(Testimony of Paul M. Raigorodsky)
Mr. Jenner.
When was that?
Mr. Raigorodsky.
In December--the 28th, 1920.
Mr. Jenner.
1940?
Mr. Raigorodsky.
1920.
Mr. Jenner.
How old are you, by the way?
Mr. Raigorodsky.
Sixty-five exactly. May I have this not on the record?
Mr. Jenner.
All right.
(Discussion between Counsel Jenner and the Witness off the record at this point.)
Mr. Jenner.
All right, go ahead.
Mr. Raigorodsky.
Well, I came to this country.
Mr. Jenner.
In 1920?
Mr. Raigorodsky.
Yes; and they told me that for the money that they advanced for me to travel, that we only have to serve in the United States for some capacity, so when I came in, I enlisted in the Air Force and was sent to Camp Travis, Texas, and then in 1922 I received an honorable discharge, and because it was I enlisted in time of war, I became full-fledged citizen in 4 months after I arrived to this country.. We still were at war with Germany, the peace hadn't been signed. And then I went to the University of Texas in 1922 and graduated in 1924.
Mr. Jenner.
What degree?
Mr. Raigorodsky.
Civil Engineering. That's all they were giving, even though my specialty is petroleum engineering, but I took courses in different subjects.
By the way, first, I speak with accent and second, I speak with colds, and you can stop me any time and I will be glad to repeat.
And, that was in 1924--then I went to work in Los Angeles, Calif. I simultaneously married and that was in 1924. I married Ethel Margaret McCaleb, whose father was with Federal Reserve Bank--a Governor or whatever you call it.
Mr. Jenner.
Federal Reserve Bank?
Mr. Raigorodsky.
It was here in Dallas under Wilson in 1918---he was appointed. At that time he was a banker and was organizing banks. Then, I stayed in California for some from--1924 until more or less--until 1928. I worked as an engineer with E. Forrest Gilmore Co.
Mr. Jenner.
Is that a Dallas concern?
Mr. Raigorodsky.
No; that was a California concern, specializing in the building of gasoline plants and refineries. Then, I worked for Newton Process Manufacturing Co. and for Signal Oil and Gas Co.--just, that is, progressive--you see, it was going from one to another, getting higher pay and things like that, and then in 1928 the Newton Process Manufacturing Co. was sold out and three of us, I was at that time chief process engineer, and the other man was chief construction engineer, and the third one was chief operational engineer--we organized a company called Engineering Research and Equipment Co., and we started to build gasoline plants and refineries. Then, I was sent to Dallas because our business was good--I was sent to Dallas.
Mr. Jenner.
Your business was growing?
Mr. Raigorodsky.
Oh, yes; growing. I was sent to Dallas and I organized an office here. Then, we moved the company from Dallas and made the Los Angeles office a branch office. Then, I went to Tulsa and opened an office of our company there, and that way we were building lots of plants in Louisiana, in Texas, in Oklahoma. Then, I sold out my third in 1929. It was a good time to sell out, and I organized the Petroleum Engineering Co., which company I have had ever since, until just now--it is inoperative.
Then, I continued to--I opened an office in Houston and continued to build gasoline plants and refineries under the name of Petroleum Engineering Co. and built about 250 of them all over the world and in the United States---lots of them even in Russia, though I never went there, we had a protocol ( I believe No. 4), under which we were supposed to have given them some refineries and gasoline plants--you know the "chickens and the eggs" situation. The fact is I
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