New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-04-01
IL There Petroleum in California
70 tie Editor Of the ~ Y. Tribune


Among these arc the following papers.
Communicated to The Republican.
CAMpRlDGE March 81, 1865.
ensknr certain Inquiries reang to petroleum, &C. in Cali
lors Some Of your questions can ans'ver otner' n9
forna I'd: "What il the relation between PETROLEUM and
c,r in immense ouantities' 3d Have any attempts
snade to extract oil from ne bunen or aphaNum II So,Sa
You further that viii give any information that
you tme interesting important in this connection and
whether you % would advise fiend TO invest money IN
any Of the stock companies above referred to- that IS com
psnie. which you have mentioned. &c,
As understad IT, petroleum IL the term used to
cern mineral oil. which 40 not absorb oKy gen ii go
to harden into sold readily Such are tne
or as it has ben there called until lately mineral tar
rises the rocks which exposure undeioe chanses
the result Of which asphaltun solid mass breaking ike
sot rock The esphatim as ~ d, posts aHd rs it
to market Thu hardened material cooianins more or
less sand Specimens selected on the material ~ maset an
Francisco which looked pure contained over 81 per
am not aware that petroleum in the in which that
used Pennsy wanna is found in California But Ne
hauid sad asphaum occur in immense quantities. the latter
resulting the former 1t in the Coast
There many localities the material practically in
oxhaube. There have been several attempts extract oil
snufscory was in operation near Las Angeles in DecemhT
1850 DO not know with what success In 1901 visited an
oil manuiacory" San Buenavcntura. The material
operated sand from the bluffs Of the Shore which
eas saturated with the viscou material know nothing Of
Che of this and allowed within the building
was informed however the process successful
fn pecuniarv point of view Near Gioy in year.
visited another mandatory. In that case me iha1s'eu
nsphatum used The process not success eus .
regards quality OF cost OF the oil Similar statements have
been made since the effect bur have nc lf3o o.
their truth or untruth Again, another h IN ri -
&s62 wells bored and u,AnuaetoIy D"il DON were
failures. . ~. ,,,-.e r.
At the the Mechanic Inioe held at San Finn Inn
ssco last September there were eAnlDiea u
nnans and pbe'iini d. we'll bu NO Gs were eiven Of
% o. t us at the present state Of orr knowledge good
nh oil
On California from the a'Phe'um OF l. kindred suh'nce
think this covers the ground desired spok Of not
will be happy give any further Information tina, have
from personal observation experience will state that
visited many asphatum localities before 1904 IN that state
but since the reported dcoveres. do not advise
friends TO invest or not to invest IN mineral o"' bn my
opinion OF the value Of the stocks speak OF ear be seen
from the data have given you. am, Sir most truly
WILLIAM II. BREWER.
CAIIFoRSI. PE1Rotpux-Th The Springfield Republican says:
"There l. quite agitation in Boston amons the holders OF
stocks III Cationla petroleum coupln e"lns 20 ~
psde by Prof Whitney, State Geoosist Of California end ny
Prof Brewer Of Yale Coege who assisted Prot Whitney in
che exploration Of that State They e-ree IN the positive
statement that there absolutely no evidence OF the eltnce
Prot Simsns reports. There is asphgum enough there
but they say that petroleum found in connection with
famed from aphaum is useless either for Illuminating or
u fact and opinion between the distinguished savan~'
AS these disparaging remarks profess TO come from
She scientific gentlemen conducting the Geological
Survey Of California they will certainly seriously affect
the interests of many who thave invested capital in
pensive enterprises looking to TIE development of this
product. Beside this the conflicting views expressed
6y Prof Slliman Of New Haven. and the California |
eOlOgists give additional interest 10 tbs question:
An these strangely contradictory statements II Is
curious observe that those who employed by the
State to discover and make public Its resources should
be found arguing against the occurrence OF what Wo
Dc most valuable product and tins without protesting
80 have ever seen the localities reported upon ana as
there to believe without experience IT. this de-
partment particular knowledge Of the subject.
Public attention first directed 70 this matter by
prof as
the Coast Range N southern California AID brought
back gl,Wing accounts Of tie &c of petroleum
there in large quantities. Eis hr0ther-ln-law Mr.
j. B. Church. gentleman who had Dccn engaged IN
the petroleum business and Mr. j. Wye'h Of Philadei-
pha. who also familiar with il, aud who was en-
gagged last year IN explorations IN California ana An
gOBa also visited the localities and both fully confirm
The statements Of Prot. :. ON the other hand, Pro.
fesSors Whitney ana Brewer are reported III one oil
che above extracts as agreeing IN tie positive /
abatement that there is absolutely evidence 0i the
existence Of petroleum IN southern California" and tie
letter OF Prof g. certainly intended 10 establish
ths point by inference. here Is certainly grave dis
crepancy and II beoOYes these gentlemen quite As uch
rs it does those no are pecunilTy Interested TO have
chs matter cleared mp. In the mean time We can only
silt the evidence already before us ard examine
OF the statements made by the light already possess
In the first place, tie nature OF the testimony OF Prof
g., as 10 the occurrence OF crude petroleum Is direct
and positive, willie that Of the Otner parties IS Of
negative character The one states that be actually
saw good petroleum IL great abundance where the
Others do not profess to have BEEN and these IL not
affirming there IS none in California leave this 20 be
inferred ard argue the effect THAT at tie present
state of our (whose , "knOwledge, good Illuminating
and luhricating oils cannot be prOhtaby made IN Cali
Sornia from the asphaaium or us kindred SuD'dnces.
Now IL is among these kindred substances several mics
back iIOm the coast, that Prot Sma reports hndIug
good petroleum. He caused samples Of II 70 De brought
from Santa Barbara, and several lots (o1e OF ten g
Ions also forwarded by Wells faggos Express,
specially collected b. other parties for gentle.
tnen Of unQues0ned chaIace. and responsibility IN tbs
city and Philadelphia. These samples have been tx
amned by PROS. siiman and a. X Eaten. and other
chemists. ell Of whom have reported them 10 be
petroleum yielding both Illuminating and lubcating
oils IN various propOrtionsOne sample 30 per cent oil
the former and 80 per cent OF the iater-sho"ng TO
be equal 10 Pensyva petroleum o: superior quality
Prof s. in his recent lecture at the Cooper Institute
also exhibited sample of what he stated 10 be crude
California oil ~ Sach extr ordinary purity. that
burned II kerosene lamp Ike feAnsyNanla refined
ell
Now as the argument drawn in the letter from the
assumed designation Of the character OF petroleum and
Its mode of occurrence IN connection with aspialtu
According to the writer Of the letter petroleum the
term used to designate certain mineral oils, which do
not absorb oxygen and through other spontaneous
changes in free contact with the air 30 10 harden
into solid mass readily The designation found IN
scientific treatIses Is generally TO this effect (as given
tn the article PETROLEUM III the New American Cyclic
peda)a substance OF no definite composition, consist
Ing Of various oily hydrocarbons which hold in ISOLATION
parafine and more or less solid butDen asphaltum.
When Of the greatest nudity II assemblies napAtha As
Che proportion Of asphatum Increases the mixture be-
comes thicker and darker, resembling tar IN appear
ence; and at length. by further drAut0n OF tie fluid
Ingredients. it passes into as9haGu Such effect is
produced By evaporation conducted by heat and thus
larry asphalun collected m the sts OF The refneies
1t is reasonable 10 believe that u would in Ike manner
result from loug continued evaporation IN the ary atnOs
pheTe and under the hot OF the region back from
Santa Barbara. by this evaporation the petroleum
"a first deprived Of its lighter component parts ana the
residue is Of little value for producing illuminating OILS
These are nevertheless, thus obtained IN practice by
oubecting the taITy matters 10 second distaiiOn ht
higher temperatures than at rst and in the rcineres