Indeed, Elkins's great fortune was little more than a free gift from Widener, who carried him as a partner in all his deals.

Elkins became Widener's bondsman when the latter entered the City Treasurer's office; the two men lived near each other on the same street, and this association was cemented when Widener's oldest son married Elkins's daughter.

Elkins had started life as an entry clerk in a grocery store, had made money in the butter and egg business, had "struck oil" at Titusville in 1862, and had succeeded in exchanging his holdings for a block of Standard Oil stock.

He too became a Philadelphia politician, but he had certain hard qualities--he was close-fisted, slow, plodding--that prevented him from achieving much success.
For the other members of this group we must now change the scene to New York City.

In the early eighties certain powerful interests had formed plans for controlling the New York transit fields.