This is where the rubber hits the road;
I'll never be in the head of the young Rockefeller back in 1850 odd, pre the era of the internal combustion engine by a few decades and at a time where there was not much use for the oil oozing out of the ground except for kero for lamps and grease for wagon wheels. But i'll hazzad the guess it was his guess at energy density and at low cost plus societal need married to technological capacity for innovation( fundamental optimism) were drivers.
Your bog ordanry back block farrier of the 1870s couldn't possibly have seen the transportation future hurtling toward them then. That future was to constrain their skills to not much more than an historical novelty (note*... I have great respect for the craftsmanship of those who wish to carry forward skills that would otherwise be lost due to industrial triumphalism. For those with interest please see ;
)
But the modern day metaphorical equivalents are just as blind.
Nobody here ( I hope) is going to suggest to their children or grand children to invest their superannuation in colonial gunsmithing associated manufacture as a path to an economic future, the same way as they should be laughing at clowns tossing up lumps of coal as baubles of progress in Australia's 2017 parliament.
The fundamental economic mathematic$ regard the future of electric motivated transportation are unavoidably compelling.
The financial opportunities; manifold ...??? ... well ...Rockfellers descendants, amongst others, are working their way to monetise exactly this.