The herald., 1895-03-03

The principal groups of wells are those
of the Doheny, Common Owens Company
Bayer and Last the Metropolitan Com
pany, Van Slyke and Perkins and Turner
Brothers Besides these there are many
individual owners who have from one to
| three wells. Some of the large compan-
les have quite extensive plants. The der
rcks, engines, boilers, tanks, tank
wagons, and machinery of various kinds
represent quite a heavy investment of
capital.
An interesting feature of the oil field is
the pumping machinery. AS many as
half dozen wells are pumped by the
same engine, the apparatus connecting
the engines with the pumps being very
ingenious continuance.
Considerable difficulty is experienced in
pumping the deeper wells as the suckers
of the pumps wear outvery RAPIDLY owing
to the pressure of the gas and oil and
| the friction of the sand. The delay
caused in repairing the suckers is one of
the causes of the restriction of the out
put, but the chief cause of the restriction
is overproduction and lack of storage
facilities.
AS II n1dtteT VI ldCt tIt kooubllcfft Odll-
fornia oil wells are producing more crude
petroleum than there is home market
for at present. Although it has generally
replaced coal in the generation of steam
power in the city, there is still surplus
of oil, and there would be greater surplus
If all the wells were pumped to their full
capacity. The use of crude oil as fuel is,
however, rapidly increasing, and as it
seems to be only a question of time when
it will take the place of coal on locomo-
tives on all the California railroads, it is
absolutely certain that there will be o de-
mand for far greater quantity than is
now being produced 1t is on this
hypothesis that new territory is being
developed and faith put in the future of
the industry.
Thus far the local oil producers have
been entirely dependent for market on
Los Angeles city. They do not even have
a monopoly in this limited field, as the
Puente and Ventura oil wells are supply
ing good portion of the crude oil used
in the city. The local producers are also
handicapped by the lack of storage and
handling facilities. The entire product
of the Second street park district is now
hauled away in tank wagons-a slow and
expensive process of handling.
1t was to overcome this difficulty that
the Producers Oil Company was incorpor-
ated. This company is composed of a
majority of the producers in the Second
Street Park district who have agreed to
pool their interests with a view of build
ing pipe line and storage tanks and con-
Quoting an oil exchange, thus establish
ing uniform price for petroleum, in
stead of each producer hawking his oil
about and selling it for any price he can
obtain. The contract for pipe line and
a large storage reservoir on the river
front has already been let, and the work
is expected to be pushed to early COM
pletion.
In the meantime several other pipe line
companies have been incorporated and
franchises applied for. When one or all
are completed, it will unquestionably
prove of great advantage to the producers
and go a long way toward establishing a
steady market.
The price of crude oil at present ranges
from 70 cents to 81 a barrel as against $3.50
year ago. The producer can make
money at 81 barrel and oil is cheap for
fuel at that figure. Coal will have to be
laid down in Los Angeles at So per ton to
beat petroleum at the present prices.
The permanency of the supply of oil in
the Second Street Park district was for a
long time doubted, as it was considered
mere seepage, lying near the surface
that would soon be exhausted, but deep
borings have demonstrated that the
volume OF oil increases with the depth of
the well, and it is now pretty generally
believed that it will take a good many
years to pump the field dry. Professor
Watts, an expert in the employ of the
State Mining Bureau, after a careful
examination of the territory has made
a very encouraging report as to its char
acter and extent.
Mr.. Joseph Bayer, one of the pioneers
in the oil business in Los Angeles, and
the owner of Second Street Park, says the
value of the output of the district would
soon amount to $1,000, 900 year, if the
stuff could be sold at fair price as fast
as produced.
The transformation of the little park,
which was few years ago pleasure re-
sort and the surrounding residence lots,
into a bustling oil field, is one of the
wonders of Southern California.
The like of the strange admixture OF
picturesque homes and homely oil wells
cannot be found anywhere else in all the
length and breadth of the land.