The herald., 1894-10-18
OIL MEN MAKE A MOVE.
PRESENTED A PETITION TO THE
MAYOR YESTERDAY.
bjecting to the Ordinance Passed by
tho Council-It Is Practically Pro-
hibitory- to Run
All the Time.

The owners OF the oil wells in the
Second street oil district. and Others in
terested in the oil industry in this city,
are not satisfied with the ordinance
passed by the council on Tuesday
morning, regulating the manner OF ope-
rating the wells.
Yesterday morning shortly after the
HERALD reached the district, containing
the report Of the councils action and
the account OF the plans of the organ
lied opposition to the wells. meeting
OF owners and others interested was
called at the office of one OF the oil
companies on the grounds. and steps
were taken for self protection.
The articles in the HERALD were read
and discussed at length, and az re-
sult, a petition addressed to Mayor
Rowan was drawn up and received q
number OF signatures. The petition
asks the mayor to withhold his
signature from the ordinance until the
oil men can present statements in re-
gard to their side OF the case, which may
put an entirely different aspect on the
case.
The part of the ordinance which was
eliminated is the only part which the
oil men think should have been in it,
and that was the part relating to an in
spector of boilers.
II. IL. Doheny, who is a leading spirit
among the oil men, stated to a HERALD
reporter yesterday that the owners were
anxious to see an inspector appointed,
and he thought he could speak for every
ono OF them in this matter; but there
WAS not single one who favored the Or
dinance ss it passed the council.
a strong objection lie made to regulat-
ing the hours of labor in the wells.
Anyone familiar with the oil we'll busi-
ness knows that in boring the wells the
work must be continuous at certain
etages. Ii q cavern occurs at any time
to etop the work before the well ia com.
pleted il would mean not only the aban-
doning of the well but the loss of the
tools used in boring.
Again. ii it becomes neceeeary to start
the fires in the engine at & O'Clock every
morning, dense cloud of smoke caused
by che operation will be produced from
every boiler on the grounds, and all this
coming at one time will make q greater
nuisance than at present, by far. If the
fires are continuous the smoke is not
dense except when the free are crowded
SO as to destroy complete combustion.
The ordinance, as it stands now, ia
almost prohibitory, the oil men claim,
and if it is the intention OF the council
to prohibit the industry, the oil men
want to know ii at once.
A committee to attend to all further
action looking to the establishment OF
the rights OF the oil men was appointed
at the meeting yesterday. The commit
tee consists OF Messrs. Doheny, Bsyer,
Snyder, Turner, Hunt and Ellsworth.
The committee will meet at 10 O'Clock
today and formulate definite plans for
the future. The mayor has not yet con-
sidered the petition presented yester-
day.
A number Of new wells are being
bored in other localities besides tho
Second street district. The owners of
the hill district in East Los Angeles,
about half mile beyond the shooting
park, are boring two wells there and
are confident they have good indications
and prospects OF s large flow of good oil.
1t is also stated on good authority
that well is to be started on the prop
erty OF j. Morgan, nea. Sycamore grove,
in the Arroyo Seco. The wells on Boyle
iloiRutu aIo nub OpofhtiuB Ol ACCOUNT Oh
the lack OF machinery heavy enough for
the purpose, but the machinery ia now
being brought there.
The oil borers have been served by
the street superintendent with notices
to remove all wires. ropes and pipes ex-
tending across streets or alleys in the
district by Saturday. Nearly half the
wells will be shut down Saturday on &C.
nf
wells are very much wrought up over
this notice. The owners have spent
considerable money in improving the
streets and alleys in the district, and
feel that as no one ever uses the street
except themselves the city ought not to
kick.