The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-07-25
7food River Glacier
A Trip to the Country.
FRIDAY. JULY 25 1902.

subscribers in the Mosier district and
upper Hood River valley. He had a
very pleasant time, saw some fine coun-
try, and found where government land
can still be taken for entry. He left
Hood River Monday afternoon and
reached Jerome Wells place, on the
hills east of Hood River, that evening.
Mr.. Wells has cleared about thirty acres
of good land that yields big crops. He
recently purchased part Of the Lacey
place, near Pine Grove, where be will be
near school for his children. He now
is offering his farm on the hill for sale.
A school district is soon to be establish
ed on the hill.
Mark E Thomas, lately from Rock ISL
and, ILL.,, is opening up a fine farm ad-
joining the place Of his brother-in-law,
Jerome Wells. From Mr.. Wells place
the Glacier man went to Mosier and
travelled up the ridge road on the divide
between Mosier and Rock creeks. The
Mosier country has many well improved
farms, where apple and other fruits are
grown to perfection. Large fields OF
corn are grown in this section, and no
other part OF Oregon can surpass the
Mosier settlement in growing corn. NJ
p. Sturgess, successful farmer on the
Ridge, has Seeding cherry tree, four
years old, that this year bore fruit for
the first time. The cherry resembles the
Royal Anne in color but is larger and OF
excellent flavor. The fruit is firm and
the pits smaller than the Royal Anne.
Mr.. Sturgess will graft and bud from
this tree. 1t will make good shipping
cherry and is two weeks earlier than the
Royal Anne.
George Ireland, who located OH the
Ridge about eight years ago, has 400 ap-
pie trees in bearing. His trees are and
7 years old and bore fruit for the first
time last year. The trees are all beau
ties. 1t would be hard to find 400 trees
in as healthy condition as Mr.. Ireland
keeps his. The elevation of his orchard
is about 1900 feet-above the Goblin
moth. He has never had wormy
apple on his place. He sold his King
and Snow apples in January for $2 box.
In May he got 1926 for his Spitzenbergs,
Baldwins and Red Cheeks and $1.75 for
Ben Davis. His Italian prune trees
are heavily loaded with fruit. Last
year he sold his prune crop for 80 cents
a box. Prunes in the lower Mosier val
ley sold for 20 cents a box, but Mr.. Ire
lands were later in ripening and very
fine. Mr.. Ireland says there is room
for so families on the headwaters of
Rock creek and Neal creek, where Just
as good fruit can be grown as on his
place. His wheat hay went 215 tons to
the acre this year, while the crop Of his
son-in-law, near by, yielded three tons.
At the head OF Neal creek the Glacier
man found some fine country. Here
claims have been taken by several Hood
River people. E. G, Rogers has a good
claim and has built large house. H..
l.. Howe has good claim with neat
house and an orchard OF a couple hum
dred apple trees set last spring. A pine
tree on Mr.. Howe's claim measures 28
feet around its base. 1t is straight
and at least rs feet to the first limb.
Many names have been cut in its bark.
A handsomer tree would be hard to
find. Some day, when this section is
opened up and orchards have been set
out, it will be a very productive country
as well as desirable for summer resi-
dence. There is still government land
to be found by going further into the
wilderness that lies near the base OF
Mount Hood. The few settlers here
want neighbors, they want settlers who
will settle; they want families with
children to help establish schools. The
clearing is generally heavy, but the land
is OF the best, and once the settler clears
enough OF it to set say one thousand APP
pie trees, his fortune is made ii he prop
erly looks after the trees.
Adjoining II. l.. Howe's claim is that
of E. d. West, on the road leading down
into Hood River valley. John Vests
claim comes next. The West brothers
have made good wagon road leading
down the mountain to Neal creek
These brothers are Industrious, make
their homes ON their claims. and in a
few years, with orchards and clover
fields, their places will bring good in
comes. Intelligent industry, combined
with good soil and the irrigation priv.
ileges to be had here, will in few years
make this country literally bloom and
blossom as the rose.
AT the foot of this mountain road, on
Neal creek, we come to the farms OF G.
G. Massiker, ]. NJ. Taylor and Troy
Shelley. Mr.. Shelley located here about
twenty years ago. He has a delightful
location; good land and the best OF
water. A cold spring near his house
flows a stream large enough to turn a
mill. 1t is a very home-like place, one
that person is apt to fall in love with
at first sight. Mr.. Shelley has manu-
iactured leveler, to level ground for
any crop that is intended to be irrigat-
ed, which it would be well for any one
needing an implemento of this kind to see.
From Mr.. Shelley's place the Glacier
man struck out for the Mount Hood set
tlement. He had never before visited
that section except to pass through it
on the way to the mountain. After cir
cling around and visiting with the good
people of the neighborhood and seeing
their places, he learned why so many
people went so far up the valley to find
homes and are so well satisfied with
their location that they think it is the
best in the valley. The development OF
this section seems but commenced.
There are some well improved farms,
with good orchards, but the majority OF
the settlers feel the need of capital to
clear the land and improve their places
The Mount Hood settlement will be-
fore many years rival the Trout Lake
country in dairy products. The cold
water, always necessary in dairying
country, and the big crops of clover,
two and three tons to the acre, and the
second crop better than the first, will
bring the separators and the cream
cries. Stock of all kinds fatten on the
range. Many of the farmers find profit
in keeping a few sheep. Bees do well.
A splendid system of irrigating bitches
waters the valley. The Middle Fork
lrrigating company, incorporated,
takes water from the east branch of the
middle fork of Hood river, 2ls miles
below Cloud Cap Inn. Land Is irri-
rigated 10 miles from the source of the
ditch. There are 100 shares of stock in
the ditch, worth today $50 a share
The ditch, with its laterals, cost $500,
and the company Is out of debt. Doug
las Riggs, chairman of the board of di-
rectors, has charge of the ditch, and
much of the success of the company is
due to his efficient management Other
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