The herald., 1895-05-16
some MORE OIL WELL TALK
The Fire Commissioners Hear
Oil Well Petitions
PRESENTATION OF A BADGE
Chief Moore and Assistant Chief Smith
Receive Gifts
C-. Louise NJ. Harvey Appointed as
Deputy Sanitary Inspector OF
Sonoratown
PRESENTATION OF A BADGE

At the regular meeting of the board of
fire commissioners yesterday all the mcm-
bers were present. with the exception Of
Commissioner Bolts.
Quite number of spectators were pres
ent. and were treated to "a surprise, as
were also the chief AMI assistant chief of
the fire department. Chief Moore stated
that according to instructions he had re-
quested the presence at this meeting OF
Assistant Chief Il. II. Smith. Mayor
RAIDER then made few remarks, stating
that he understood the assistant chief had
a good many friends in the department.
and he wished to know If he had been
using his position as means of favorine
! his friends. Mr.. Smith. in reply said
that he had always endcavored to do his
duty, and that he had never favored any
| one in any manner that was not strictly
| i'll accordance with the rules of the de-
partment. The mayor then presented him
with II handsome diamond badge from the
members of the fire department. and
Chairman Netter presented Chief Moore
with diamond stud, also from the mem
bers OF the department. Both gentlemen
express themselves as proud of this ex-
preston of good will from the boys. al
though Mr.. Smith says he was slightly
embarrassed while the mayor was speak
| ing.
Upon taking up regular business pc
tition vas presented from B. d. Eachus
and others, asking permission to bore for
oil in the territory bounded by State.
Figueroa, Ohio and First streets. l.. s.
Seaman spoke in behalf of the petition
and ]. Il. Steward spoke in behalf of the
people protesting against the petition be-
ing granted.
Commissioner kuhrts said that the
board had agreed upon certain distric
for oil development and that in his opin
ion the board ought to stand to that
agreement and not permit the extension
or enlargement of the oil territory. until
the city council should. by an ord nance
or otherwise, change the limits of that
district.
J. r. Steward was heard. He said that
atfidavits had been secured from Is large
number of people to the effect that the
oil well business as now operated was a
great nuisance to them all. The smoke
and fumes given forth from the wells were
So obnoxious that it prevented him from
sleeping. He stated further that he was
in favor of obeying the law. and that if
the fire comm ission should tell him that
IL nuisance existed in his back yard he
would promptly take steps to have it
abated. He thought that other people
should be forced to abate nusances.
In reference to the argument that if ehe
operation of any well created a nuisance
the person who was damaged could col
lect damages, he would like to state that
few of the men operating the oil wells
were men OF property and means, and
that it would be hard to collect damages.
Some of the men operating wells when
approached by people whose property had
been damaged and who wished to to Sc
cure some return Tor the damages went
SO far as to say that if they could not
stand the nuisance or the damage to
their property they could move out.
Albert Mcfarland was heard in behalf
of himself and others. and complained of
the smoke. SCOT and gases emitted from
the sniokestacks and tlues in use at the
oil wells. He said that an impression
seemed to have been created to the effect
that the people whose residences were in
neighborhood of the wells were opposed
to the wells being operated. This was
not so. They were not opposed to the
industry. but they wished it tc be carried
On so it would not be a nuisance. They
wanted it to be regulated.
Mayor RAIDER said that it was the de-
sire of the board to deal fairly with all
the people interested. either for or against
the oil development but it was a delicate
question to act on, ana one IN which it
was very difficult to deter mine Just what
was fair. The petition was then referred
to tine chief.
mission TO sink an oil well on the south
side of State street, between Lake Shore
avenue and Belmont avenue. was granted,
as was slso the petition of Peter johnson
to use a gasoline engine at No. 1912 South
Main street.
The application CT o. r. scholl to bore
for oil east of Belmont avenue, near State
street, was denied. and also the petition
of the Far West Oil company to bore IN
the Belmont grounds and also to bore
on First street west of the produced line
OF Welcome street were denied.
I'm 9TH matt To hnr for oil
that were before the board were laid over
until the city council should take action.
The following new petitions were re-
ferred to the chief:
CIV. Sloan. asking to bore on lots Nos
and 8. block 26. Park tract, short dis
tance north of Court street, and west of
Figueroa.
Il. S. Credland. to bore on lot 15 block
J. Glassel's subdivision. next to the cor
ner of L.akeshore avenue and West State
street.
Richard Nelson. to bore on the north
west corner of lockwood street and Bel
| mont avenue.
W. d. Gibbs. to bore on lot I. block H,
of the Los Angeles Improvement COM
pany's subdivision.
A. f. Reynolds. to bore for water on lot
SO of Kercheval tract.
f. S. Barkelew, to bore on lot 1, block
u. Collna park tract.
II. G. Young. to bore on lot 15 block Ii,
Glassell's subdivision.
W. J. Craig and others. to bore on lot
4, block J, Glassell's subdivision on Ho-
part street.
w. g. Reed. to bore on east side of Met
calf street between Belmont avenue and
State street
Wright e. Fosmir to bore northeast OF
and near the Catholic cemetery.
L. Il. Nelson. to bore on the west side of
proposed Alvarado street, between First
street and Ocean View avenue.
From J. ID. Bailey complaining of the
manner in which oil is hauled by the
Metropolitan Oil company on Toluca
street.
The chief was instructed to formulate
and present to the board at its next meet
ing plan whereby the members of the
department. could take their vacation OF
ten days, as required by law.
AT tho meeting Of the board OF health a
committee from the Los Angeles Settle
ment association. consisting OF Miss Eve
lyn L. Stoddart. Miss Mary II. Bingham
and DIR. Louise NJ. Harvey, appeared and
requested that the board appoint DR..
Louise M. Harvey as deputy sanitary in
spector for SonC ratown, without pay.
The request was granted and DIR. Harvey
duly appointed. This action was taken
by the Settlement association as a means
OF helping them in their work. which
consists in making better the condition
physically and mentally of the inhabit-
ants of Sonoratown. The board also