The San Francisco call., 1910-02-20
OIL OUTVALUES GOLD OUTPUT
HOLDS LEAD FOR THIRD SUCCESSIVE YEAR
Petroleum Wins Title
Of States Best Asset

'alifprnia's petroleum output Of 1908
increased by an appreciable figure the
excess OH registered IN value over the
states gold production. From accu
rate figures kept during the last year
lt Is stated that the output of petro-
'eHm for the l. months was between
-f.ooe.eoo and 57.00o.00O barrels. As
The average price per barrel ut the
wells was approximately - cents. the
total value Tor oil IN 1909 was over
100000
III is interesting TO compare Caltfor-
nia- oi and gold outputs for the sew
-5l wears back. Tweh-y-three years
ago. in 1857. the state produced Sl3.-
5sH.5Is I'm gold. ard ell tc nc value Of
sl.557.l44-67S.572 barrels. Through the
ears. including 9o6. oil gradually crept
ED- in production and value. until in
in 1907 IL slightly surpassed gold. The
CURES Tor that year show that gold
20 The va'ue OF SI6.-21 .s2S. ana 4O.5l1.-
f,1 barrels of oil. wo-JE SlG,7SS.943.
was produced In 1868 this excess was
further increased.
Gold 10 the value OF S1S76l559 was
dug. dredged and washed from the
earth during 1908. but from the oil
wells flowed 4S.3O6.9IO barrels of petro-
leum. worth s26.566,ISL And from the
month to month figures now available
II seems certain that the petroleum pro
duction for 1909 brought in over s31,-
100000.
No state in the union ever has ap-
preached this record figure for 1909 OF
between 56,000.00o and 81 600 600 bar
Tels, and only Russia alone has come
near it,
The consumption Of oil has grown
steadily. ana even during the year past
"a steady increase IN the demand IS
noted. Many millions of barrels went
into storage, only TO be drawn On in
times OF e>e:l ,iemand. aud during tire
last * mostus corupanies nave been
~rIpE-ug by carloads f~cm e@ery avail
a,le storehouse TO meet tEo cali Ter
California bids fair TO become as
famous for its oil production as for
Ile gold that brought its nrst fame.
Gold production 70 be sure. has
maintained its wonderful record. and
increased year br s-ear. for the use
ol gold dredges. that dig into the river
channels and extract gold that the
miner with the cradle and pan could
uct reach. or could not mine AT a profit.
has aided the output DreGges operate
90 q cost of from 10 cents per cubic
--ard Of earth handled, and last year
iher produced over half TIE entire gold
production. These steel giants. so of
Naiel the ~. =. iamTnOn iuterest
... Ian =
Iy miner and farmer alike a. waste
They grasp the earth. separate the vel
Iow flakes. and Pile the rocks and boul-
ders into sGan mountains Then the
colbiesroues are fed into rock crush
crs. and double duty is done--rh7 pro-
au-tfon OF gold and manufacture of
material with which California 5 lay
irg rne best roads She ever had
These benevolent monsters operate
TAR from the center Of the oil indus
-r-- in the Feather, Yuba and American
rivers. branches Of the sacramento, and
1 half dozen other streams. Near
Droville NarEsvilIe and Folsom they
are most active.
While rhe dredEes are working night
and day producing gold. Tie oil wells
are flowing as constantly. bringing up
fhe petroleum that means even more
10 the state. Some Of the wells, in
decd work without sid-the Palmer
Gusher. ln the santa N Marld neldS- mas
flowed. under pressure Of the enormous
Quantities of natural gas in the beds
INTO which the well penetrates. for two
wears steadily. and it shows no signs
rf abatinE. Now it can be relied upon
go produce from 1.400 10 1900 barrels
uer day and times il has flowed To-
600 barrels This wei has flowed 637.-
-5g barrels in the two years of its life
The Santa Maria field produced $4,000 GOO
barrels Of oil in 1909. which is more
than the production for the entire year
nf the state Of Pennsylvania, the orig
fral oil field OF this country.
OTHER OH companies are producing
great quantities of petroleum The As
sociated oil company IS credited with
marketing more than half the produc-
rfon OF the coast and the corporation
owns producing territory i'm every inn
r.nrfant 6eld. The Paula oil company