Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-08-31
THp permanence of the oil fields

The permanence of the oil fields
Of Pennsylvania ought to be SUBJ
jact Of Interested inquiry in South
srn California. For upwards of
twenty years these apparently in-
exhaustible reservoirs have con-
tinued to pour out a stream Of Pc
troleum without parellel in the
worlds history. Yet 1t is a nota-
BILE fact that, while the yield Of the
State at large has shown no dim
mutton, the locality of the supply
has changed, or rather shifted, very
materially. VenaDgo county and
OIL Creek are no longer the centers
Of production. Time was when
the yield of petroleum at the seat
Of the original wells was so great
that the Allegheny, the most beau.
tiful of rivers, whose Indian name
means s'clear water" was covered
with the thick scum, and its pei
lucid current became turbulent
and foul, killing the last fish in a
stream which was noted for the
variety and excellence of its finny
treasures. Since those virginia.
days of oil production large are
has been described. While there
is still the same "demnitiou totalp
In the oil production, as Mantilini
would describe it, the old oil terri
tory, II not exhausted, is much de-
pleted. A time will come, in the
next twenty years, when the pres
ent prolific wells, and those which
may be discovered during the next
decade, will be in the plight of the
original oil territory. When that
time shall have arrived-and it
>,can hardly be postponed beyond
the date we have named-tbe real
opportunity of Southern California
as an oil producer will have arriv-
cd. The Standard Oil Company,
which controls the whole Eastern
production, has seen with Jealous
spirit the possibility of consider
able Oil development in Southern
California. Whatever else they
may have neglected, the managers
of that wealthy corporation have
been careful 10 suppress any very
energetic development of the Pc
troleum deposits of the Pacific
Coast. This could only be done in
one way, viz, by keeping prices
very low in this section. They per-
haps rightly concluded, from a busi-
ness standpoint, that it would never
do to give the Southern Califor-
mia oil producers the stimulus of
the high prices that the long and
expensive transportation from the
East would Of itself have assured to
them. AS we have said the day is
not far distant when the virgin oil
territory of Pennsylvania will have
been thoroughly exploited. When
that time comes, much such a
boom as characterized Western
Pennsylvania twenty years ago
will set in in Southern California.
Even with all the impediments
which could be devised by a corpo-
ration which has untold millions
at its command we have made sat-
isfactory progress. The San Fer
nando oil region has sustained the
promise which led one or two sa-
gacious capitalists to undertake it's
development some years ago, and
the impetus of a lessened oil pro-
duction in Pennsylvania, or the
reversal Of the hostile tactics of the
Standard oil Company, would in
augurate an era of unprecedented
prosperity around Newh all, in Los
Angeles county, and in the Sespe
oil region, in Ventura county. The
extent of oil territory available in
Southern California is almost linn
itless. The passengers by boat
from San Francisco south have no
sooner rounded Point Conception
than the waves of old ocean even
are seen to be covered with petro-
leum, reoallingTa peculiarly of Oil
e.' .Hahs used to gather
s.F Celebrated medicinal oil, and
whore, later, practical men convert.
ed the region into an agency of
wealth for millions. When the
real era of petroleum development
shall Get In in Southern California
II 10 doubtful whether the yield Of
our early placers will not be dis
counted. Both the scientist and the
practical oil man unite in the YER
dict that all the geological indica-
tions are favorable for an almost
tllimitable yield of petroleum In
the belt which includes the Sespe
and San Fernando districts. Here
and there man has made his ap-
pearance who shows that he has
faith In the future. OF these Mr..
FELTON, has been the chief, and there
have. been men of smaller means,
like Mr.. Robert Mcpherson, who
have shown an equal belief In the
section. 1t is pleasant to know
shat Mr.. FELTON, has expended his
large means to some purpose. The
large and remunerative yield of oil
which has followed his outlays as
sure him q gratifying pecuniary |
return. May his tribe increase,
10