Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-25
Phenomenal Production AWakens
the World to Possibilities
in Golden State
GREATER WEALTH IN STORE
Fame of Gusher Fields Spreads
Everywhere, and All Coast
Business viii Profit
BY LEWIS r. AUBURY
State MineTalogist


The increase in the production of pc
troleum in California in the past few
years has been phenomenal Probably
the next few years will see a like
growth in total annual output. What
was discovered, a few years ago, was
largely due to accident; now, with the
assurance of an widening market,
great combinations of capital have
engaged in exploring territory in which
there are indications of oil. Territory
contiguous to that wherein oil wells
exist are exploited by the we'll drillers
to extend the old limits of production,
and much success has been achieved
in this way. The presence ofFgreat
and continuing gushers has stim-
ulated expectation of great or possibly
even greater finds of petroleum in the
California fields than have been made
UP to date. There is nothing unrea-
sonable in this. Instances regarding
the truth of the preceding statement
are loud in the Kern River district and
in Coalinga.
Not always is the search for oil sue
cessful. Neither is the quest for gold
or any mineral substance certain of
immediate rewards. Where there is
not gold in paying quantities on one
level in a property with a good record,
the determined miner often pushes on
and wins success where a less deter
mined person would abandon the find.
Something similar happens and is
bound to happen in the future in con-
nection with petroleum, as it has hap
pened in the immediate past. One large
corporation, for instance, pursued a
series of experiments in Monterey
county with Indifferent success. The
same sort of experience might have
been encountered ia Kern county or
any other county that did not result in
striking the oil sands, and yet there
might be an abundance of oil not far
away.
PARTICULARLY PLEASING
Speaking as a citizen of California
and also as state mineralogist. 1 may
say that the oil developments are par
ticularly pleasing Petroleum is des-
tined to be the basis of great indus
tries. 1t supplies the cheap fuel that
Is produced at nominal cost and that
makes manufacturing of many kinds
at home feasible and profitable; at the
same time it creates new industries on
it's own account and adds immeasur-
ably to the wealth of the state. In
this connection reference is made to
the large increase in the manufactur-
ing of asphaltum, substance that is
derived in California mainly from the
refining of crude petroleum. Asphalt
tum is employed structurally in the
making of fine streets and also in the
construction Of roofs, etc, Greater
than this industry is the refining of
the California oils for many by
products. The Standard Oil company
is the largest of the refineS, but there
are others who are doing a good busi-
ness, to the general benefit Of the en-
tire state, employing men buying sup
plies, giving rise to the use of ships
and the construction of pipe lines, and
in almost innumerable ways coming
into evidence as beneficial agencies in
trade, manufacturing and commerce.
CALIFORNIA FIRST
California is the foremost present
producer of petroleum of any of the
sisterhood of the United States. There
is reason for local pride in that state
ment. There is hope in it for genera
tions to come.
1t ma be trite to remark that Cali
fornia was hampered in manufactur-
ing by the lack of cheap fuel when
it was forced to rely exclusively on
coal for fuel, and that the greater
part OF this coal was imported and
carried a high per tone cos on the
Iedgers of manufacturers, but the
of that fact is of great
in fixing the place that
California has assumed in it's relation
to the future as a resultant.
I have tried for some years to have
the campaign for home products made
strenuous. In the matter Of structural
materials it seems easy to compre-
hend that cheap fuel is a great ele-
ment in making it possible to manu-
facture miscellaneous products to a
large annual value that could not
have been characterized by the Cali
fornia trade marks a few years ago.
If the production of petroleum in
is already on great scale,
and the certainty exists that the scale
of output will grow, it is not difficult
to perceive that this is a pleasing