Year: 1874

Col. Peel returned to the city on the
afternoon train yesterday, after two
days visit to the oil region. He re-
ports everything in fiourishing con-
dition there. The we'll on the Temple
claim is down between seventy and
eighty feet. The machinery is in per-
feet order and works like thing of
life. The workmen are drilling from
seven to ten feet per day. AT present
they are in shale formation with con-
siderable oil and gas coming in. The
oil has changed to green color in the
last ten feet, which Is very favorable
for geod quality. Mr.. Spangler, who
is boring this well, has had considera-
ple experience in Pennsylvania, and
he says that the indications are favor
able for flowing well in less than
two hundred feet, but he intends to
sink it eight hundred, if the flow of
oil does not prevent. There are
number of prospectors in the noun
tains now searching for and locating
new oil claims.


Ten miles north of these oil claims
on the opposite side of Santa Clara
Valley, lies that extensive belt of
placer mines, in which the Castac
company is located and at work
Thirty or forty persons have passed
Lyons Station within the last four
days, going out to examine these
mines. That they are rich we
have no doubt, and if water
hal been convenient there would
have been more men at work
there now than upon any other placer
ciggings in California. When the
fact is generally known that the Cas-
tao Mining Company will put a stream
of water on these mines, there will be
as great rush to these mines as
there ever has been to any in the
State. These deposits are extensive
and rich and will be worked very
soon. The present outlook for the
mining interest of Southern Califor-
MIA is very favorable. Some very rich
quartz, with gold shining all through
it, was found ia the mountains above
the placer range, and brought into the
city. The owner thinks and feels
himself rich, and the prospects are
that he is. >-s


Mr.. Carreras, who also returned
from the same section yesterday after
a four days stay, corroborates Colonel
PeePs report Of the oil district, and
adds some other points of interest. A
few days age Mr.. M. Kraszyuski, who
lives near Lyons Station, while pass
ing up an arroyo in that locality, dis
covered thirty-two flowing oil springs
within short distance of each other.
His discovery is counted fortunate
one. The springs on DR.. Gelsich's
claim, formerly the Rice claim,
are flowing constantly; the tanks have
all been filled and the oil is now run
ming to waste. 5....


Mr.. Carreras has secured lot in
San Fernando upon which he will
commence to build refinery at once.
Besides refining the petroleum he ex-
poets to do an extensive business in
manufacturing olive oil, and, to this
end, he has already engaged almost
the entire olive crop of the Mission
and .vicinity-some 10000 gallons.
While on his trip, Mr.. Carreras was
so unfortunate as to have valuable
horse die OH his hands, and he will
thus be compelled to purchase from
the livery stable keeper an animal
which is now of no earthly use to him.
He has our sympathy.


Between the oil, the gold, and the
various other sources of wealth at San
Fernando and vicinity, that section
promises to become of no little impor-
tance in the eyes of the world at some
day in the near future.