Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1902-02-12
IMMENSE OIL REFINERY.
Major Horace N. Russell Describes the Oil Refinery in Los Angeles Owned by Douglas, Lacey S Con-
 pany.

Although the firm of Douglas,
 Lacey & Co. have been operating
 here for about year few people are
 aware of the magnitude of the opera
 tions being conducted by that firm.
 They are operating about dozen
 mines in this vicinity under the gen
 eral supervision and management of
 Capt. L. D. Phillips and have num-
 Der of properties also in operation in
 the southern part of the territory.
 In California their operations in oil
 are even greater than their mining operations in Arizoaa. They have a
 large number of producing wells and
 have recently purchased the largest oil refinery in the state, having a cap acity of refining 300 barrels of oil per day. The company owns from five to seven acres of land alongside of the Santa Fe railroad company, in East Los Angeles, which is covered with buildings and the buildings filled with machinery for the refnin
 ing of oil. The company has con tracts out now for the erection of two immense tanks of 30,OOO barrels ca pacity each, and for POO stills and other tankage facilities and additional machinery which will increase the ca pacity to 1000 barrels per day. Over SS0,000 have already been ex- pended in fitting up this re- finery and when the additional facili- ties are completed it will not only be by far the largest in the state, but will be one of the most complete re- fineries in the country.
 The company has in its employ as engineer and manager of the con- struction of the plant a man who has practically grown up in the refin ing business. His father has occu- pied a prominent position for seven teen years with the Standard Oil con- pany, and the superintendent himself was also in the employ of the same company for number of years. He is thoroughly familiar with every detail of the business and will make the improved plant complete in every detail. All the money necessary for the completion of the plant has been provided for.
 Major Russell brought with him case containing about a dozen sam pies of the different varieties of the product of their refinery. He says that in the first place the asphaltum, which is the base of most of the Cali fornia oil. After this is separated from the crude oil there is left a dis tillate from which twenty different varieties of lubricating and other oils are extracted. Major Russell says chemists have told him that the Cali fornia oils produce a finer quality of lubricating oil than the eastern crude oil. Major Russell added that tuOl dlc nON llOuuCluS DCbecI dudI- ity of lubricating oil than ever be- fore, and as proof of it he says that wherever they have sold their oil it has given such perfect satisfaction that renewed orders have been receiv- ed from them. The company also manufactures the best quality of dis tillate for use in gasoline engines to be found on the market.
 Major Russell is we'll pleased with | his visit to this section. He came here expecting to remain one day, but l has found so much to interest him in a business way that he has decided l to remain until Sunday. In addition to being general manager for Dou- glass, Lacey & Co.'S extensive interests in California, Major Russell has per sonal interests of his own there of | even greater magnitude than those of the above firm, from which it can be seen that he is a very busy man.