The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1898-10-08
OIL AMONG THE ORANGES.
Crude Petroleum In the Orchards
Of Los Angeles


Indications of oil In and about Los
Angeles have been apparen. for years.
and few instances are on record OF
enthusiastic prospectors who sunk
wells to the depth OF from 100 to 200
feet, and actually succeeded il, securing
an occasional barrel of crude petrO.
leum.
The first cable car line was built in
Los Angeles in 1886, and it was natu-
rally conceded by investors generally
that a piece of land close in on the
cable line was about the biggest card
in their pack. This particular section
of town is made up of a series OF hills
crowded along as closely together as
a prairie dog village and just about as
available for town lots. A local real es-
tate dealer acquired some property in
the nuch-yalued region, and then for
several years tried yainly to sell out
at almost any price. Finally. in fit of
desperation, he decided to bore for oil.
This was in August Of last year.
Discouragementa and ridicuie met him
on all sides, and when 1,ODc feet had
been reached without result, his "wild
cat" scheme was the talk Of tEe town.
Then something happened. Sudden
ly, in the dead waste and middle of the
night, tremendous burst of oi. and
gas shot out of the drill hole, flung
every portable object in its pathway
high in the air, literally soaked the
. men in attendance, and saturat.-! the
region roundabout with the grimy,
ill-smelling substance. Dismay reigned
supreme, until the owner of the well
was enabled to turn the enormous out
put into hastily-constructed tank.
At first universal wave OF indigna.
ton swept over the community which
had in the passing of years taken up
it's abode in this region. 1t was out
rageous that olfactories of The peo-
pie should be SO violently assailed-
their very hearth-stones invaded. 1t
was furthermore declared that the we'll
was menace to health, and applica-
tions to abate the nuisance were made
to the city council.
Then there was great calm, which
lasted exactly "a hours, after which
every adjacent property owner with
S1,5o0 in hand or in sight began to pre-
pare for boring. Innumerahle agents
now appeared on the scene, eager to
furnish estimates on readiLg, casing
Tubing, etc.; to supply rig irons, en-
| gines, boilers, or sand pumps, while you
waited; to take your measure for oil
| proof overalls; to move your house.
Oil companies and oil exchanges are
being organized and reorganized al
most daily. Two pipelines are COM
| pleted from the field to the railway
| tracks, one having 32,Ooo-barrel stor.
age tank, and the other with cse
pacity of $4,000 barrels. These lines
cost about $75,OoO
| There are over 400 wells in actual
operation to-day, and the drilling i
progressing RAPIDLY. What with the
purchase of plants and the cost of pip
ing the oil to the railroads, nearly 81
| 100000 capital has already been invest
| ed in the industry.
AS high as 300 barrels of oil have
been pumped from a single well il
"a hours, although 100 barrels is con
sidered an excellent daily average fol
the best producers. The present out
/ put is over 5000 barrels per day. O.
this 1,5oo barrels are required for loca
consumption - breweries, laundries
iron and steel works, printing office;
etc, and the Santa Fe and Termina
Railroad companies being the princi
pal consumers.-Harper's Weekly.