The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

PET RcPL I RE ROUS by G. Mi Ison It leapt off the page at me» that word "petroliferous" and peaked my curiosity to read on. "Petroliferous"» I thought? had a nice ring of prosperity about it - a bold hint of profits in store for the adventurous. I riffled through my dictionary to substantiate its meaning but it wasn’t there. However? if? in 1906? Sir Eoverton Redwood? Advisor on Petroleum to the Admiralty and the Home Office? wasn’t stumbling over it (or any other five syllable word? for that matter) in his exhaustive treatise on geographical distribution and geological occurrence of petroleum and natural gas? well? that was good enough for me. I dismissed my dictionary’s inadequacies and read on. Accompanying Sir Boverton’s treatise was a map designating the "Oil Fields of the World" and on it? the area in question is marked as showing petroliferous deposits. All doubt was dispelled with the information contained in the report of Mr. Willard Mallery? E.M. of Los Angeles? a recognized authority in the California oil fields. Mr. Mallery had been engaged in September? 1912? to examine and report on the property. Now? as you and I both know? strata embraced in the Tertiary and particularly the Eocene are recognized as the most prolific producers of petroleum in the world and here was Mr. Mallery placing the formation as belonging to that very Eocene Period! Not only that? but a Mr. Bowman of the Dominion Geological Survey? upheld the opinion. Mallery concluded his report with the statement that the area is one of great promise. The "page" that had grabbed my attention in the first place was the Prospectus of the West Vancouver-Hollyburn Oil Company? Limited - a company that had been formed for the primary purpose of owning? controlling and developing the coal? petroleum and natural gas rights covered by licences either already owned or to be acquired. "In particular the Company is formed to acquire Provincial Government Licences Nos. 9173? 9189 and 9190? or renewals thereof? comprising approximately 1595 acres and also rights in other stakings under the Coal and Petroleum Act? in West Vancouver? to make a total holding of over 2400 acres of carefully selected properties. The key map appended shows mors particularly the location of the field". And the location of the field? Why? smack dab in the middle of the Municipality! The Company’s Memorandum of Association was signed by five subscribers - an accountant? two brokers? a lumberman? and John Lawson? Farmer? each taking one $1.00 share of the authorized $500?000.00 capital. The prospectus reveals that "For more than twenty years oil seepages have been known and reported by oldtimers as occuring (sic) in this district. Seven years ago George Marr? a homesteader on D.L. 815? attempted to sink a well for domestic use but states he was compelled to abandon and re-fill it on account of the too abundant oil and gas seepage." You can bet your bottom dollar that this particular District Lot was included in the Company’s stakings for? "upon a portion of it occurs a phenominal seepage of black crude oil or petroleum." The then Provincial Assayer? Mr. George G. the seepage oil which showed : West? made an analysis of Naptha content ................ 24.71X Burning oil .................. 35.08/1 Lubricating oils ............ 20.02'/l Residue.................... 20.19*/.