IdaTarbell, 1857-1944: SheUsedHerReportingSkillsAgainstOneoftheMostPowerfulCompaniesintheWorld

TarbellchargedthatStandardOilwasusingillegalmethodstohurtordestroysmalleroilcompanies.

ANNOUNCER:

PeopleinAmerica, aprograminSpecialEnglishontheVoiceofAmerica. EveryweekwetellaboutapersonwhowasimportantinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates. TodayShirleyGriffithandRayFreemantellaboutreporterIdaMinervaTarbell.

IdaTarbellwasoneofthemostsuccessfulmagazinewritersintheUnitedStatesduringthelastcentury. Shewroteimportantstoriesatatimewhenwomenhadfewsocialorpoliticalrights.

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VOICEONE:

IdaTarbell

IdaTarbellusedherreportingskillsagainstoneofthemostpowerfulcompaniesintheworld. ThatcompanywasStandardOil. IdaTarbellchargedthatStandardOilwasusingillegalmethodstohurtordestroysmalleroilcompanies.

SheinvestigatedtheseillegalbusinessdealingsandwroteaboutthemforamagazinecalledMcClure's. ThereportsshewroteledtolegalcasesthatcontinuedallthewaytotheSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStates.

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VOICETWO:

IdaTarbellwasbornintheeasternstateofPennsylvaniainNovember, eighteenfifty-seven. Herfamilydidnothavemuchmoney. Herfatherworkedhardbuthadnotbeenverysuccessful.

WhenIdawasthreeyearsold, oilwasdiscoveredinthenearbytownofTitusville. Herfatherenteredtheoilbusiness. Hestruggledasasmallbusinessmantocompetewiththelargeoilcompanies.

Ida'smotherhadbeenaschoolteacher. ShemadesurethatIdaattendedschool. Shealsohelpedtheyounggirllearnherschoolwork.

Idawantedtostudyscienceatcollege. Mostpeopleatthattimethoughtitwasnotimportantforyoungwomentolearnanythingmorethantoreadandwrite. Mostpeoplethoughteducatingwomenwasawasteofmoney.

Ida'sparents, however, believededucationwasimportant-- evenforwomen. TheysenthertoAlleghenyCollegeinnearbyMeadville, Pennsylvania. Shewasnineteen.

VOICEONE:

ThosewhoknewIdaTarbellincollegesayshewouldwakeupatfouro'clockinthemorningtostudy. Shewasneverhappywithherschoolworkuntilshethoughtitwasperfect. Ineighteeneighty, Idafinishedcollege. InAugustofthatyear, shegotateachingjobinPoland, Ohio. Itpaidfivehundreddollarsayear.

VOICETWO:

MissTarbelllearnedthatshewasexpectedtoteachsubjectsaboutwhichsheknewnothing. Shewasabletodosobyreadingtheschoolbooksbeforethestudentsdid. Shewasasuccessfulteacher, butthework, shedecided, wastoodifficultfortheamountshewaspaid. Soshereturnedhomeafteroneyear. AsmallnewspaperinthetownofMeadvillesoonofferedherajob.

Manyyearslater, IdaTarbellsaidshehadneverconsideredbeingawriter. Shetookthejobwiththenewspaperonlybecausesheneededthemoney. Atfirst, sheworkedonlyafewhourseachweek.

Later, however, shewasworkingsixteenhoursaday. Shediscoveredthatshelovedtoseethingsshehadwrittenprintedinthepaper. Sheworkedveryhardatbecomingagoodwriter.

VOICEONE:

MissTarbellenjoyedworkingforthenewspaper. Shediscovered, though, thatshewasinterestedinstoriesthatweretoolongforthepapertoprint. ShealsowantedtostudyinFrance. ToearnmoneywhileinParis, shedecidedshewouldwriteforAmericanmagazines.

IdaTarbellfounditdifficulttoliveinPariswithoutmuchmoney. Shealsofounditdifficulttosellherworktomagazines. ThemagazineswereintheUnitedStates. ShewasinParis. Someofherstorieswereneverusedbecauseittooktoolongforthemtoreachthemagazine. Yetshecontinuedtowrite.

Severalmagazinessoonlearnedthatshewasaseriouswriter.

VOICETWO:

AmannamedSamuelMcClurevisitedMissTarbellinParis. HeownedamagazinenamedMcClure's. MisterMcClurehadreadseveralofherstories. HewantedhertoreturntotheUnitedStatesandworkforhismagazine. Sheimmediatelyunderstoodthatthiswasaverygoodoffer. Butshesaidno. SheproposedthatshewriteforMcClure'sfromParis.

IdaTarbellwrotemanystoriesforMcClure's. ShedidthisforsometimebeforereturningtotheUnitedStates. Herwritingwasverypopular. ShehelpedmakeMcClure'soneofthemostsuccessfulmagazinesofitsday.

OneofherfirstjobsforthemagazinewasaseriesofstoriesaboutthelifeoftheFrenchEmperorNapoleon. TheserieswasprintedinMcClure'sMagazineineighteenninety-four. Itwasanimmediatesuccess. Theserieswaslaterprintedasabook. Itwasverypopularforanumberofyears.

VOICEONE:

HernextprojectwasaseriesaboutthelifeofAmericanPresidentAbrahamLincoln. Shebeganherresearchbytalkingwithpeoplewhohadknownhim. Sheusednothingtheytoldher, however, unlessshecouldproveitwastruetothebestofherability.

McClure'sMagazinewantedashortseriesaboutPresidentLincoln. ButIdaTarbell'sserieslastedforoneyearinthemagazine. LikeherseriesaboutNapoleon, thePresidentLincolnstorieswereimmediatelypopular. Theyhelpedsellmoremagazines. ShecontinuedherresearchaboutPresidentLincoln.

Throughtheyears, shewouldwriteeightbooksaboutPresidentLincoln.

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VOICETWO:

MissTarbell'sreportsabouttheStandardOilCompanyareconsideredmoreimportantthananyofherotherwritings. Hernineteen-partserieswascalledTheHistoryoftheStandardOilCompany. McClure'sMagazinepublisheditbeginninginnineteen-oh-two.

HerreportsshowedthatStandardOilusedillegalmethodstomakeothercompanieslosebusiness. Onemethodwastoselloilinoneareaofthecountryformuchlessthantheoilwasworth.

Thiscausedsmallercompaniesinthatareatofail. Theycouldnotselltheiroilforthatlowapriceandstillmakeaprofit. Afteracompanyfailed, StandardOilwouldthenincreasethepriceofitsoil. Thiskindofunfaircompetitionwasillegal.

VOICEONE:

MissTarbellhadtroublediscoveringinformationabouttheStandardOilCompany. Shetriedtotalktobusinessmenwhoworkedintheoilbusiness. Atfirst, fewwouldagreetotalk.

TheywereafraidoftheStandardOilCompanyanditsowner, JohnD. Rockefeller. Hewasoneoftherichestandmostpowerfulmenintheworld.

MissTarbellkeptseekinginformation. ShewastoldbyonemanthatRockefellerwouldtrytodestroyMcClure'sMagazine. Butshedidnotlistentothethreats. ShesoonfoundevidencethatStandardOilhadbeenusingunfairandillegalmethodstodestroyotheroilcompanies. Soonmanypeoplewerehelpingherfindtheevidencesheneeded.

VOICETWO:

IdaTarbell'sinvestigationsintoStandardOilwerepartlyresponsibleforlaterlegalactionbythefederalgovernmentagainstthecompany. Thecasebeganinnineteen-oh-six. Innineteeneleven, theSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStatesruledagainstStandardOilbecauseofitsillegaldealings. Thedecisionwasamajorone. Itforcedthehugecompanytoseparateintothirty-sixdifferentcompanies.

JohnD. Rockefellerneverhadtoappearincourthimself. Yetthepublicfelthewasresponsibleforhiscompany'sillegalactions. TheinvestigativeworkofIdaTarbellhelpedformthatpublicopinion. Thatinvestigativeworkcontinuestobewhatsheisknownfor, eventhoughsomeofherlaterwritingsdefended

Americanbusiness. Shediedinnineteenforty-four.

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VOICEONE:

ApicturehassurvivedfromthelongagodayswhenIdaTarbelltookonthegiantStandardOilCompany. ItshowsJohnD. Rockefellerwalkingtohiscar. Itwastakenafterhiscompanyhadlostanimportantcourtbattle. Heiswearingatallblackhatandalongcoat. Helooksangry.

Severalpeoplearewatchingthefamousmanfrombehindthecar. Oneisaverytallwomen. MisterRockefellerdoesnotseeher.

Ifyoulookcloselyatthepicture, youcanseethefaceofIdaTarbell. Sheissmiling. Ifyouknowthestory, hersmileclearlysays: "Iwon."

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VOICETWO:

ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenandproducedbyPaulThompson. I'mRayFreeman.

VOICEONE:

AndI'mShirleyGriffith. JoinusagainnextweekatthistimeforanotherPEOPLEINAMERICAprogram, onVOA.