Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-25
MISSION Fathers
FIRST FOUND OIL
AND Gas IN STATE
lunipero Sierra and Party Con-
Sidered Explosion Handi-
work of Evil Spirit
RY D. A. MAC DONALD. E. NJ.

1888, one OF Ine IOllOW6TS OIL I eiul {
Junipero Sierra, who was first to
spread the Catholic faith in California
when it was terra incognita, started
from the Mission of Monterey with a
small party in an open sailboat to
make the voyage to the Mission
Dolores, which is one of the old land
marks of the San Francisco of today.
1t was a slow and hazardous trip at
the best, by either land or sea, in
those pioneer days and was fraught
with many dangers.
In this little party of primitive
Voyagers was young Mexican named
Juan Arata, who was one of the good
PADRES attendants and from whom |
learned the story of the eventful
voyage.
It seems but yesterday, although it
was in my early boyhood in the sum-
mer of 1875, that 1 sat on the vine
clad porch of good old Don Juan Ar
ata's home, nestled in the LivermOre
hills, and for the first time eagerly
listened to the tale of the wonderful
voyage from the truthful tongue Of
old Don Juan.
DON TELLS STORY
The strange events of the voyage, as
related by that grand old Mexican don,
so impressed my youthful mind that
in after years would often seek that
shady porch on a summer Sunday
afternoon to partake of the generous
hospitality of the most liberal of hosts
and hear again the story of that
eyentfuI voyage from mission to mis-
sion in the days when the padres were
monarchs of all they surveyed.
The story, in brief, is as follows:
After three days sailing against the
trade winds of the coast after their
fhn Mission of Mon
terey. they decided to land at
some favorable place to replenish their
supply of food and water, when IN
those days was the custom Of the
primitive voyagers along the coast
the coast hills and mountains furnish
ing an abundant supply of game ana
the uncontaminated waters of the
streams furnishing the most Whole-
some of beverages.
They selected a point where creek
entered the ocan-whr tn tabIelan4
entered the ocean-where the tableland
Bny ends and the abrupt cliffs of the
hills bordering on the coast begin.
AT HORSESHOE CLIFF
Tt was late in the afternoon when
thew landed. and hurried preparations
were made to cook the evening meal
while camp was being made a rev
hundred yards from the beach. rms
Mace was SeleClGu Oll dSOOuiAb VI SA'S
shelter it afforded from all winds, pc
ing hemmed in by perpendicular CHR
in the form of a horseshoe over loO
feet in height and forming, as it
were, a dead eddy in the deep canyon
of the stream. 1t was soon learned
that the brownish waters of the stream
had an unpalatable and peculiar taste
and a strange Odor pervaded the ar
of the place.
one of the party was sent in search
of a spring along the creek banks to
obtain better water, while the rest OF
the attendants went on with the prep
arations for the evening meal and the
establishment of their camp.
All went we'll until the first tongue
of flame arose skyWard from tn9lr ,7
campfire, when a sudden flash IKE
Iightning overspread the whole air in
+be canYon, scorching all the verdure,
followed by a terrific shock that stag
gered and startled every one OF the
party. ,,, $3.50
All of the party being imbued more
or less with superstition, they became
greatly alarmed, believing II TO De Ilie
work of evil spirits.
IMPRISONED TWO DAYS
In frantic haste they sought the open
sea. beach, where they were compel!ed
10 Damn for two days before favorable
from the dreaded place.
THE explosion was caused by the gas
in the air becoming ignited from their
campfire Earthquake shocks had
caused the opening of creVices IN the
rock that led to subterranean reser-
voirs of high volatile hydrocarbon SUB.
stances that escaped in the form or
gas. They noticed that the water flow
inc down the creek took on a hue OF
darker brown and carried a scum on
its surface resembling FIR ba!saln'
giving various shades of color. They
named the creek Arroyo Diablo, or
Devil creek, thinking the explosion the
work of the evil one.
DISCOVER GAS
Although they did not know it, these
simple folk of long ago had made one
of the greatest discoveries Of the age,
namely, the first discovery OF natural
gas and oil on the Pacific coast and
likely the first in the worlds history
and they made the discovery in what is
now virtually the dooryard of San
Francisco-only thirty-eight miles
south of our western metropolis
When they reached the Mission Do
lores they told the story of their great
adventure, which created much Won
derment and gossip among the attaches
of that mission at the time, but ere
long the incident was forgotten save
by the members of the little party
of voyagers.
The hin bordering on the coast i'm
mediately south Of their eventful land
ing place they named Iona Vista, or
the Hill of Great View, but this has
given way to the modern name given
by the early settlers who followed.
TUNITAS CREEK
The unerring hand of time has rele-
gated the original names of creek and
hill to oblivion, and they only exist
now in the memory of those living who
heard the story from the lips of the
members of that pioneer party.
The creek is now known as Tunitas
creek, familiar to all devotees of the
trout fly and rod in San Francisco, and
the Ocean Shore railway has given the
picturesque name of Tunitas Glen to
it's station on the banks of the stream
which is the present terminus of that
road.
The hill is known as San Gregorio
hill traVersed by the coast county
road and admired by all "joy riders
for it's magnificent view of the ocean
and refreshing sea breezes, and cursed
by every teamster on the road who
has a balky horse.
Astime goes, more than two genera
tions have come and gone since the
good old padre made this discovery of
oil and gas. Capital, ever alert, un-
sWerVed by superstition or weird tales
of evil spirits, has boldly taken pos
session of "Devil creek" And now, on
Tunitas creek, may be heard day and
night the exhaust of the steam drilling
Engines drilling for oil near the point
of this first discovery.