The herald., 1898-10-27
nOLABIRD vs.. De GROOT
THE WESTLAKE OIL LIMIT ORDI-
NANCE TO BE TESTED
Arrests of Well Borers to Be Made
Today-What the Leaders Have
to Say About It

Today j. w. Shelton and Bert Culver will
probably be arrested for violation OF city
ordinance 406l, which prohibits the boring
of oil wells within loo feet OF Westlake
park. The arrest of these men VIII mark
the first step IN case which promises TO be
one of the lveliest OF the kind ever tried
in a Los Angeles court. 1t will be nominal
ly the city VS.. Skelton and Culver, but 1t Is
really the Westlake Improvement and Pro-
tectlve association VS.. the oil men en- masse,
with the owners of some OF Los Angeles
most handsome residences on the one side
and the representatives OF the city S prln-
cpal industry on the other The case is to
test the l600-foot limit ordinance, and the
sides are about equally belligerent.
William f. De Groot is the leader OF the
oil men and William ii. Holabird is sort
OF chief pow-wower for the l6OO-foot rep
resentatves. AS hint of the possibilities
of the case, these gentlemen's respective
views are significant. Said Mr.. Holabird
yesterday: 1--WE propose to fight for our
homes and our tiresides I've heard that
that man De Groot might be expected to
endanger my life. That's all right. I'm a
fighter from way back, and though l never
carry arms of any sort, | haven't had four
years training for nothing"
Said De Groot: "Tm in this fight to stay
from start to finish. That man Holabird's s
name ought to be Holow-bird. He and his
friends think that they can drive out this
city's most paying industry to protect their
selfish interests. From these gentlemen 8
residences the derricks which we propose to
erect can scarcely be seen. If they want to
they can plant ivy vines over these derrlcks
and make them ornaments to the town.
Their statement that the odor would be OBJ
noxious to them is baseless, because the
winds are not favorable. Moreover, the
drainage from our well is away from West
lake, not toward it. l am fighting because
l own fifty or sixty lots in that district
which would produce oil. l am not an ad-
vance agent OF the oil companies, as they
seem to think"
The offending we'll is located on San
Joaquin street, near Ocean View avenue.
DE Groot announced some time ago that he
proposed to drill for sulphur water, not oil,
thus escaping the violation of the word OF
the ordinance, which deals with oil only
Now DIR. w. P. Book of the Rex Oil com.
pany has come into control of the we'll by
lease or otherwise. Yesterday Attorney
Batcheller OF the Rex company announced
to the city attorney that his company would
not disguise the fact that oil was the Oh
ject OF the drilling. This was accepted as
challenge of the ordinance, and complaints
we're sworn to against Shelton and Culver
the workmen engaged in drilling. The
actual drilling began Tuesday afternoon al
about 4 o'clock, and yesterday about a ten
foot depth had been reached. j. P. Coyne
signed the complaints.
d. X. Trask will look after De Groot's in
terests in the case and Judge Miller and At
torney Harry Stevens will represent the
Westlake residents, who announce that they
will spare no expense to sustain and up
build the reputation of Los Angeles as q
residence city, rather than a manufacturing
center. '1f we find the present ordinance
weak" said Mr.. Holabird, "we'll see that
the council passes new ordinances of the
The oil men have money and determine
tion. too. They will furnish bail for theil
employees, Shelton and Culver, and in cas-,
Of their conviction will play their fines, bu
| the oil men expect to win.