Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
and a servant to pour it for them. When Arthur was home he
and Maggie would frequently entertain their friends for dinner,
or be invited out, and regular 'soirees' were held where Arthur
played the piano or they listened to the gramophone, records
becoming like gold dust. Informal dances were organised every
Saturday evening at the Club and once a month a more formal
event was held when fancy dress was often
de rigueur
. The Sunday
breakfast following these occasions was a major social event
where the evening's gossip was told and retold to those unfor-
tunate enough not to have been there. It was a hard life.
In the first year Holmes travelled widely with his colleagues
Stanley Hunter and Dudley Stamp, who later became a famous
geographer, as far as the borders of India and Tibet, in the
search for new oil and coal fields, making geological recon-
naissance maps as they went. Known to the locals as 'Rock-
pidgin-man', Holmes was elevated to the position of
'Number-one-top-piece-rock-pidgin-man' when, in 1921, he
was promoted to 'Up Country' Manager and Geological Advisor.
This increased his responsibilities to full charge of the oil and
coal field sta¬, as well as the geological surveying and prospect-
ing departments. However, with disappointing returns from
well No. 24, it must have been obvious to all concerned that the
company was sliding into financial di~culties. As a result, early
in 1922, Holmes decided to close down the coal field. Enormous
expenses lay ahead of them if they were to make the field viable.
It would be necessary to extend the railway line for transporting
the coal that was currently conveyed by bullock carts whose
prices were rising astronomically, and build a new camp for the
workers, to say nothing of the equipment that was needed, the
rent to be paid and the salary bill of 5000 rupees a month. It
was clear the company was not in a position to finance such an
investment.
By March the drillers on the oil fields were threatening to
close down the wells unless they were paid the several months
wages owed to them. In an urgent telegram Holmes was
