Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-15

Something of an idea of. what the
Southern Pacific owns in California in
oil lands by the grace of a congress
siona1 act which intended to convey to
it agricultural, never mineral, land is
shown W a simple examination of the
holdings of that company now in the
hands of it's subsidiary the Kern
Trading and Oil company, in the
proved fields alone.
When Kern River was first opened
the railroad apparently did not appre
ciate oils Importance, for 1t leased
and sold quite a block of its holdings,
all IN fact within the now producing
belt except 440 acres on the northern
three-quarters Of 8, 1928, on which it
is now operating extensively. To the
north and west of the producing belt
there are no railroad lands, but to the
east, in township 2S-28, it still holds,
in it's own name, all of % and rs and
to the east as oil field maps generally
extend, but beyond this 1t has other
lands.
The Big Indian OIL company has ac-
quired land on three sides of section
%, namely, all of IA in north half and
the southeast quarter, and the south
west quarter Of the southwest quarter
of "a and the west half of 26, lying on
the north east and south, respectively,
adjoins on the north the railroads
property on rs, and that on 26 joins on
the north the railroad land on 20. Any
success on the part Of the Big Indian
will give to this railroad land value
for oil that it does not now appear to
possess.
HOLDINGS IN COALINGA
At Coalinga the K. T. and o. hold
ings are enormous. They comprise
total of 1880 acres in townships 10
and 20, range 15 and 20, range IA and
21-15 This takes no account of that
which has been leased to other COM
panies from which the railroad has
right to buy all the oil at market
price.
The X. T. and o. lands at Coalinga
comprise the following: In 1915, on
the east side, all of g. II, 13, %. 20, 35
and 33, and the west half of the west
half of 81 a total of 1910 acres, besides
which section stands in the name of
the Southern Pacific.
In 20-15 all of 1, 3, 5, Z, 8. II, 13, Is,
II, 49, 81, 23, 20, 27, SO and 80; 440 acres
of Z, $50 acres Of 81, $50 acres of 19,
total Of S040 acres; besides which sec
tions 25 and 13 still stand in the name
O fthe Southern Pacific. The only de-
velopment on this land is on the west
of and 10, but work by others indi-
Gates that in all probability So per
cent at least of the whole is good for
all of %, 400 acres of 13, 400 acres on %
and 100 ares on 1, total of 1000 acres.
It is probable, almost certain, that the
west parts of the holdings on l and %
are barren, but the remainder is proved
territory. Twenty-Five is highly devel-
oped along the east line, to some ex-
tent along the north and west, while
on the south the Associated work on
Sc has proved all the land.
SOUTH OF COALINGA
On Ellis the K r and o. has all of
and Z, equallng 1920 acres. In this
township the Southern Pacific has
every other section, but has not trans
ferred the remainder to the K. T. and
o. Immediately south of Coalinga 1t
has sections 1, 8, 9, II, II, 15 13, 10 and
21. The Associated has acquired %,
originally a railroad section. The same
condition prevails some distance to
the south. The above nine sections Of
Southern Pacific land make $3.50 of
this township, and with the K T. and
O.'s 1880 makes total of 7O40 acres of
railroad patented lands.
In 1916, 2O-16 and 21-16 the railroad
owns the odd numbered sections which
still stand in it's own name. except
where they have been transferred to
private parties, which is the case in
a few Instances. The operations of
the Coalinga Mohawk and the South
eastern, on r. 1920 and 18, 20-16 re-
spectiVely have enormously enhanced
the value Of the Southern Pacific lands
in 20-16. In the two westernmost tiers
of sections in 20-16 the railroad has
8200 acres, and in the same tiers in
1916 3S40 acres. 1t is probable that
part of the last, especially that to the
north, is barren, but of much in 20-16
there appears every reason to believe
is good.
Although, counting K. T. & o. hold
ings and Southern Pacific lands in it's
own name the probably good land
held by the railroad interests in Goa
linga amounts to 28,SS0 acres, not taxi
ing into consideration whatever in 19-
IA back of the break, where the rail-
road owns every other section and is
directly in line to get the benefit of
any strikes that may be made in the
future, should any ever be made, and
there are some who believe that oil
will be found there and are trying to
get it. Neither does this take any
account Of railroad lands in the west
of 20-14 and in Ella to the west and
south of the break nor Of that lying
far to the south Of Coalinga.
The amount Of this land is greater
than that which the Associated in its
annual report claims 10 have in its
own name. A statement was published
some time since that the railroad had
a report from one of its experts in
which its oil property was declared to
be worth $5O,00O,000 The Associated is
capitalized for $4,000 OOO, and this ex-
perts estimate of Southern Pacific
lands worth only $10,000,000 more will
be considered by many persons as ri
diculously small.
LARGE KERN PROPERTIES
In Sunset the K. T.. & O. is develop
ing the northeast quarter of l, 11-24.
The railroad has standing in it's own
name, some of which may have been
transferred recently to the K. T. & o.,
the following: In 1928, all of 81, SO
and 80, amounting to 1920 acres, and
all of fractional sections 25, 27 and
20, about 1000 acres. Adjoining these
lands are those on which are found
the Lakeview and Consolidated Mid
ways gushers and the Pacific Midway,
La Blanc and Ethel d.
In township 11-23 on the Maricopa
Flat the railroad has all Of 1, 8, s,
0. II, 13, and three-fourths of Is.
total of 1920 acres.
In McKittrick the X. T. & o. has
about 100 acres in small blocks highly
developed. In township 1922 the rail-
road holds in its own name all of 1,
3, 5, 9. IL, 49, 15 20, %, S3. $40 acres
of IL $40 of z, 400 of 21, 44o of q and