Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1880 — Oily Garfield. [ARTICLE]

Oily Garfield.

The true-blue Republican organs of this city and the country in general have been amusing themselves of late with the publication of stories having reference to Gen. Hancock’s Presidency of an oil company, which did not prove a success, after the close of the War. This has been magnified into something very big and proportionally odious by writers employed on the party journals referred to. It may, therefore, be interesting to those virtuous persons to learn tha(, their “standard-bearer”—to use the well-worn cant expression of the day—is hot entirely free from oleaginous contamination. On the contrary, while the “superb ” individual nominated by the Democrats for the Presidency only lent his name to an oil project, in which he lost some money by way of proving his sincerity, it will be seen, further on, that the canny Garfield was interested as an agent in a somewhat similar scheme, and did his utmost in this city, fifteen years ago, to rope some innocent people into the business. Mr. S. H. Kerfoot, of Chicago, recollects that, some time in 1865 Of 1866, Garfield arrived in the city, sent for him, told him a plausible story about a num-. her of newly-discovered and immensely profitable oil-wells in Ohio, and asked him to help organize a company to develop them. Keffoot had other matters to attend to, and could not devote his time to the brilliant scheme, but Garfield remained in Chicago some time, preaching to and roping in the Carnpbellites, and finally did organize the Venango Oil Company. A number o| people took stock in the enterprise, but, so far as can be learned, not one of them ever realized a cent, or recovered the sum invested. The Republican organgrinders have been crowding out news for several weeks to make room for a charge similar to this against the Democratic candidate for President. It remains to be seen whether they will lay the above charges before their renders with the same frequency and explicitness.—Chicago Times.