Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-01-31
LETTER FROM SESPE DISTRICT.
A Los Angsleno's Ride Through the Rain
Work at the Los Angeles Oompany's Well
Other Wells,
SEsPE CANYON, Jan. Goth.

SEsPE CANYON, Jan. 10Th.
EDITOR HERALD: Did your ever
start out upon seventy mile ride
in the rainy season? No? Well,
don't; for if you do, in vain will
you pull down your vest and wipe
off your editorial chin = it will
avail you nothing, and you will be
a "dem'd moist, unpleasant body"
all the same. This is just what
happened to my "rard" and me
when Ell route to this place, We'd
nesday, January Eth; for though
the sun was shining in the morn
ing, by afternoon, when we rode
into that Pueblo Grande," San
Fernando, we were in a wet pack,
a success as II pack q no. seback,
but still unpleasant. San Fernan-
dos one hotel was not open, and
there was no fire in its two saloons
and one store! Note that, o eau
tious traveller, and shun San Fer
nando on rainy day! On through
a cold, driving rain a mile and a
half further to Lopez's ranch,
where n roaring fire and a good
dinner, a la Espa1al, made our
hearts glad. At Andrews Station,
at noon the next day, my comrads
was Obliged to leave his horse, now
badly lame, and ret urn to Los An
geles by train-nothing 10th, how
ever, for he had been more gloomy
during our ride than the state of
the weather warranted.
Reaching this place Friday, Jan.
10th, 1 found that the storm had
made great havoc with the roads.
Captain Roberts, with eight or ten
men, was busily engaged repairing
the road through the canon to his
camp, which had been made i'm
passable, to be ready for the teams
carrying the engine. No sooner
had Captain Roberts accomplished
the task, liz which there were
many difficulties, and succeeded in
getting a light wagon over the
road, than another big rain coming
Thursday-day before yesterday
washed the road into worse con-
dition than before! This would
have disheartened less spirited
man than the energetic Captain.
Not so he; for yesterday morning
be was hard at work again with
additional force. The engine is
now at the mouth of the Little
Sespe, and if no moro rains come
will be at the derrick in week or
ten days. Messrs. McDougall,
Joyce & Lince, contractors for the
Los Angeles Company, have the
derrick erected and most of the
machinery ready and waiting only
for the engine to commence boring.
The contract is for 1000 feet at $4
per foot.
Boring at the Kentuck claim is
making good progress and is now
down loo feet-a gain Of 20 feet in a
week in spite of surface water,
which has occasionally filled the
well. Boring here is done by horse
power and it does one good to see
the vim with which Mr.. Jones, in
the absence of the driver, urges
along the old horse-doing this
with the same earnestness that he
uses in other parts of the work.
One other we'll is going down in
this region at the mouth of the
Cahada del Cerco or Hopkins
Canon, which was the old dividip G
line between the San Fernando
and Ventura missions. Beardsley
& Thompkins, contractors for a
Santa Barbara company, are doing
this by hand power and are down
140 feet. Two men standing upon
a plank thrown across the derrick
some twelve feet from the ground
pump away "for dear life" upon
the big spring pole which supports
the drills weight, looking all the
time as though they thought it a
"dem milton grind" Mr.. Beardsley
told me in his droll way that "they
were invalids when they com
menced, but look at them now,n
and invited me to take hold and
pump as long as L wished!
There is undoubtedly oil in all
this country-it is only necessary
to cross one of the little streams to
smell it-and it only remains for
one Of these wells to prove that it
can be had in paying quantities
and quality. On Tar Greek, in a
little valley, lying up in the
mountains between the Big and
Little Sespe, it runs away on the
surface Of the water in quantities
estimated at 20 barrels day!
OF the San Fernando district !
will tell you in my next.
Yours,
upTT n ~