Charlevoix county herald., 1921-06-03
RUSH FOR OIL
ON ARCTIC rim
Rich Field Discovered Along
Banks of Mackenzie River.
AIRpLANE WILL Be USED

| AIRPLANE WILL Be USED
Tremendous Distances and Short Sum-
mer Season to Be Cut by Inventions
Imperial OIL Company Worked
Quietly for Years Before Secret
Came out-MackenxIe, the Explor-
or, Mentioned OIL Seepages 100
Years Aso-To Open In June.
The eyes Of the world are rapidly
being focused upon the sub-arctic re-
gion of northern Canada along the
banks Of the Mackenzie river at point
some fourteen hundred miles from a
| railroad, from which stretches what
now appears may develop into one OF
| the richest petroleum fields In the
world. The first news Of the immense
possibilities became known to the
world at large In October, 1920, when
discharged employee of the Imperial
| Oil company related at Edmonton. AL
berta, how the company had brought
| In gusher averaging about 1000 bar
rels day.
Edmonton Is the city nearest to the
strike, a distance Of 1900 miles, but
where the recording office for the
northwest territories still Is. The news
Of the new field spread rapidly until
by March men in all parts Of the world
had begun preparing to rush to the
sub-arctic region as soon as navigation
| opens.
| The irony Of the present excitement
Is that the knowledge that the Mac
kenzie river region is rich In oil pos
sibilities Is not at all a new thing.
| Alexander Mackenzie. the celebrated
| explorer, made much mention Of the
| oil seepages along the Mackenzie 13O
years ago, and Sir John Franklin also
mentions how the oil exuded from the
earth In great quantities. The exist
cree Of OIL was also known TO many
men in recent days, but the immense
distance Of the field from rail head
and the tremendous difficulties Of navi-
| cation and the shortness Of the season
discouraged any individual or small
company from going into this faraway
field, lying only $50 miles from the
arctic circle.
| imperial OIL Company In Field.
But the Canadian government geolo-
gists had not overlooked the region,
and one other concern, unhampered by
any lack Of means, and to which a few
years Of waiting did not matter. went
into the Mackenzie river region num-
Der Of years ago, and for the last five
at least, as far as can be known, has
kept q number of men at work pros
pecting for oil. This concern was no
less than the Imperial OIL company Of
Canada, said by many to be subsi-
diary Of the Standard OIL company In
the United States. With the demand
for petroleum, and particularly its by
product, gasoline, continually growing
to such enormous proportions and to
threaten to exceed the supply, II was
but natural such large company
should eagerly seek new field.
So immensely important did the Do
minion government Of Canada consid-
er the new field that on January 70,
1921. all previous petroleum and nat
ural gas regulations were suspended
by an order In council. Following this
on February II, new regulations were
made known which read: IF oil is dis
covered the lessee will be allowed to
take out twenty-one-year lease for an
area Of one square mile. the remaining
three-quarters going to the govern
ment." That is, though the man dis
coved oil on $3.50 acres, which he Is al
lowed to stake under his permit, three
quarters remain Crown reserve.
Location Of the Strike.
For those unfamiliar with the great
northwest Of Canada a good map Of
the region should be studied while read
ing the following linee regarding routes
into the new field. The oil strike
is IN latitude 8o north and longi-
tude 126 west. In this vicinity
begins the oil field. The most d.
rect summer route Is covered by
rail, steamer and land portage The
new railroad into the northland runs
some three hundred miles. to near Fort
McMurray. Over this, much Of which
Is still skeleton track, light auto runs
on rails. 1t can travel faster than a
train could with safety. Fort McMur-
ray traffic into the great north goes
down the Athabasca river. across Lake
Athabasca and down Slave river to
Fitzgerald, where Is a 16-mile land
portage to Fort Smith, on the Macken-
zie, which portage is now traversed by
modern caterpillar tractors and big lor.
ries.
From Fort Smith, the Slave river,
Slave lake and Mackenzie river offer
easy transportation to the Arctic sea.
An alternate route can be taken from
Peace River Crossing. travelling via the
Peace river to Fitzgerald. Upon both
these routes steamers Of very light
draft, gas boats and fiat scow boats
| IN rry al ouDplta-, and ypo chtnorv TINT