The young man reached out to grasp this business.

"All of it," we can picture Rockefeller saying to himself, "all of it shall be mine." Any study of Rockefeller's career must lead to the conclusion that, before he had reached his thirtieth year, he had determined to monopolize this growing necessity.

The mere fact that this young man could form such a stupendous plan indicates that in him we are meeting for the first time a new type of industrial leader.

At that time monopolies were unknown in the United States.

That certain old English Kings had frequently granted exclusive trading privileges to favored merchants most educated Americans knew; and their knowledge of monopolies extended little further than this.