The Mankato free press., 1900-02-23
CALIFORNIA; RESOURCES.
Roy Hudson Reiterates Them For thu
Benefit of His Mankato Friends.
San Francisco, Feb. II, 100


Benefit of His Mankato Friends.
San Francisco, Feb. II, 1900.
Mankato Free Press:-I suppose l
must be more careful hereafter in my
letters that may not again be accused
of writing goss;py letter. Not that
there is any disgrace attached to such
a letter, but it is usurpins the time
honored prerogative of the fairer SEX
A few words this time about Califor-
MAS new and rapidly developing indus
try and in regard to some of her promi-
nent statistics, commercial and other
wise. The past twelve months has seen
an unwonted impetus in the petroleum
industry-an impetus that now prom
ises to soon eclipse the richness OF the
gold industry and to revive in a meas
ure on the Pacific coast the scenes which
marked the early days in the oil fields
of Pennsylvania. An area of 10000
square miles of bituminous rock is
known to exist within the confines of
the state. Oyer this vast territory a
strip extending over 500 miles from
Humboldt to San Diego, and varying in
it's width from one to twenty miles, the
drill of the oil man has penetrated in
many places. 1t is a greater area than
the fields of Pennsylvania, Ohio and In
diana. Hundreds of pumps are in
operation. Miles of piping haye been
put down and miles are being added.
Storage tanks are everywhere, and re-
fineries are multiplying. while the rail
roads are pushing their iron ways into
the center of the great fields. Already
the yield of petroleum has mounted up
until it reaches half the sum accredited
to the gold mines of the state. Next to
gold and copper, petroleum is the most
valuable product of the earth.
In 1889, the petroleum yield of Cali
ornia was but 303.222 barrels, valued
at $685. 048. In 1898 it was 2,249, OS8
barrels, worth S2,376, 400. The gross
product for the last twelve years has
been TO- 900, 1877 barrels, sold for $12, ,7OO,-
9S5. One of the great benefits is the
supplying of substitute for coal. where
coal is such an expensive element in
manufacture and transportation. It
places in the hands'of the factories of
the Pacific coast the means through
which they may enter the mark cts Of
the world without handicap and with
out fear. About 1859, 900 tons of coal
are imported into California annually.
The average price of the lowest grade
of steam coal in the southern part of
the state is s8 per ton. The very lowest
figure is that obtained by the Southern
Pacific company, about S48 85 per ton.
The calorifc or heating power of ordi-
nary steam coal is estimated at from 49,
600 to IA, 600 heat units, whereas that of
oil rises to from19. .000to21 900 heat units;
so that four barrels of petroleum contain
about the same number of heat units as
one ton of coal. The Los Angeles field
is producing nearly $4,000 barrels
month. Next to Los Angeles the
Coalinga field has absorbed about as
much interest as any oil-producing Sec
tion of California. Some of the heaviest
producing wells in the state are located
in the southwest corner of Fresno
county, and thousands of dollars are be-
ing put in there in the way of new
work. Some wells are yielding as high
as 1000 barrels day. Single wells in
the field have paid dividends as high as
S15, 900 month. The depth of drilling
runs from 900 feet in Kern county,
where pumping is resorted to, to 1, 700
feet in Fresno, where the gushing wells
have been struck. So runs, in a most
abbreviated form, the story of oil de-
velopment in this state. Continued
work will add to the territory now pro-
lucing so handsomely. Capital has
been assured of the vast returns possi-
Die to investment in this new industry:
Ind where prospects are SO alluring the |
INIT to American push, perseverance
ind ingenuity has never been fixed or |
,lrcnmscribed. So much for our oil in. |
iustry. Now let us turn for moment |
% the perusal of a few general facts
which Think will interest you, and
hen we bring our letter to close, lest. !