The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1900-08-31

stronger friend to Hood River and her people
than am. ! came 800 miles TO make this
my home and expect TO live and die right
something OF Hood River and her business
men: and wish TO say further that there is
no one man In Hood River valley, In my
oplnion-no, no five men In this lovely val.
ley that have done so much for the valley and
Its advancement In substantial wealth as the
same Frank Davenport, the senior member
Of the energetic firm OF The Davenport Bros.
Lumber Co. Now: think know as much
about the financial condition Of this company
as any man In this valley, save possibly the
members OF the firm and one or two Others, ,as
have been for some time past acting In
many ways as the attorney OF said Arm. The
said company has assets, when cleared OF q
small encumbrance not exceeding 5000, of at
least $4,000, made up as follows: The two
mills planer. fiume and plant, with the water
privilege and timber lands, at $4,000 and for
which, am reliably informed, sH,Cco has
been Offered lately: the controlling Interest In
the Valley improvement Co.'S lrrigating
plant, at $4,000; lumber on hand, say 5000;
10 per cent held back by o. r. & N. Co. for ties
sold, 5000 accounts for lumber sold, and now
soon due. In Salt Lake, at $500; and you al.
ready have more than $4,000. The pay roll OF
said company for the last Is months Is 500
per day cash. The store bill at one store
In town has been so day for IS months.
Every thousand feet Of lumber that passes
down the fume Of this company represents to
the business 81 per thousand net profit. The
output Is now and has been for some time
over 500 per day. These are not hypothetical
figures, but are figures that can be subStan-
tiated. We must remember that about 80
days pass from the time that stuff is shipped
on the railroad until returns come in, and
that, besides, the railroad company holds
back 10 per cent OF all the ties and material
they buy from said company until the COM
pletion of the contract. So that the company
In question, while perfectly solvent, may not
at all times have ready money, and 1t Is per-
fectly possible for a 81 check to be an over
draft. Supposing that q concern came TO this
town and asked for bonus to help put In a
plant that would have a pay roll OF 500 per
day, and would spend all the money 1t made
among the people OF the community. Upon
the proper showing, would the concern not
get q reasonable bonus, and would not the
merchants be the first TO respond and the first
TO derive benefit from the concern? Now,
here is JUST SUCH A CONCERN. Every dollar
that the Davenport Brothers Lumber Co.
make is spent here; all their supplies are
bought from the merchants OF this town, and
their paper Is handled by the business houses
OF this place. Is this not fact? Then this
business community should be willing not
only TO see TO IL that no 81 check OF said firm
| or Its manager, Frank Davenport, ever goes
| to protest under present conditions. but that
several hundred dollars OF ready money, put
| up by the merchants, Is always ready to pro
| tect any reasonable Overdraft. Shonld Mr.
Davenport become rich and not need finan
| cial support, or rather financial friendship
as the Oregon Lumber Co. does-own his owr
store, buy everything away from home, and
| sell everything to his own people, his EN-
| ployes? Most certainly he would. Then 1t Il
| TO the interests of every man, and especially
the merchants, In Hood River that this
company should never get JUST THAT RICH
but should always depend upon the financia
| friendship Of the home town, and should con
tlnue TO do just what is being done now. So
Mr.. Editor, let us all stand by one another, sc
long as the one needing help Is honest, and
am sure that no intelligent honest man II
4 this community can rise up and soy truth
fully that Frank Davenport Is not honest, ,ha
not always been honest, and from past Oxpe
riences Is not likely to continue to be homes
SO long as he lives. have taken up too mucl
of your valuable space already, but allow m
to say in closing, that should Frank I'aven
| port ever fail In business, predict now tina
when his affairs are settled he will have KEEP
nothing back but the suit he wears on hi
back. Yours truly,
| JOHN LELAND HENDERSON.