[Ronnie]

Bruce your statement is partially true.

Look at the enclosed pictures.The hole everyone seems to believe delivers oil to the rear main is there as it was the only way to easily drill the connecting passage at an angle from the saddle to the intersecting passage to the filter as drills only drill straight and not around corners.The two holes join at an angle as per drawing.One hole drilled each way.What is not shown in that drawing is the oil hole for flow to the rear main.What is also knot shown is the rear main saddle with two holes.The drawing is also only the block with no bearing installed.The large hole you speak of is covered up when you install the rear main bearing preventing oil to the bearing from that hole.The large one is below the bearing tang slot.Gets covered with bearing shell.The smaller hole over and down is the true real main oil gallery hole.It lines up with the only hole in the rear main bearing shell.Oil here has been filtered.
Can't tell you about Old Smokey's documentation but that theory is incorrect.So is any other book that would explain it that way.He probably didn't say that but somehow it was misunderstood.
Any one who has put a crank in a small block can attest to the large hole covered by the bearing.I have built many small and big blocks the oiling is same in both.