Starr v. Lee

Plaintiff sued upon a contract whereby the defendants agreed to pay him the sum of $5,000 if they failed to commence the drilling of an oil well before a fixed day. Plaintiff had judgment and the defendant Lundeen alone has appealed on a typewritten transcript under section 953 et seq. of the Code of Civil Procedure.

At the time of the execution of the undertaking plaintiff held a lease from the title owners of a lot of land 30x130' feet located in the Signal Hill oil field in the county of Los Angeles. This lease called upon plaintiff to “spud in and commence the actual drilling of a well”…