1850 American Gold Tycoon.

Chapter 356 I am not a good person
"You have used Vaseline for a while, how do you feel?" Liang Yao asked Aoki Ling how he felt about using Vaseline.

At present, Vaseline has not been put into the market yet, Liang Yao just took some for Aoki Ling and his maids to use.

But oil workers have discovered that the stuff works wonders for relieving pain from burns and cuts, as well as lubricating and moisturizing.

Many oil workers like to apply this unknown mineral ointment on their hands and faces before work, and they also like to carry some with them as plasters when they are injured at work.

But there is still a difference between the Vaseline in Liang Yao's hands and the mineral ointment used by oil workers.

This is a mineral ointment specially prepared by Nobel in the laboratory according to Liang Yao's requirements for makeup and skin care.

Before the emergence of the chemical industry, the cosmetics used by humans were mainly mineral powders and animal and vegetable ointments. Compared with these cosmetics, Vaseline has great advantages.

Furthermore, crude oil only refines kerosene, lubricating oil and asphalt, in Liang Yao's view, is really a bit wasteful, and some other by-products can be extracted within the scope of one's ability.

What's more, the market of cosmetics and skin care products is not small. If you eat this market, you can make a lot of money and support many people in California.

"Easy to use." Aoki Aya spoke very highly of Vaseline.

"This ointment is different from the ointment I used in the past. No matter how carefully I store the ointment I used in the past, it will become moldy and hairy after a long time, and the smell is indescribable.

But no matter how long this ointment is left, it will not grow hair and deteriorate, and it also has a special fragrance, which is very comfortable to use, and the effect is better than other ointments. "

After Liang Yao released the news of opening up crude oil refining technology, the dignitaries in California were extremely excited.

Their excitement was no less than when Liang Yao provided mercury to the alchemy industry.

Hearing that Liang Yao was going to use the opportunity of establishing the California Petroleum Association to disclose the refining technology of kerosene, the dignitaries of California came to Tingtao Garden early, waiting for the meeting to start.

Since last year, the oil industry in Los Angeles has become as popular as the gold rush industry.

Many wealthy people from San Francisco and Sacramento have already settled in Los Angeles, buying land in Los Angeles from Liang Yao to dig wells for oil.

But they don't make a lot of money. The most valuable oil is the refined product, and the profit of crude oil is not so impressive.

Rich people in California have long coveted Liang Yao's oil refining technology.

In their view, the so-called oil refining technology is alchemy that can turn oil into gold.

In the face of the huge profits of kerosene, some restless people even had the idea of ​​stealing the oil refining technology of Standard Oil Company.

But this is just a thought. In California, even if these rich Californians have this idea, they dare not put it into practice.

After tidying up his clothes, Liang Yao came to the living room.

Compared with the image of the disgraceful old hats three or four years ago, at least outwardly, the current California rich have undergone a makeover.

They changed into clean and tidy dresses, picked up the staff of civilization, and put on expensive manners. Even their speech and behavior became more civilized.

Of course, what is different from three or four years ago is not only the external image of the California elite.

Their ethnic composition has also changed.

Three or four years ago, the dignitaries in California were all white except for a few businessmen from Guangzhou.

Among the upper-class people in California, Chinese and whites account for a [-]-[-] split, and there are even two or three Indian chiefs.

California dignitaries are a relatively broad concept. Among the dignitaries present, there are not only dignitaries from California, but also dignitaries from the Oregon region.

For example, Thomas, the mayor of Eugene, is from the Oregon area.

With the growing prosperity of California, California is already the economic center of the entire West Coast.

Before the rise of California, Oregonians had closer economic ties to Canada to the north, the Hudson's Bay Company in Britain.

Because the Oregon area and the core area of ​​eastern America are only connected by a fragile Oregon Trail, the traffic is very inconvenient. Therefore, for convenience, Oregonians often sell their local fur, wood, and some agricultural products directly to Hudson Bay. company.

But after the rise of California, everything changed.

Although the Oregon region and the Eastern United States are not easily accessible, the Oregon region and California are very accessible.

Take Eugene Town as an example. Eugene Town has already connected with Sacramento by road. This road is wide enough to accommodate four freight wagons running side by side.

Moreover, the road is paved with asphalt specially transported from Los Angeles, even if it is rainy, the road will not be muddy and difficult to drive.

In addition to roads, the railroad between Eugene and Sacramento is about to be completed, and business exchanges between Eugene and California will also be more convenient.

Now, Eugene has become a new economic center in the Oregon region, as prosperous as Portland, the first city in Oregon on the lower reaches of the Columbia River.

Immigrants from California and industrial products poured into Eugene town and into the Oregon area, which greatly improved the living standards of the local people.

Fur from the Oregon region are also sent to garment factories in California, where workers process them into finished garments that are sold around the world.The wood is mainly processed on-site into barrels and sold to Los Angeles.

Oregon's economy has become integrated with California's economy.

California can leave Oregon, but Oregon cannot live without California.

There have even been voices among the Oregon folk demanding that the Oregon region be incorporated into California.

It's just that this kind of hope is very slim. At present, California is the second largest state after Texas in terms of territory. If it takes over the Oregon region, the resistance from the federal government may be very strong.

In the 19th century, the federal government was actually weakening local power intentionally or unintentionally.

Texas is willing to be feared by the federal government because of its large state territory. After Texas joined the big family of the United States, the federal government has allocated several lands from Texas to the territories.

Since Liang Yao swallowed up the western part of Nevada, the area of ​​California is about 11 square kilometers larger than that of California in history, which is equivalent to the area of ​​Fujian Province.

It is impossible to say that the federal government is not afraid.

What's more, compared to Texas, California's current population size and economic strength are several levels higher than Texas.

Before Liang Yao appeared, the focal figure in the living room was Deng Wenshun.

Deng Wenshun is the president of Standard Oil Company and the mayor of Los Angeles. With either of these two identities, Deng Wenshun is worthy of the curry favor of these California dignitaries.

Just two years ago, Deng Wenshun was a very marginal figure in California, the mayor of a remote town in California.

"The speaker is here!"

Someone yelled in the crowd, and the lively living room fell silent in an instant.

All eyes were on Liang Yao, waiting expectantly for Liang Yao to speak.

"You all look like dogs now, and you look more and more like upper class people."

Liang Yao walked to the round table and found a place to sit down, and said with a smile.

"In the United States, if you have money, you are high-class, and if you don't have money, you are low-class." After seeing Liang Yao take a seat, Fei Er also found a seat and sat down.

"Zhaoming, do you really want to disclose the secret recipe of oil refining?" Wu Yuanhua and Liang Yao matched each other with words, so as to shorten the relationship with Liang Yao.

"When have I lied to you?" Liang Yao smiled, "I can tell you very clearly that the rumors you heard are not groundless. Everyone is from California. How can someone from Liang make money without bringing everyone together to make money? reason."

"What the speaker said is very true. Many of you present here are California veterans who followed the speaker to establish the state. The speaker will not treat us California veterans badly." Sheriff Fleger said.

When Fleger first arrived in California, it was still the California region, and it was still a territory of the federal government.

At that time, Fleger only wanted to eat and wait to die in California. After the gold rush, he just wanted to use his post as sheriff to earn more gold and return to the East to retire.

I never thought that one day I would be able to become a state senator, become a shareholder of a large mining company, and gain both power and wealth.

The rest of the California dignitaries also nodded in agreement.

Following Liang Yao all the way, Liang Yao never treated them badly.

Liang Yao can eat meat, and they can also have a sip of soup.

Fremont, who was sitting next to Liang Yao, smiled without saying a word.

Liang Yao is indeed not like a person who likes to eat alone, but he is not a person who can share wealth with others without any additional conditions.

Based on Fremont's understanding of Liang Yao, it is indeed possible for Liang Yao to disclose the secret oil refining formula, but there must be additional conditions.

Liang Yao waved his hand, and his junior assistant, Carnegie, brought four bottles.

The four bottles contained kerosene, petroleum jelly, lubricating oil, and asphalt.

These four products are the four commodities with the most economic value that can be extracted from crude oil at the current chemical level in California.

"What I want to tell you is that Standard Oil Company can not only extract kerosene from crude oil, but also extract cosmetics, lubricating oil for lubricating mechanical parts, and asphalt for paving roads. The commercial value of these four products, I think you must know clear."

Liang Yao introduced the four products to these California dignitaries, and then they clapped their hands. The maids brought out the samples on trays, and let the California dignitaries present pick them up.

Kerosene and asphalt are not uncommon in California, and these California dignitaries are not surprised. What are relatively rare are oil changes and Vaseline.

Especially Vaseline, which many people have never seen before.

Some people who are more curious directly stretch out their fingers, dip Vaseline from the glass container and apply it on their hands and face.

It seems to be quite comfortable, without the disgusting taste and feeling that animal fat brings to people.

"Are you really going to share these trade secrets with us?"

Fair looked at Liang Yao suspiciously. Like the California dignitaries present, he only wanted to get the kerosene smelting formula. He didn't expect Liang Yao to be so generous that he was willing to share other formulas.

"It depends on your sincerity," Liang Yao said.

"California has been established as a state for almost four years, but still does not have its own university. I think you also hope that your children can receive a good education in California."

"You mean we funded the establishment of a university?" Fremont's eyes lit up.

If Liang Yao doesn't share the oil refining technology, he is willing to pay for the establishment of the university together.

There is no doubt that California is now an economically strong state in the United States. However, California's current educational strength does not match its own economic strength. So far, there is no college of higher learning.

　The last one was reviewed several times, which affected the writing progress of this chapter. Sorry, I will post the original text of the last chapter directly to the group later.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)