Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-25
CRUDE OIL FUEL
BOOSTS INDUSTRY
Annual Production Amazing in
Quantity-Big Wells
Multiply
PROGRESS OF DEVELOPMENT
Output of Various California Oil
Fields Mounts TO Millions in
VaIue-HaS Many Uses
PROGRESS OF DEVELOPMENT
BY c. T. sprLMAN. Oil World

For a great many years the progress
Of industrial California was retarded
because Of a lack of fuel other than
timber. With unusual natural resources
and peculiar advantages for obtaining
raw materials, the manufactures of the
state have been far behind other indus
tries in their growth. Ten years or
more ago the petroleum deposits of the
state, the existence of which has long
been known, started on an era of de-
velopment that has exerted an i'm
portant bearing on the future of the
state, an era that promises to bring
great wealth in the way of manufac-
tured products.
First to discover the value of Cali
fornia oil as a fuel were the railroads,
but these had to be persuaded against
their will. So great has been the ad-
vantage III burning oil that coal has
been entirely discarded for distance
as far from the fields of production as
it is profitable to transport oil fuel.
Both the Southern Pacific and Santa
t'e, which have divided California be-
tween them, the Salt Lake route,
which reaches Los ngelos from across
the Nevada deserts, and the Western
Pacific, now completing a trans -conti-
mental line into San Francisco, burn oil
OIL all the western divisions and tho
railroads together consume probably
one-half of the S0,00000O barrels year.
ly product. The Southern Pacific and
Santa te both have extensive holdings
OF oil lands and maintain large forces
in the field, producing much OF the oil
which reaches Los Angeles from across
cific, which has immense areas, values
its petroleum lands at $10O.0OO,0OO.
SUPPLY is IMMENSE
Developments of the last year have
demonstrated that the oil measures of
this state are so vast as to be practi-
cally neXhauSt.le. On the cast side
of the San Joaquin valley, near the
south end OF the Kern river pool has
been producing for ten years and has
1900 wells on the pump. Across the val
ley. from TETON Pass to COalnga n
distance of hundred miles. the oil
sands out-crop in the hills. Here is one
magnificent stretch of derrcks more
than thirty miles in length, among
which are to be found the great wells
of the world. Farther north are McKit-
trick and Coalinga, with the proms-
lilS DtNllS IGIl between. Lying 10 t0a
south and closely following the coast
line in its meanderings is the petrol
cum belt, in which are Fullerton, Whit
tier, the City fields of Los Angeles,
Sherman-Salt Lake and the high grade
deposits of NeWhall, Ventura and San
Ia Maria.
California oil is being burned in the
pleasure boats that ply between tho
beautiful islands of Hawaii, along tho
line of the great Panama canal, in
Chilli, in Canada. and Alaska, along
the Pacific coast from Vancouver to
the Gulf of California Far inland it is
flowing through pipe lines, rolling
over the water in steamers and cross
ing hill and dale in tank cars carry
ing heat and energy in every direction.
Five thousand wells are delivering tho
black fluid by day and by night t fur
niSheS power for automobiles and gas
engines and grease for lubricating tho
machinery; heat for tall buildings and
light for humble cottages, propcls To-
comotiVes, flying airships and great
steamers, turns the wheels Of big fac
tories and is the hearts blood OF the
industrial life of this coast