with the business or perhaps in
conducting his own affairs, in a way which might be criticized. Even
in a comparatively small organization it is wellnigh impossible to
restrain this occasional man who is over-zealous for his own or his
company's advancement. To judge the character of all the members of a
great organization or the organization itself by the actions of a few
individuals would be manifestly unfair.

It has been said that I forced the men who became my partners in the
oil business to join with me. I would