The herald., 1894-10-08
ACTIVITY IN THE OIL FIELDS.
New Wells On Every Hand
Are Seen.
The Output Grows Steadily Day
by Day.
The Question of Storing tho OIL Has
Become an Important One.
Crowds Went Out There
Yesterday.

to Second atreet in this city. The &C.
tivity in oil we'll development grows
steadily and even now it ia hard to de-
fine the limits of the district, for new
derricka loom up On every side each
week.
Seventy wells have been bored there
in a half mile square within a few
months. Only three OF these have
failed to produce oil in paying quanti-
ties. Only in one direction from the
first discovery has Gil not been found.
Taking Court street as base, to the
north beyond Patton street the wells
have not produced, but only two have
been sunk there and these by inexperi-
enced men. To the west and south over
beyond the Sueskind wells at least a
quarter Of milo and fully half mile
from the first discovery q well is being
bored now, and already at depth of
500 feet good indications are found. In
fact the indications were there before
the we'll was started.
There are at least dozen new wells
now where work of ofdevelopment ia be-
ing done. The East Side Oil company,
composed OF the owners of the Banner
and the Golden West plants, ia at work
on new we'll on the opposite side of
Lake Shore avenue from the present dis
trict.
On TOP of the hill above Patton street
six new derricks are already completed
and como OF the wells down several hun
dred feet.
Doheney, Cannon and Owens, the
owners OF fourteen fine wells in the dis
trict, are sinking at the present time
three new wells end today will COM
mence spudding on the fourth. These
gentlemen have two wells about half
way up the hill in the very heart OF the
district, the oil from both of which flows
into one tank snd the tank receives
about sixty-fve barrela day from
them.
Turner Bros. have fourteen wells in
operation. The Susskind we'll, VIII ich
started as gusher only few veeks ago,
yields q steady flow at present, but is
not pumped steadily on account of O
scarcity of tankage to hold the output.
This we'll and the new one on she came
property will prove two of the beat pro-
ducers in the district, no doubt, when
both ere pumped to their fullest oapa-
city.
Rathburn and Wilkinson have
finished on we'll near Lake View ave-
nue. at the foot Of the hill which ia
yielding steadily and promiues we'll.
1t is an encouraging fact that not one
OF the wells which opened up right at
first has ceased to yield lair supply,
and many which did not seem TO be
yielding much at the start are gradually
increasing in the extent OF their output.
The total output of the district now is
between five and six hundred barrels
per day.
What etorage tanks there are now on
the grounds will not hold more than a
few days yield, and in consequence
come of the wells are not being forced to
the utmoat. The owners know they have
the oil and can produce it at thoir pleas
ure. The consumption of crude oil in
Los Angeles is increasing steadily. The
oil sells on the ground at $l.55 per barrel
now, and C large number of teams and
tank wagons are daily employed in
hauling the product.
The best we'll in the district ct the
present time, owned by Turner Bros,
has produced three barrels per hour for
the past two weeks. This oil flows
through considerable gas end is thus
!
There are several of the wells now
where the gas is present in juet suffio-
lent qusntities to force the oil TO the
surface, but the yield from these wells
is very moderate and the oil is generally
allowed to run down into holes dug in
the ground that will hold not more th an
three or four barrels. From these basins
it is dipped by hand. Also in the wells
where water 10 struck along with the oil
the flow runs off into pool where the
oil is dipped from the surface as it rises
TO the top, and then poured off into bar
rels. In the Hunt well, on the brow OF
the hill, the gas forces up about three
bsrrels of oil per day. No pumping is
done.
The best wells are those where oil ia
struck at depth OF about $50 feet. Here
the oil is lighter and there is no gas or
water.
A large number of people were out at
the oil wells Yesterday. The place in
point OF appearance is not as attra ctive
as the parks, but a great deal OF the
work going on out there presents ioa.
lures OF interest.
The whole ecsne viewed from dis
tance ia novel one. Almost es thickly
placed "a treea in O forest the derricka
rear their peaks to the sky. Soma are
clean and new looking, while others that
stand over the oldest wells are covered
with the oleagnous matter clear TO the
top. The bare, brown hills and the
miniature valleys are here and there
spotted with black patches of the oil.
A bewiderlng network of pipes Of all
sizes. and wire and ropes lead from one
! place TO another, intereectlng and cross-
| ing each other. Immense tanks with
dirty exteriors and filled with the oil
are everywhere. Boilers and engine 8
are standing about, together with ma
chinery OF about every kind and de-
scription, from an egg-beater to a
threshing machine.
Tho "chuck chuck" of exhaust valves,
the hiss of escaping steam and the
| plash of oil from the pipes into the
tanks fill the place with sound and
taken altogether it presents an animated
scene.
Over on Boyle Heights, at the corner
of Soto and Magnolia streets. the
Chandler we'll is down 400 feet and both
oil and water come to within four inches
of the top without pumping. The
sand now being taken out is filed with
oil and every indication is that steady.
flowing well OF good oil will be found
there. If so new district ia opened up
| and no man knows the end.
The owner of this well has ceased
operations for few days until some
heavier machinery can be brought from
puente.
The owners Of tho wells in the Second
street district laugh at the threats oi
| residents in that neighDorhoOd to place