The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-04-09
$500 MILES
UNLESS YOU FLY

Nt-fs>S hOt TIL
Edmonton IL the gateway 10 the
new fields. which lie on and north
Of the Arctic circle. 200 miles north
by airline and NOR. than twice that
distance BY rail. boat and wagon. the
route that the proSpectors must take.
The fi.les embrace more than 100000
square miles. extending north to the
Arctic ocean.
The new fields are far removed
from civilization. Pioneering In them
win be Job for only the hardy and
the brave There are no towns
within hundreds OF miles. A few forts
headquarters for Canadian Mount.
ed Police detachmen,s-and a few
stations OF the Hudson Bay company
ara tho only breaks In tho wilder
ness.
To reach the fields one must Jour.
new for two days by train from
Edmonton TO Peace River Landing.
on tho river OF that name. Then he
goes northward by steamer for 1900
miles. beaking the journey up the
Slave and Mckenzie rivers fire.
Qwntly with long. weary portagcs
around waterfalls and rapids
Remembering tho death trail OF
rs. the Canadian Mounted Police
have acted promptly to prevent the
oil rush from becoming another
Kiondike stampede. accompanied By
lawiessness. gun-play and needless
deaths by freezing and starvation
The red coated "Mounties" will be
on the job all the way along the trail
from Edmonton to the Fort Norman
dslds. At Edmonton they will turn
back all persons not physically fit or
Sufficiently equipped to withstand
- trip into the wilderness. No arms
Nfli be permitted. no bad men" can
Get the police o. X. and no women
vtll be given permits unless In ex.
eeptionai cases.
The police during the past winter
Allowed only - oil scouts 20 so
North 70 file leases. and these were
Given permission only after they had
BEEN found 20 DO physically TT. In
ured to hardships and properly
equipped and supplied Dog teams
ana sledges were used in making
shs trip.
OIL sEEPAGB
Uncovered IN 1918
The Imperial OIL company. which
= the Canadian branch Of Standard
OH. has been making geological sur
veys thruout Western Canada since
1S14. In 1919 oil seepags was dis
covered In the country north Of
Edmonton. and the explorations In
ehis district were pushed farther.
Drilling parties were sent out.
HArdships almost unbelievable were
endured by these pioneers In drag.
gfng their rigging over the portages
from river to river.
In the fall OF 1920 they came back
% civilization with the news of their
gusher. A 1000 barrel-a-day wen. n
was reported. and struck at only 500
feet Company officials believe vast
POOL Of oil underlies the region.
Edmonton at once began to talk
~, TO think oil and TO act
In the hope OF being among this
first IN the rush TO stake out claims
UDOFo tHs nt1ufu tfehsurFs many SET
20 work even last fan to outfit for
the expedition. Outsiders arrived In
town almost daily and also began
active preparations for the explora
ton into tho Northland
Two difficulties. oil company Off
eiais say. will retard work at pres
ent in the new fields. One is tina,
the working season Is very short
It Is possible to get in only about
three months work season before
winter closes down. But during that
three months II is almost continu
ally daylight.
The other difficulty II that the
fields lie at such a great distance
from civilization that II will be al
most impossible 10 ship the oil. Thu
prospectors expect. however. that this
field soon will show such a Rreai
output that some means Of trans
portafion will be warranted.