The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-04-28
RUSH TO NEW OIL FIELD
RIM OF ARTIC CIRCLE
RICH FINDS ALONG M'KENZIE
RlVER-WLL USE AIR
PLANES.

The eyes of the world are rapidly
being focused upon the sub Arctic
lregion Of northern Canada along the
banks OF the Mackenzie river at a
point some 400 miles from a railroad.
from which stretches what now APP
pears may develop into one of the
richest petroleum fields in the world
The first news of the immense possi-
binucs became known to the world at
large i'm October, 1920 when a dis
charged employee of the Imperial Oil
company related at Edmonton, AL
lerta. how the company had brought
in gusher averaging about 1000 bar
rols "a day says the Vancouver cor
respondent of the New York Herald.
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 10y March men i'm all parts of
the world had begun preparing to
rush 10 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
sihlities is not at all a new thing
Alexander Mackenzie the celebrated
explorer made much mention of the
oil seepages along the Mackenzie 100
gears ago. and Sir John Franklin also
mentions how the oil exuded from the
earth in great quantities. The exist
ence OF oil was also known to many
men I'm recent days, but the immense
distance of the old field from rail
head and the tremendous difficulties
of NAVIGATION and the shortness of the |
season discouraged any Individual or
small company from going into this /
$50 far field lying ONLY $50 miles. from /
the Arctic circle.
Imperial Oil Company in Field.
but the Canadian government geol- /
ogists had not overlooked the region.
and one other concern. unhampered by
amy lack of means and to which few
years Of waiting did not matter. went
into the Mackenzie river region a
number of years ago. and for the last
H.
has kept number Of men at work
for OIL This concern /
aas no less than the Imperial Oil
company of Canada. said by many to
Pc a subsidiary of the Standard Oil
company in the United States With
he demand for petroleum. and par
icuiarly its by-product gasolene.
rtftr.rf.ffs-
'us proportions and TO threaten TO ex-
.eed the supply it was but natural
such large company should eagerly
seek "a new field.
$50 immensely important did the
Dominion government of Canada con-
slider the new field that on January Il
'5. 1921 an previous petroleum and
natural gas regulations were sus-
pended by AN order in council. Fol
owing this on February u. new reg
lauons were made known which
cad. eff oil is discovered the lessee
sim be allowed to take out a twenty ,
me year lease for an area of one !
quare mile. the remaining three Il
quarters going to the government" 1
That u.s. though the man discover oil {
pa 1850 acres, which he is allowed to I
stake ON his permit three quarters {
emain crown reserve s
Location Of the Strike. =
For those unfamiliar with the great g
northwest Of Canada a good map of c
he region should be studied while q
eading the following lines regarding t