The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-07-14
NEAL CREEK.

~ H. pthrb IepOfIH bnhL MS apple
crop will be larger than ever before. He
says that few barren trees by the road
side do not indicate the true conditions
that exist through q 35.acre orchard.
Clarence Copple has now been carry
ing the mail for over three months, and
the mail box into which these notes will
fall has received its daily portion during
that time without the occurrence of an
error. Better service could not be asked.
Little Alma Christner OF Portland is
visiting ct the home OF her aunt, Mrs.
U. A. Newman. fas @
The Sears 4 Porter place is the scene
Of much activity these days. Besides
the regular orchard force, Mr.. Porter
has carpenters employed enlarging and
beautifying the old home. The erect
ion OF new house for Mr.. Sears will
begin this week. sks kF4t4s
G. II. sproat is putting up neat lit
tie barn. MFs M
Our old neighbor, Boyed Sproat, has
bought an S0-acre farm, all cleared and
good improvements, 10 miles west OF
Portland, and will follow after his old
loVe-the dairy business.
TRIP TO DUKES VALLEY.
The writer made his first visit to
Dukes Valley on the Fourth, and like
the Queen OF Sheba in the presence OF
Solomon's riches, he could not but ex-
claim, "the half was not told me" Be-
Ing the national holiday, the settlement
TO oil appearances was entirely desert
ed; reminding us Of Arcade in Long
fellows story, after the inhabitants had
been expelled.
Not person did we see, 80 had to
guess at the location Of rattlesnake dens,
knox's place and all the rest. Eviden-
ces were all around US that irrigation
had struck the valley some years ago,
for timothy and clover meadows with
heavy stands were on every hand. Hay
cooke In one field stood in clover six or
eight inches high, and we almost want
ed to pick bone with the owner for not
getting them off. q
II opportunities OF bygone days could
come again, the writer would buy the
whole valley and build al
fence around 1t. He would there "a
stately pleasure dome Decree" like Ku-
bla Klan in Xanadu. He would exclude
the daily mail, the telephone which is
creeping near, and the assessor, too, II
possible. He would keep q sleek bull
dog for bad boys, and be monarch OF all
he surveyed.
But such is life. Few of us have fore
sight equal to our hind sight, and the
holdings OF every one must ultimately
narrow down to six feet OF mother earth.
DEMAND BETTER PHONE. SERVICE.
The Pacific States Telephone and
Telegraph Co. have been looking over
the ground recently, with view 10
extending their lines to oil parts OF the
East Side. We know but little about
their plans, but sincerely hope that
better service in the future is part Of
their contemplations.
The company and patrons alike ure
delinquent in matters which could b,
combined into more satisfactory se,-
vice. Just why our line, which is the |
original East Side main line, should g.t
out of working order so often is some
thing too high, we presume, for ordi.
nary mortals to comprehend. While
the strawberry season, in particular,
lasted we could hardly get the central
office at all. We know that the Office
force wac greatly overworked at that
time, and II we were 10 make guess al
the reason for the non.working of the
line we would say that we were coolly
disconnected and left TO whistle down
the wind," simply because the office
force was not adequate TO handle the
business. The line has also been left
without care for many months, and
wires everywhere are constantly slap.
ping and crossing to the great detriment
OF the service. Concerning the delm-
quencies OF the patrons will say that
children and young people have been
known TO use the phone foran excessive
length Of time, and il one insisted ON
their giving it up would insult and an.
noy while business conversation was
being conducted.
Parents are largely to blame for this
state Of things, and perhaps do not
know that il proper complaint is made
to the company their phones would be
removed.
We hope that in the interest of har-
mOny matters will also take a turn
at once, in this respect, for the better.
Business is business and patience after
a while will cease to be q virtue.
James Sowen, formerly with Frank
Buttan in tho timhar hnsinass hnA nov., |