The San Francisco call., 1904-04-23
KERN COUNTY MINERALS
OFFICIALLY DESCRIBED
Says Region Famous for
Oil Fields and Desert Gold Mines
Is Remarkable for It's Resources

just been issued by the State Mineralo- |
gist of California Kern County yield |
ed in mineral values $3,4S1. 1926 in 1902. |
as estimated by the mineralogist. Pc |
troleum made a large proportional
showing in the total. The oil wells get |
credit for turning out e777,948 barrels
of oil, which was worth at the market
rate then obtaining 1855, ,5S5, and 1t
was sold for that sum presumably.
Close to the petroleum total in value
came the gold production. which is
given at s., ,165, ,9S2. Asphaltum was pro-
duced to the amount of 10,150 tons and
to the value of s1O1 800. Lime brought
in $SO,S5s for 99,36O barrels; silver. $685.
1876; copper. s27.122 for 2S5,S4O pounds;
brick clays. s24.5oO: fullers' earth. s1s.-
246; gypsum. 1000 tons, $4,000
Only three counties in California are
larger than Kern. 1t has an area Of
S159 square miles. The State Mineralo-
gist attibutes to 1t greater variety and
contrasts of topography, geology, cli-
mate and resources than any other
county in California" It's eastern and
southern portions contain the southern
end of the Sierra Nevada Mountains
and the junction of the range with the
Coast Range at Tehachapi. It's west
ern boundary is along the summit OF
the Coast Range. The southeastern
slope of the Sierras and large portion
of the Mojave desert are included in Its
southern part. The upper end OF the
San Joaquin Valley makes up about
one-third of the total area. The county
is thus seen to include slopes of two
mountain ranges, a large and fertile
valley plain and an arid desert region.
All these contrasting regions contain
much mineral wealth. On the Sierran
slopes, amid forests and streams, are
important quartz mining districts. In
the valley-plain, near Bakersfield, is
the Kern County oil field, known all
over the world for it's great richness in
petroleum. On the eastern slope OF the
Coast Range are the Sunset and Nc
Kittrick oil fields, which are very pro-
ductive. The foothills of both the
mountain ranges in the county abound
in minerals which are commercially
utilized. One of the prominent gold
fields of the State is at Randsburg, on
the desert. Other gold districts are de-
veloping on the desert side Of the
Sierras.
FIRST FOR PETROLEUM.
In minerals Kern County stands first
in California as a producer of petro-
leum, second in the annual production
of all combined mineral products and
fifth in its Yield of gold. Among the
minerals that it has not yet sufficiently
exploited to figure largely in com
mercial way are iron, coal. lead. mica,
salt, borax, graphite. antimony, fire
clay, marble, sulphur and building
stone.
The most productive gold mine in
California south Of the Tehachapi Pass
Is the Yellow Aster, in the Randsburg
district This ranks with the promi-
nent mines in any portion of Califor
MIA. 1t operates 13O stamps. The
Stringer district is near the Randsburg
district. There are productive mines in
the Mojave district. Gold mining is car
ried on also at Amalie, Caliente, Keyes-
Vile, Woody, Isabella Rosamond, Hav-
ilah and Kernville.
Much general knowledge has been
impaired during the last few years by
the daily press relative to the oil
fields of Kern County. Their fame has.
to a lare extent, obscured the solid
merits of the other mineral sources of
wealth of Kern County. 1t Is hardly
necessary to repeat what has been
written about the oil fields; yet a brief
statement deserves space in this con-
nection. The most important field in
California in present production is the
Kern River field. What it has yielded
is a very small part of what it is
known to contain in petroleum. Unlike
gold, which is always sure Of being
marketed at a profit, allowing 1T to
have been produced at not excessive
cost. petroleum, while it has created
for itself a greater demand constantly,
has. nevertheless, been so necessary to
several large interests that they have
managed to depress the market rates
for their own purposes. so that many
full wells have not been operated, and
nothing like the possible output has
been recorded in any year recently.
SQUARE MILES IN OIL.
The Kern River field on the eastern
margin of the San Joaquin Valley, has
a present productive area of about
three and half square miles. The
wells in this field vary in depth from
600 to lZUU IeeI. 1ne OH SdHO IN Ine
center of the field, so asserts the State
mineralogist, is $50 feet thick. The
great and costly pipe line. that extends
nearly 300 miles, to deliver oil at Point
Richmond, on the bay Of San Francisco,
is a striking evidence of the confidence
that the Standard Oil Company has in
the amount of petroleum yet to be
drawn from this great mass Of oil
sand. lie extensive refining plant that
the Standard Oil Company has created
at Point Richmond, at a cost of not
less than 100000, Is another pointer
in the same direction.
OF the other oil fields in the county,
the Sunset is in the southwestern Sec
ton, on the eastern slope of the Coast
Range; the McKittrick is in the west
ern portion of the county, on the vast
slope of the Coast Range, and about
six miles east from the San Luis
Obispo County line. The. Midway is in