STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 333 



Almaden, the extent of the deposits being such as to render it probable 

 that thej' could be worked with largo profit. Thus, at a point to the 

 pouth of New Idria, a vein of this ore of great apparent magnitude was 

 discovered about one year ago, samples of ore from which assayed very 

 largely. Near Mount Diablo, rich specimens of this ore have also been 

 found, while in both Napa and Lake Counties it has been met with in 

 vast abundance, leading to the belief that it will yet be worked there on 

 an extensive scale, and with large profit, as wood and water abound in 

 the vicinity of these deposits. 



PETROLEUM. 



The progress made in the development of this new interest in this 

 State is, perhaps, best indicated by the quantity of the crude article 

 received in this city the past year, which, as nearly as can be arrived at, 

 has been as follows: Stanford Brothers have received about twelve thou- 

 sand gallons, three thousand of which were from the Union Mattole 

 "Well, Humboldt Count}^, and the balance from the Stanford Oil Sj)rings, 

 Santa Barbara County; Haywood & Coleman have received about forty 

 thousand gallons, also, mostly from Santa Barbaiva, a small portion 

 coming from Los Angeles, and the Lexington Well, Santa Clara County. 

 Benoist and others have received a few small lots; the total amount 

 reaching this city, and representing the product of the State, amounting 

 in all to about sixty thousand gallons. There are now several works in 

 the city for refining the crude petroleum, that of Stanford Brothers, and 

 of Haywood & Coleman, being the princi])iil ones. The former have two 

 stills with a capacity for refining five hundred gallons daily each, and a 

 third nearly in readiness vv'ith a capacit}' of one thousand gallons ; Hay- 

 wood & Company have two stills of a daily capacitj^ of one thousand 

 gallons each. No greater dilHculties are encountered in refining this 

 article and producing therefrom first class oils here than elsewhere, that 

 obtained from the natural flow of the springs being somewhat thicker 

 and more dilBcult of treatment, as it is in other countries. Being now 

 carefully collected immediately on its issuing from the s])ring, and before 

 it has become inspissated by the esca])e of its more volatile ]\ai'ticles, 

 this class is becoming more tractable, and will, it is believed, ultimately 

 give but little more trouble than that obtained from the deep wells. 

 These natural springs are met with in several counties in the central and 

 southern portions of the State, and b}^ proper management could be made 

 to yield a large and never failing supply of crude petroleuni, as they will 

 no doubt soon be made to do, most of them having lately fallen into the 

 hands of capitalists and others, who purpose proceeding at once with 

 the work of their development. A large number of wells, fort}' or Hf'ty 

 in the aggregate, are now being bored in various localities, the niajoi-ity 

 of them in Humboldt County. The deepest is about four hundi-ed feet 

 down, the most of them being much less; and although none have as 

 yet yielded any great amount of oil, a few barrels have been obtained by 

 pumping, from quite a number, and the prospects are good that (juite a 

 large percentage of them will yet produce it in remunerative quantities. 

 About seventy companies, Avith an aggregate nominal capital of forty- 

 five million dollars, have been oi-ganized for prosecuting the business of 

 boring for or otherwise obtaining petroleum in this State, only about 

 half of which are as yet engaged in active operations. 



