The San Francisco call., 1910-05-29
OIL METROPOLIS
ROYAL HOST To
STOCKBROKERS
COaIinga Shows City Men Over
Fields That Will Produce
Billions of Barrels
San Franciscans See Everything
in Land of Gushers and
Pipe Lines
Especial Dispatch 10 The Call

L@fNNtDt A-icFlAIft 70 4 HC Aott
COALINGA. May 2S-Coalinga, the
city without a cemetery, opened wide
its gates today TO the San Francisco
stock brokers. The special train car
rying l25 businessmen from the north
sounded its arrival with a shrilI whistle
at o'clock this morning.
A committee Of CoaIinga citizens had
boarded the train at Huron TO extend
an. early welcome to the visitors
Shortly after the Pullmans rolled into
the depot, autos were provided and
then through the entire day Coalinga
played the royal host.
SPANISH BARBECUE
The excursion to the oil fields was
followed by an old fashioned Spanish
barbecue, which extended well into the
afternoon It was IL o'clock tonight
when the San Franciscans assembled
to continue their journey into Bakers
field and the Kern county oil areas.
By a happy arrangement the San
Franoiscans were taken through the
fields today TO any property that they
especially desired to visit. The autos
followed no definite course but were
placed at the disposal of the visitors
90 take each party where it desired
most TO go.
BILLIONS OF BARRELS
The great extent OF the petroleum
bearing acreage and the vast amount
OF proven land yet undrilled, were reve-
lations TO those who had not been
here before. The sands are deep and
the welle long lived. assuring a con-
ttnuetion Of development for decades
10 come.
Ralph Arnold, a well known geoIogist,
is credited with having estimated Coal
iRga's Oh deposits at 5000, 100000 bar
reis, a wealth that taxes the imagina-
ton.
OF special interest was the gusher of
the California Oil Fields CLtd.), that has
been producing in excess of $500 bar
rels a day for two years. This one
well has paid all the expenses of the
British corporation, the revenue from
the remaining wells going into a yearly
40 per cent dividend on the invest
ment.
Returning from the vistas of der
ricks, the hosts and guests gathered
at long tables IN the open where feast
OF bsrbecued beef and lamb was served
with all the accompaniments that the
occasion merited-
COALINGA GROWING
General r. L. Peeler, president of the
chamber of commerce, who presided, eN-
tended a most cordial welcome to the
visitors and then told something Of the
growth OF Coalinga.
- I'm 1900" he said, I'VE had 200 build
ings. In 1910 we have 1000 We are
not a boom town in the sense that we
are trying to boom. We have not ad-
vertised. What advertisement we have
received has been only on merit In
the last year we have built new
sewer system, a new water system. a
new gas and light plant We have
harnessed the Sierra and brought them
to COalinga. We have built a telephone
system and five miles of cement side
walks. We have two banks. with de-
pOsits Of more than 81, 000. 900. We have
bonded ourselves for SIS, 900 for schools.
In 1909 the CoaIinga fields produced
more than 100000 barrels Of oil. This
. came from 576 wells that together
yielded on an average $4,000 barrels of
oil a day. We have five pipe lines with
a capacity OF $4,000 barrels a day. So
you see we are more than able to take
care Of our output"
DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY
Guy H. Salisbury Of Coalinga traced
the development OF the oil indstry to
its. present size.
Only a few years ago." he said
&C harlie Garfield. a pioneer in this
field, found a small pool of oil and from
that all that you see about you has de-
veloped. Even today ii is in its swad-
ding clothes.
NO funerals are seen in our streets.
We deal in live issues. We have no
cemeteries. II people viii die we send
them 10 other communities to be
buried
we hear too often that the Stand
ard or the Associated or the Southern
Pacific dominates the oil business. 1t
is not so. 1t is the independents who
are in the saddle today"
A. .. Ruggles, president of the San
Francisco stock exchange, extended
thanks for the generous hospitality of
the Coalinga people.
We have come to you for inforn1a-
tion," he said. I'VE have been dealing
m your oil stocks and we want to he
better informed. When Nevada became
such great region Of gold we visited
the mines and we married Nevada
Since We have seen that Coalinga is
producing such a quantity of oil we
want to marry Coalinga."
A. F. Coffin. president OF the oil ex-
change, recently merged into the stock
exchange, and Judge Kerr of Coalinga
spoke briefly.
The Coalinga operators went on rec
ord today as favoring the amendment
10 the Pickett biI as Offering some
measure OF protection, If not all that
viii be desired. This position was
taken in the face of the alternative of
the amended bill or no legislation at