The San Francisco call., 1910-06-15
SEVERAL PURCHASES
IN CAT CANYON
Big Strikes of Dome and Palmer
Companies Boom Oil Prop
critics in Section

Several purchases have been made
during the last week in the Cat can
yon district of the Santa Maria fields
as a result of the big strikes by the
Dome and Palmer companies The
large tracts, the 40 acre holding being
the exception. The Union operates
1000 acres in this field, the Palmer $50.
Many tracts consist of $50 or 240 acres
This land has been held for a number
Of years, in fact, since the early days
OF Spanish occupation, as farming and
grazing land. Unlike the desert areas
of the Kern county fields, it is well
wooded. rich in natural grasses,
streaked by flowing streams, and,
withal, picturesque. For this reason
the land has always had a commercial
value for agricultural purposes The
derrick and drill have however, driven
the plow and the harrow from the up
lands.
BIG TRACT SOLD
The frame towers are pressing fur
ther and further over the hills, follow
ing the course of the hidden sands
Among the latest purchases is that of
Samuel P. Calef of Santa Barbara and
j. B. Bonetti of Santa Maria, who have
taken over the 240 acre Howard tract
in section 19. IT is understood that the
price was well toward 100000.
This tract adjoins that of the Pinal
oil company Within a few hundred
yards of it are properties of the New
Pennsylvania, the West oil company
and the Palmer company, which
brought in its second big gusher about
a month ago.
Calef and Bonetti consider this field
proved beyond the possibilities of a
doubt, says the Santa Barbara Inde-
pendent. They will begin drilling at
once.
Papers have been filed with. the sec
retary of state for the incorporation of
the Cat Canyon oil company. capitalized
at $500, 900, with 100000 shares The
company has a one-eighth royalty per-
petual lease on 240 acres of land in the
Cat canyon end of the Santa Maria
fields. known as the McCroskey tract
The property is one mile northeast of
the New Pennsylvania's well and half
mile north of the Palmer company's s
Stendel well. It also adjoins the Enos
oil company's property on the east. The
directorate consists of the following
well known oilnlen: T. r. Finley, pres
ident of the New Pennsylvania oil COM
pany and director of the Pinal oil COM
pany; Joseph Mcdonnell of the New
Pennsylvania oil company and repre-
sentative of the National supply COM
pany in the Santa Maria fields; George
A Black, oil operator of Santa Maria;
J. H. Robbins, a banker from Oregon
and w. D. Mailman. the local broker.
WILL BEGIN SHORTLY
1t is the intention of the company to
begin operations in the near future
The New Pennsylvania's well in Cat
canyon is now the cynosure of all eyes,
says the Santa Maria Times. The COM
pany is bailing the water and at this
writing 1.4O0 feet have been taken off,
leaving 1000 feet yet to be removed
The well gives most excellent indica-
tfons Of being big producer. The
Pennsylvania has a hole down 3400
feet with an eight inch casing. This is
one of the largest holes for this depth
in the state. The company is not rush
ing things and therefore taking no
chances. The night shift has been taken
off and the crews work only in day
time Thursday morning when the
bailing was resumed the drillers found
254 feet of oil in the pipe, which came
through several thousand feet of water.
an indication that shows tremendous
pressure underneath.
The Palmer wells have continued to
produce heavily. The company is de-
livering on its big contracts with the
Associated and Union oil companies.
The West oil company's casing close
to the New Pennsylvania is being per-
forated and may prove good producer.
This well is about 200 feet shalIower
than its neighbor.
Two derrickS have been erected hv