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About The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933 | View Entire Issue (July 27, 1905)
Xvir VOL. XVII. HOOD RIVER, OREGON, JULY 27, 1905. . 11 WHITE SALMON VA1 Famed for Early Fruits. Big Timber ant .ich Dairy Lands Thriving' Towns of nite Salmon, Bing'en, Underwood, Lyle, Pine Flat, Husum and Trout Lake. & j& j& Mm& mil i. I' . V. r ' The Beautiful AVtpte THE WHITE SALMON VALLEY ih tie weBteru part of Klickitat county lying botween tbeKlickit t and White Salmon civera. It l)Ha an average width of 12 miles, and in length ia 'H miles. The distiiiK'nisliiiiK topographical feature la a range of hills crossing it in a southeasterly direction whose eleva tion is from 1300 to '2000 feet above sea level. The west slope of these hills, as a rule, is too steep for culti vation, but atfords good pasture for horses and cattle. The top is practi culJy level, with but a gradual slope toward the Klickitat river. It is cov ered with a growth of willow, wild chnrry, hazel maple, oak brush, and with spleudid Or and pine saw timber. ' This brush and timber grows on a rich, deep, well-watered soil. Some of the Quest orchard and grain farms in the valloy are those which have bouu cleared of the timber and brush. It produces rich crops of oats, barley, wheat, rye, timothy and clover, but is proving itself especially adapted for high grade apples, such as Vellow Newtown Pippins, Spitzenburgs, Jona thans, lieu Davis, Northern Spies and othur kinds. It also raises line late strawborrios. A number of prosper ous small sawmills are at work, where sawlogs tlnd a ready sale. Often the value of the sawlogs pay for the clear ing of the laud. This land can be bought cheap, and the day is coming when all this vast area will be dotted with tine farms and orchards. The Whitt Salmon valley proper lies between the above range of hills on the east and a parallel range on the west in Skamania county. These hills at one time formed the banks be tween which an immense glacier How- r-c:4 i T Mi i 7 J-t U'-fidt'iice of S. C. Zieg'er, I'd iiom tue snow, top of Adams, 40 miles distant, and v tiich gave it a gradual southern slope. Let ns fol low this valley from the Columbia liver to its uorth boundary. As one steps i ff the boat at tbeWbite Salmon landing the prospects are not at first encouraging. About a quar ter of a mile from the river is seen a rocky bluff rising to a height of 400 feet sloping in places and others making teep cliff a. lietween the river and the bluff are some very fine berry, fruit and early vegetable ranches. The soil along the bottom' has a large per centage of saud and needs to be irri gated. The water for irrigation is se cured from the numberless springs that gush out from the hillside. While the acreage is comparatively euiHli,yet their productiveness is great and very early. Strawlierries are ready for market by the Hist week of May. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, English walnuts, almonds and ai e ni tropical fruits grow to perfec tion. To illustrate, S. 0. Zeigler, from one acre of strawberries, gathered 200 crates, which netted bim 2.:tl per crate, or $462 clear of all ex penses. From less than oue acre of early tomatoes he cleared MtiO. Tak ing bis average income for the past nve yearB, Mr. Zeigler's books will how that from four acres in straw berries and tomatoes he has cleared tilVIO per year. The town of White Salmon is situ ated on a plateau above this bluff, and has been called the "West Point" of Washington. The ride up from the river is tieautiful. To the right the winning Columbia may be sen for miles, while on the left the hillsides f .. ? It-" fcF"-. -r- V1"-- ,;". .ikI, ' i i .... 4 " ' ,!,.-,mssSa ? 1 F .... .-. Salmon Falls, at Husum. are rich in flowers, shrubs, ferns, and all kinds of mountain brush. Whit Salmon is 500 feet above the river, bat so gradual Is the grade that one scuroe ly peroeivea the rise. Arriving at White Salmon, the view ia tn inspira tion. Directly opposite is the city oi Hood River, and behind it the farm and orchards sloping slowly to tht foot of Mount Hood, 33 miles dis tant. The snow-clad top of Mount Hood appears almost at hjind.so vivid does it loom up against the bine sky. The Columbia river may be seen foi a distanoe of 25 miles. To the east, where its winding course is obstruct ed by a projecting spur, the view ap pears like a great lake amid the ever lasting bills. Tracing its coarse west ward we se "Cape Horn" jutting out 15 miles away, and the steamers ply ing to and fro. This valley, sheltered both o'i the east and west, gives ar eveu climate. With its pure water, bealthfuluess and adaptability of tht soil for culture of berries and fruitt makes it a delightful place to build a home. From White Salmon three country roads branch out ; one going to Trout Lake, the second to Ulenwood in Camas Prairie, and the third to Uold endale, the county seat. Both Trout Lake and Camas Prairie are well known for their dairying and stockraisiug industries. The soil of Trout Lake is especally adapted to the growth of clover. Two crops are cut each year and will average Ave tons to the acre. While that of Cams Prairie seems at one time to bave been a Vast lake bottom, here timothy, red top and natural grass thrive. Both communities are noted for their fine cattle and dairy stock. The but- - 1 1 al mv the Columbia River. ter and cheese from these sections are acknowledged to be the finest sent to Portland and the Sound markets. Hoth are close to the Mount Rainier forest reserve. This gives them ex tensive free range of the finest kind of pasture, as the government encourages settlers to graze on the reserve. Trout Lake is also a famous summer resort. Thousands of campers speud their vacations hunting and fishing in that section, and from this point most of those woo essay the ascent of Meunt Adams take their start. The beauty and picturesqueness of the scenery, the One fishing and huntiug, the pure water and air make it an ideal place to spend a few weeks from the heat and bustle of city life. Chris (iuler has a commodious ho tel. It is couduoted without undue convention and formality, and oue soon learns to feel at borne. The table is supplied from his own exten sive farm with pure rich milk, tender meats, sweet country butter, fresb vegetables, berries and fruits. Every day parties go forth to hunt and fish, to explore the "ice caves" or to try the more difficult feat of climbing Mount Adams. Here also is to be found a ball of music, of dancing, of billiards, of ten pins, and of every other sport ta which ladles and gentlemen may with out hesitation abandon themselves during their outing in this region of sights and delighs, of climbing, fish ing and rowing. Tbode Bros, bave prepared themselves so as to be able to cater to every whim caprice and fancy of tourists this season. The ollmate of the White Salmon valley is pleasant and healthful. Ths sudden changes from heat to cold, ro dry to wet, so conductive in the east ern states to sickness, never occur here, and the death rate is about one third that of New York or Massachu setts. Rarely does the temperature go to 100 degrees Fahrenheit in sum mer or to zero in winter. Only once in the past three years. The mean temperature for the mouth of Janu ary last was 30 degrees, and for July, 1940, 78 degrees. A case of sunstroke or prostration by beat to man or beast has never been known, even when busy in the harvest fields of July and August. Usually the heat is tempered with a cool breeze from the bills, and the night are comfortable for rest. There is but little dew gathers at night, and camping or sleeping in the open is attended with no danger. Thunder and lightening are rare, and severe storms, earthquakes, cyclones, blizzards, drought and floods are en tirely unknown. The mountain air blows from the forests of flr and pine, and ia a speoiflo for malaria, asthma and bronchial afflictions. Many set tlers who come to this valley with asthma and catarrh have gotten en tirely well without the use of medi cine. Abundanoe of pure water is a great blessing. There are numberless springs throughout the valley. The writer has counted live on oue 20-acre tract. These springs have their origin in the snow-clad tops of the Cascades and Mount Adams, and after filtering through a volcanic and gravel forma tion come forth pure, soft, cool and entirely free of all alkali and harmful mineral substances. Our valley is singularly free from harmful spring frosts. A. H. Jewett.who has lived here for 30 yearc. ivowa that be has not known in all .hat time where spring frosts injured the berries or fruit. Even this year, when Walla Walla lost from 40 to 60 per cent of their fruit, berry and veg etable crop, White Salmon did not lose a blossom. It is generally kuown that the great produotiveity of the soil of Washing ton ia due to its volcanic origin. The wear and tear of the elements for cen turies, the glacial action and other causes bave disintegrated and grpuud Into the finest soil what at one time were forbiddea beds of lava. This soil is so rich in the chemical elements needed for plant fruit and grain growth that it is practically inex haustible. The White Salmon valley, having at one time been a glacier bed, has a rich, deep soil. The prevailing soil is a loam mixed with a large percent age of volcanic ash. This is the best combination for fruit and berries. The loam gives it body and the vol- J. F. Stranahan's Picuresiine Mountain Home. canlc ash productivity and drability. , land that is irrigated, yet when the : The depth varies from 10 to 40 feet, I cost of the water is counted, the labor with a sub-soil of clay or gravel. The and expense of making and maintain capaoity of tbe soil for moisture is so ing the ditches, and the fact that the i great that nearly all tbe rainfall pene- j non-irrigated berry is a better shipper ! trates immediately into it. The pre-1 and brings a higher price, the tlnan cipitation of winter and early spring cial advantage is w ith the nou-irrigat-1 permeates tbe soil to a depth of 5 or 6 ed berry. Still the plants are big j reel, noldlng it as a vast reservoir, During tbe diyer season this moisture gradually works to the surface,so that . tbe roots of tbe trees and plants are always moist. If in tbe middle of Au-' gust one scratches up tbe "dust blan ket" within two inches of the surface fine, moist soil is found. The pres ence of tbe volcanic ash makes it fria ble and easy to work, and prevents lumping or baking. This soil also be oomes richer tbe more it is worked. Laud that has been in cultivation for 20 years produces larger crops than when first planted. Very few ranches ever use manure or fertilizer. Clover, vetch, wheat, barley, potatoes and all kinds of garden yield large crops. Abe Urosbong planted nine sacks of potatoes on less thau one acre of ground, and from it took i:t0 sacks of potatoes, many of which weighed five pounds. Tbe potatoes were solid and entirely free of defects. He received o i an average $1.25 per sack. Thus from less than oue acre of potatoes he denied 162 50. Many of the ranchers 1 take two crops of potatoes from the same piece in one season. In tbe ear ly spring they plant early potatoes for market. Wheu these are dug they then plow and replant a late potato. "' . . 4 ... . - - f-t . fT v ifc & J ttff H , ? ' V'-! ; . , i t - . ' ' F. A. Brailley's Fine Strawlierrv Ranch and Residence. Some gather a crop of berries and a crop of tomatoes from the same piece of land, planting tbe tomatoes lie tween tbe rows of strawberry plants, thus greatly increasing their returns. All this too, without adding fertil izer. All the soil needs is careful cul tivation. This valley lies between the exces sive rains of tbe coast and the drought of tbe North Yakima region. Tbe an nual precipitation is between 40 and 45 inches, thus making irrigation un necessary. This amount of moisture falls during ten months of tbe year, there being little or no rainfall dar ing the harvest mouths of July and Auyust. Our rainy season logins some time in Soptembor and continues to Oecembei ; from December to March snow falls, about M per cent of the whole. From that on he have periodio spring rains. On the third day of last July Ik inches fell. After that we had no rain till September. And there is one interesting feature the wind rarely blows while the rain is falling. This amount of rainfall togetherwith the character of the soil ami the cli matic conditions, bring larger yields of berries, fruit, grasses and grain without the trouble and expense of ir rigation. The Whito Salmou strawberries are from one week to ten days earlier than those of Hood River. 1 his gives the White Salmon berry two advan tages, they have established their market before the Hood River grower begins to ship, and early berries bring the highest prices. The early lierries on the White Salmon side are due to two topographical features. The White Salmon valley lies north of the Columbia river, with a gradual south em slope, while Hood River is on Hie south bank, with a uorth slope. The south slope is always the emiiest and best slope for the culture of berries. Moreover, in the spring the prevailing wind is from the ocean, and blows Chris Gnler's Trout Lake Resort brisklv between the high banks of t he Columbia river. Below Hood River the Columbia makes a bend to the uorth and throws the wind to the south shore, while White Salmon is protected not only by the bend of the river, but by a range of hills on the weBt. In this valley, opeu to the early spriug sun and protected from the chill ocean winds, the berries ripen as early as the first week in May. The berries are grown without irri gation. Besides saving the labor and expense of irrigating, tlius obtaining a better berry. The berries are firmer, of a richer llavor and color, and are better shippers. For cunning ami preserving they ciinnot be surpassed. While the yield per arm on non-irrigated land is not so Imye as that on yieliiers. .John inina, rrom at, acres, gathered 01!t crates of 1-tier berries. Ibis was an unusual yield, and it would tie unfair to quote such as a rule. On an average we figure 150 crates of first class berries to the acre. Of course the price varies. The first shipment brings from to 87 per crate. We have gotten as high as $12 for the first few crates. John Trana's crop of ill'.) crates averaged him 1.75 per crate clear of all expenses. J. C. Clarksou, from au acre of 2-year old plants and two acres of 1-year old plants netted 10-1 1, and Mike and C. 11. Thornton, from au acre they had together, cleared e U7 each. A quota tion from the bureau of statistics of the state of Washington, page 104, will bear witness to the above statements: "Southern Klickitat county has a number of very productive fruit lielts, the oldest and best developed being the White Salmon valley. The condi tions here are also at their best. Ow ing to their proximity to the great snow peaks of Mt. Adams and the Cas cade range, there is an abundance of rainfall. The Hood River berry was doveloped here, and is kuown aa the host shipping berry in existence." Lovers of beaut ifnl fruit will Hud in " ' - J X , : i -.-. the White Salmon valley the ideal soil and climate, a ided to these the topographical features are such that one can select the proper slope for .either early or late apples. It is well i kuown that fruit trees.generally speak ing, prefer an undulating surface such as here. If one asks the grower what kind of trees do liest, he invar iably replies that it is hard to tell, as i all kinds do equally well; but the fa IvoritesBre Yellow Newtown Pippius, i Spitzenburgs. Jonathans, W inesaps 'and Northern Sides. While the in dustry of growing commercial apples j is still in its infancy, yet there are euough bearing orchards to prove it. :.e rr. V- : vJ . v. i I Car v - Li IT3. . Department Store of C M. absolutely the superiority of the , White Salmon valley tor the culture of apples mid other fruits. Captain! H. C. Cook lias a bearing orchard one. mile west of White Salmon, in w hich 1 one !)-year-old tier yielded '27 bo of Spitenbiirgs. Mordceiu Jones, nine miles north, has :10 acres in high grade apples. R. M. Clemens, seven miles northeast, has 12 acres in bear ing orchard. William Olson, William Lock, N. M. Woods, ami many others have flourishing orchards. Thou sands of young trees are set out annu ally, in a few years the White Sal mon valley will be as justly famous as Hood finer for its big red apples. These apples are grown on nou irri gated land, anil have that delicate fla vor characteristic of hill or nioiiiit.ii in fruit so popular with consumers. '1 he apples are large, of a high color, and splendid keepeis. The trees, too, are singularly freo from many of the fruit, pests that afflict orchards. Au article from the Portland Jour nal of recent date will give testimony to this fact. "in Klickitat county, just, across the Columbia from Hood Kivei, but in au altitude 1000 fort higher, Wash ington farmers have discovered that Red-cheeked Pippins, lieu Davis ami other varieties of apples can lie grown equal to the Oregon product, and with the additional advantage that spray ing is unnecessary. One of the.o tnr mers is in Portland with oO Luxes of apples for exhibition at the Lewis ami Clark fair, lie refused Ci per box from local dealers. The apples are large, of line flavor and highly color ed, and without sign of worm or pest of any kind. The hills are prefera ble for fruit raising, where the requi site depth of soil is found. This land is offered to home seekers at. from i10 to ?;0 per acre in its viigin st to." Peaches, ears and cherries are sue cessfully grown. The favorite com mercial peach Is the W llow Ciawt'ord. The tree are prolific yielders and the fruit of a first 1 1 iss flavor and size. ('lierries seem to have fi und a nat ural home in thin valley, so thrifty the tiers, so uliuuilunt the yield, lioyal Ann, Hing and Lamberts bring their fruit to erfectinti. Unlike the Wil lamette valley, the fruit does not "split." From one lioyal Ann tree Mr. Waldo cleared 1-20 last lull, and Mr. Maine, fro n a 12-) ear-old tree, gathered 25 worth of cherries. 1 he Bartlett, Winter Nellies and other pears yield big returns for euro in vested. All them fruits aie early.. Soil that produces inch niiignillceiit strawberries could not fail to make a good show ng w ith other berries. Rasp berries, blackberries, dewberries ami Logau berries often turn nil from i?20U l C..lt,(TloPT li . . QB0CERIE3 S PROVISIONS I ;ti. -'.ij to J.'iOO worth per year o the acre. An experiment is bring made with English walnuts, lt is too early to i give an accurate opinion, still from every indication the English walnut will prove a successful grower in this! valley. I There is a horticultural society that meets twice a month for the si inly of j fruit culture in this valhy. This! society is of great help to the indi- i vidual growers. The meinl ei s guard with care not only t heir ow u hut Ihnr neighbor's orchard. 1 he object is to suppress every indication of fruit; pests. The industry of fruit growing! is carried out with the iin t intelli gence, anil a campaign of iduios is kept op. Heretofore all fruits and , berries have been shipped from Hood River as Hood River fruit, but the horticultural society has taken up the question of shipping ami mm ki t ing its own products. The orgaiiiat ion has been perfected, and now shi s its pro I in tv ; ihere are hundreds of acres of the finest of fruit aud berry land. It is now covered with a growth of wild cherry, oak, hael, willow. ma le, and other brush anil some scattering llr trees. This land can be rleared fur: from $20 to 10 per acre. After clear-1 ing, the land is put iuto potatoes or straw lierries, am' the young orchard j started. 'I he soil has stored op in it; the strength and fertility of ages. No worn out land, no expense for fertil- ; izers. Often the first crop after clearing pays for the land and clearing thereof, Small fruit and vegetables are plant- ed lietween the rows of growing trees until the trees l!gin to Is-iir. which is usually four years. Thus iu a short time one has earned for himself a beautiful home, a good income and HI - I V I .-" . "'..ft 1. I .... i s. '-. X I O imi i fi ii ii' " i, ,i.ni3 C. S, Bancroft's Provision lloiisi'. WW--. . I n JQ i; 4 I i ten t 1 , J","ll".sl,. 'I Wolfard : Co. IMinto by Delta. the choicest work (iod has given man to do. The question is sometimes asked: "But will not the enterprise of apple growing be overdone and the market overcrowded? The same question was asked when the groat Paoillo .North west turned its attention to wheat growing. Today wheat growers are getting a higher price for their wheat than 15 years ago. If one raises a Itrst-clasB apple tliere w ill always be a demand for it. Today our apples are sold in all the leading cities of the I'n if ed States and Canada. They are sold in London, Liverpool, Ham burg, Berlin, Paris, St. Petersburg, Honolulu, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, Siberia, Manila and the mining camps in Alaska, ljist year .Kim lioxes ot White Salmon and Hood River apples were shipped to Shang hai, and the increase in the acreage does not equal the increase in the for eign demand for Oregon anil Wash ington apples. The products of the White Salmon valley are shipped both by boat and by rail. All steamers on the Colum bia river plying between Portland anil i The Dalles stop at White Salmon. : There is a "comodious dock, and the ' The New Public School returns show that more freight and passengers are taken on at Wliile Sal mon than at any other dock between Portland and The Dalles. Directly across the river is the O. R. A N. K. K. , a transcontinental line. Fruit and berries are taken across the river and shipped at the Hood River sta tion. White Salmon has its own agent, who devotes his entire time to the care and shipping of the White Salmon products. The Northern Pari Mr has a road surveyed up the uorth bank of the Co lumbia river. This will give direct connections east and west on this sido side of the river. This road is com pleted ns far ar as Vancouver, the right j ght as far as Pasco, and it ot wav bou is confidently predicted that before a year the connect Ion will be maile. With transportation direct from White Salmon the products of this rich Valley will become justly famous. .New Con! raiding Firm. A. I). Maine A Co. is one of the new IIiiiis of While Salsmnu, and by the way at the present time is one of the busiest. Associated with Mr. Maine are a number of first-class me chanics, and now al this time most all of them are very busy, indeed. Mr. Maine has had a gieat deal of experi ence in contracting, and now is dem onstrating how much he knows about ! it. !.',-Mt,, ism-' V li Ai mi.. 'The Rittle Church ou the A lining the New Coiners. .1. I'". Stratiahan is onn of the new comers, and he has one of the most picturesque spots on the mountain slope. Delias just completed a new n-.-idcnre, and it clearly shows that it i is his intention to have one of the .' prettiest spots on tlieWashingtoii side. Mr. Straiiahan is au architect of rec- ognized ability and in the designing of tho house and the general arrange- j meat of the ground shows that he dis-! played marked taste. ; ;-v lap. if - - i I 1 EARLY PIONEER AND LEADING CITIZEN l'ho history of Whito Salmon, as well as the history of Klickitat coun ty, would not be complete if the name of A, H. Jewett was not mentioned. For thirty years he has lieen a resi dent and he lias worked hard tor the success of the town, locality and the county. He owns the most lieautlful home along the Columbia river. Over a quarter of a century ago he pur chased 600 acres of laud and com menced at once to make White Salmon what it is. Mr. Jewett has met with obstacles, but he has always overcome them. Full of push and enterprise, he has gone ahead and endeavored to make a city, lt was he who Inaugur ated ami installed the water system and laid out theclty and offered tuucq to all. He still has 1100 acres of excell ent land, and there Is uo visitor who makes White Salmon, but what goes iuto ecstacies over the lieautiful sur roundings of his home. Just to turn back the pages of his tory we tlnd that he at the age of 16 years shouldered a musket during the troublesome days of '61, and left bis Illinois home with Company B, Oue multireel anil thirty Secoud Volun teers. At tne close of the unpleasant ness he entered business and later in life followed the lot of a traveling salesman. It was in '74, following the year of financial disaster lemembered by many of the older ouos, that he set foot on Washington soil. He engaged in tho nursery business, and with the aid of his wife and sons, who then were living, commenced to mark out the lieautiful spot that they call home. At this time when the city and the valley of White Salmon is attracting attention, and many are buying laud, Mr. Jewett is not in the rear, but ou the other hand is in the lead aud has commenced to plat out on the blutt overlooking the rivor aud when com pleted will have large boulevards, lie will construct a uumber of villas and get ready to take care of all who seek- to locate In the prettiest spot ou the Washington sido. r Ive hundred feet above the sea level with the view of the Columbia for twenty miles, the .2 . j Building Photo by Deitz. soil the richest, and in fact the spot the most picturesque for a borne, there is no que (lion but what the place will soon fill up and be the residence part of the city. Mr. Jewett still has a numlier of fine business and reisdenee lots, his original plat of the city. Jewett ave nue, one of the principal streets of the city, bears his iiamo. In all matters pertaining to the best interests of the city, the social and the moral side in him has a strong champion. One of tho strong features of the home is the summer resort, accommo dations being made for thirty guests or more. Mrs. Jewett has almost a national reputation as a hostess, and every year entertains many easterners who come to take advantage of the beautiful west. Every arrangement is made for the entertainment and it is a jolly colony enjoying her hospital ity. As a horticulturist there is none better known than Mr. Jewett, and both he and Mrs. Jewett take au act ive part in Orange matters. (i, A. Thomas, living at the edge of the city, has one of the very Hnest homes in the city, it was but recent ly coinpl vied ami has been thoroughly furnished throughout, it is 110x52 feet on the ground and cost about ft 1,000. Mr. Thomas was in the mercantile business for 12 years and it is his in- Hill. "--Photo bv Deitz. teution to enter it again if a railroad goes through the city. Ho is the owner of some of the finest laud iu the White Salmou valley and has twelve acres In strawberries and a large commercial orchard. R. W. Clemens, who makes his home with his parents, has 40 acres nearby, and has seven acres cleared. He baa nearly an acre in berries and over a hundred bearing fruit trees. He also has a 160 acres iu the Suowdeu conn- try. 1 1 i - f r 'H J imp'.,. - -- . f o