been opposed to selling the business, but that was out of the question.  I know of the ten thousand dollars that was added to the purchase price of the property at your request, and I know that you paid three times the value of the property, and I know that all that ever saved our company from ruin was the sale of its property to you, and I simply want to ease my mind by doing justice to you by saying so.  After the sale to your company I was simple enough to go to Buffalo and try it again, but soon met with defeat and retired with my flag in the dust.  I then went to Duluth, and was on the top wave, till the real-estate bubble broke, and I broke with it.  I have had my ups and downs, but I have tried to take my medicine and look pleasant instead of sitting down under a juniper tree and blaming my losses to John D. Rockefeller.

I suppose I would have put off writing this letter for another year or more as I have done so long, had it not been for a little chat that I had with Mr. Hanafin, Superintendent of the Buckeye Pipe Line Company, a day or two since when I was relating the sale, etc., of the old B.O.  Co.’s business, and in that way revived the intention that had lain dormant since the last good resolution in regard to writing it was made.  But it’s done now, and off my mind.

     With much respect and admiration to John D. Rockefeller I remain,

     Yours truly,

     H.M.  Backus.

It appears from the affidavits that the negotiations were conducted on behalf of Mrs. Backus and her company by Charles H. Marr, who had been in the employ of the Backus Company for some time, and by Mr. Maloney, who was the superintendent of the company from the time of its organization and was also a stockholder; and on behalf of the Standard Oil Company by Mr. Peter S. Jennings.

There has been an impression that the Standard Oil Company purchased for $79,000 property which was reasonably worth much more, and that this sacrifice was occasioned by threats and compulsion.  Mr. Jennings requested Mr. Marr to submit a written proposition giving the price put by the Backus Company upon the several items of property and assets which it desired to sell.  This statement was furnished and was annexed to Mr. Jennings’s affidavit.  The Standard Oil Company finally decided not to purchase all of the assets of the company, but only the oil on hand, for which it paid the full market price, amounting to about $19,000, and the item “works, good-will, and successorship,” which were offered by Mr. Marr at $71,000, and for which the Standard offered $60,000, which was promptly accepted.  Mr. Marr made affidavit as follows: