The Washington herald., 1920-12-07
Big 0ILRUSH
ON In CANADA
Strike Made IN Northwest.
/. Visitor Has Suggestions
For Reformers.

An oil rush near Fort Norman in
the far Canadian Northwest COM
parable to the gold rush Of the
Yukon. is the startling tale brought
10 Washington by Robert b. Lents.
Of Ottawa. Canada who told the
story OF the big oil strike at the
shoreham yesterday.
Not long ago Imperial Oils, Linn
tied, made the richest strike eWr
known in that section Of the coun-
try" said Mr.. Lents. News trav-
eled as fast as In the days Of the
Yukon rush and already thousands
Of petroleum argonauts have rushed
to the province OF Alberta and are
lined up eagerly awaiting the ar
rival OF spring. when the rivers
will be free Of ice and IL will be
possible to push northward-
They will 80 by airplane. by
scow and by steamer. Many of
them are building their own boats
now. Were IL not for the yigilant
eyes of the Canadian mounted DO
lice the bones Of hundreds would
be bleaching along the trail next
year. for the police have their hands
full keeping back the foofhardy
who would start at once. IL is a
long and perilous trail and known
only TO Indians. il Is 500 miles
from the starting point Fort Nc
Murray and Peace River Crossing IN
Alberta. but many Of them would
attempt IL IL they were permitted.
Contestants Must Respect Law.
AT the present time only the At
may 60. They must be equipped
also in accordance with the Ca
n faL II. fa -
be able to file a claim.
The route lies along the Slave
River. thence along Great Slave
Lake down the Mckenzie River 90
Fort Norman. This highway lies
through a practically unbroken
wilderness OF endless miles OF for
ests.
In summer small steamers ply
between river and lake points and
a number Of scows are operated.
but II is felt that none Of the or
dinary means Of transportation will
ke available when the rush begins.
To prepare for this emergency
many of the fortune hunters are
building their own boats. Airplane
parties are planning to leave from
Calgary and Edmonton in the prov
ince OF Alberta The chief difieulty
which they will encounter. as every
where else where airplanes are en-
ployed in a rough territory, will be
the finding Of suitable landing
places"
Real Work for Referners.
Child welfare, maternity aid and
sinilar legislation would be lar
more commendable projects for fan
atical reformers who are now at
tempting to saddle the District OF
Columbia and ultimately the en-
tire country with blue Laws" said
Bertram d. Moore. OF Portsmouth.
Va. at the Raleigh yesterday.
We have an example OF the eH-
tremes TO which this sort OF Sun
day regulation may be carried in
the city Of Norfolk. There all thea
ters are closed on Sundays. and for
the man or woman who works dur
ing the week there is little left
save church. Reformers seldom real
iIe that not everyone cares to spend
his Sunday in church.
In the same city We have q
splendid example OF the short-sight-
ed policy and myopic viewpoint o.
these same reformers. For the last
few months il has been easier TO
obtain LIQUOR and there have been
more opportunities for immortality
in that city than in any other city
of the nation. The reformers. how
ever. cannot see a field OF endeavor
lin that direction. They would rath-
er focus their celestial telescopes
on something far OF, ignoring the
squalor about them.
Task Here In wsshinets..
-
introduction of blue laws into Con-
gress might well look into the con-
dition Of the colored people OF
Washington. do not refer TO the
peaceful. law abiding. educated cl-
ement. but rather to the large per
lcentase which daily thronG the Po-
llice courts. They might not only
look to the condition OF the colored
lpeople Of Washington, but through
out the entire South.
IF these reformcrs could only dis
abuse their minds for once OF the
idea that the main function OF gov
ernment is to 'prohibit-f they
could only get away from tho frus-
sian idea of labelling everything
'vcrboten' which does not measure
up to their narrow. sectsriAn. two
lbp-four rule Of conduct. they might
make this a much better world.
Indeed. few OF them arc able
TO agree among themselves. Some
would prohibit dancing. but would
permit smoking; others would pro-
hibit smoking. but would permit
dancing. and so on.
Let us hope, however, that Con
gress will continue to have the
good sense expressed already ey
some members who have arrived IN
Washington. and will ignore these
extremists as they Justly deserve 10
be ignored. Sometimes I believe that
they are so drunk with the prohi-
bition amendment victory that they
believe the country has sanctioned
all the rest OF their beliefs, no
matter to what absurd extent they
desire to carry them"