Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-10-17

ity, to be as extensive as any discovered
on the American continent. They differ
very essentially from the Pennsylvania
coal measures, which discharge oil in
almost inconceivable quantities-some-
times in quantities SO great that it can
scarcely be handled-for a short time
and then give out. The producing area
of both Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia
has shifted very greatly of recent years.
The deposits are quickly exhausted, and
the regions which made the reputation
of Coal Oil Johnny and other ephemeral
millionaires are now barren. After dis
charging prodigious quantities of oil for
a few weeks, months or years, as the
case might be, they ''petered out"
On the contrary. in the Pico Canon,
in Los Angeles county, the wells are
yielding just as reliably now as they
were twelve years ago. All the geolo-
gical conditions, particularly the strait
fcation of the rock, here appear
10 be different from those of the
oil fields OF Pennsy sylvania, Ohio,
Virginia and Canada. The source
of supply evidently is referable to
an extensive prism. Professor Denton,
who made very elaborate investigations
as to their extent and character, and
who lectured upon them in this city,
pronounced them superior in extent and
durability to the Pennsylvania and other
Eastern measures. Professor Den
toms inquiries embraced the Santa
Paula and Sespe regions, although we
believe that the Puente deposits h ad not
at that time been discovered. He pro-
nounced that whole oil territory specially
valuable and probably perennial. Doubt
less the Puente and southern measures
have the same general characteristics of
the country examined by Denton.
Mr.. Wick's suggestion about piping oil
from the Puente to Los Angeles is val
liable one, and we are surprised that it
has not heretofore been acted upon. The
distance is trifling, and the expense
would be comparatively small. AS a
basis for cheap fuel for manufacturing
purposes, it would be invaluable. His
statement that petroleum is shipped
from Southern California to San
Francisco, and there used to manufacture
sand, which is brought from Monterey,
into glass, is very encouraging one to
those who desire to see substa nt;al
industries established here. If these
materials can be carried those great dis
tances to be manufactured by San Fran
ciscans, they can certainly be manufac-
tured here with an equal facility and
profit.
But the HERALD desires to dwell on
another aspect of the matter. The
writer, about a year ago, made on the
cars, on q trip to San Francisco, the
acquaintance of gentleman interested
in the natural gas wells Of Pittsburg,
Pennsylvania. He had spent several
weeks in the neighborhood of Los Ange-
les and had examined the country very
critically. He expressed unhesitatingly
the opinion that there was as much
natural gas in the vicinity of Los Angeles
as there was nWestern Pennsylvania, and
he regretted that his business engage
ments were so exigent that he could not
himself join in the work of exploiting our
natural gas measures. AS we passed
Lang's Station he pointed out the i'm
mense measures of the very finest decom-
posed limestone which could be thrown
out here at an expense, including trans
portation, of not more than a couple of
dollars ton, against the $1S ton which
the Pittsburg glass manufacturer would
have to pay for similar, or really an in
ferior grade of material.
The writer, in the early days of oil de.
velopment in the present great produ-
GERS, had many opportunities of examin-
ing the surface indications of what are
now the great natural gas producing re
gions in the world. He has seen appa.
rently better indications within a radius
Of mile and half from the Los Ange-
les courthouse than he saw there.
There can be no harm and may be much
good in trying the experiment of boring
for this gas on a large scale. If it were
once secured we may be assured that our
climatic and horticultural attractions
would not monopolize the attention of
our own people and that of the stranger
within our gates. Manufactures would
spring up like magic, and the possibilities
of our future would be rounded out
symmetrically.
Mr.. Wicks and his associates have
struck most promising lode end they
should exploit it for all that it is worth.
We shall not only pipe oil but we should
develop and pipe natural gas into Los
Angeles as basis of many staples which
we can manufacture here to great ad-
vantage if we are once assured cheap
fuel.
Rmflh Tin nrr