17. Rockefeller considered himself to be the guardian of the oil industry
John D. Rockefeller applied his passion for efficiency and the elimination of waste throughout the companies he absorbed into Standard Oil, and in the process forced competitors to adopt similar methods as their only hope of survival. Throughout the 1870s, following the pattern he had established by hiring his own coopers and pipefitters, he expanded the company to purchase its own railcars, rather than pay rent to the railroads. Likewise, he invested in pipelines, and delivery trucks to bring his product directly to a consumer’s door, rather than having them purchase it from a third party. Standard Oil often priced it products below market rates, to eliminate the competition and weaken the oil companies manufacturing competing products.