The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-07
MORE OIL THAN ROMANCE william Slavens McNutt, in Leslie's

Weekly.
 An illustration of the joys of pros- peottng after one really gets into tho Mackenzie river oil country. Is presented by Geologist George A. Link on his experience superintend- ing the drilling of the first we'll and stalking other claims for his com- pany.
 "John Zieman and arrived It Fort Norman July :, 1919. on Royal Northwest Mounted boat he reports. We left the motor boat about 90 miles north of Fort Norman and com- menced geological work in a canoe. We ascended creeks, climbed moun- tains and reached points never seen by a white man before. Black flies and mosquitoes made our lives al- most unbearable. The windfalls and muskeg swamps made progress al- most impossible. The blazing heat of the sun drained my vitality so I was twice forced to drop from ex- haustion and bury my head in the cool moss. We penetrated to point 110 miles inside the Arctic circle.
 After returning to Fort Norman we ascended the Great Bear river 50 miles. Here we encountered swamp of mosquitoes so thick they seemed to be fighting for room on our faces.
 We arrived back at our camp after 4S hours tramping, expecting to find a steamboat there with a drilling crew and rig. but it had not arrived although two days overdue At noon we had regained enough interest in life to prepare our last meager meal. We fried some moldy bannock and made soup from an old bone. No fish could be caught so we just lay in the midst of an attack of bulldog flies that bring the blood at each bite At Ii that night we decided to walk to Fort Norman. We started up the Mackenzie river with enough porridge for one meal and five pieces of hard-tack. We ate our remaining rations at 3 a. m. and slept for 15 minutes. It was very cold during the few hours the sun was behind the mountains, but soon after dawn be- came very hot again. We reached an Indians camp and borrowed his canoe Soon after the steamer North land appeared and took us aboard. We had walked 55 miles with noth- Ing to eat. Sleep was out of the question as was needed to point out tho landing place for the machinery. We finally arrived at Oil creek at midnight, August '. After a great deal of anxiety on our part the mo- tor boat bringing down the remain der of the rig arrived on September 26. But we had given up all hope of its arrival and had reached Fort Nor man on our way back to civilization We left crew of six to winter at Oil creek so they could begin drilling and started back to Edmonton. ar irving October 1.
 Ca T~~ AJA~ the 18th of tho following May with 22 tons of freight. The outfit on two scows was pushed down the Peace river by motor boat. At Yer million chutes a four-mile portage had to be made. The scows had to be run down the rapids and let down with rope 20 feet over a limestone ledge. The largest scow was wreck ed. Only through heroic efforts were the contents saved.
 Hair raising thrills and narrow escapes in running the 16 miles of Smith rapids will ever remain in my memory. We crossed Great Slave lake in a leaky scow carrying seven tons more freight than it should have had. We landed at the well July !. The crew which had been living at the we'll had been living on fish and flour for three weeks. The we'll was down 305 feet Preparations for a new site were made and now every thing is in readiness for . new rig. The company will sink three more holes to test the field.
 "A minor accident to the equipment during the short season Is liable to hold up the work one year. It took seven weeks to land IS tons of equip ment at Fort Norman and a complete rig weighs 6S tons.
 "The work is full of hazards. Two Imperial oil geologists have lost their lives.
 Before the building of a railway or pipeline an output of 3o,oo0 bar rels of oil per day must be assured. The building of a pipeline will re- ouire about $50.0oo. The building of d railroad will cost about $30.000 per mile. A great sum of money will be required to finance the field even If there is plenty of oil there"