Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1904-10-21
EDITORS VISIT HOOD RIVER
Oregon Newspaper Men Hold Enloy-
able Convention and Attend
Fruit Fair.


| Fruit Fair.
/ The country newspaper men of Ore
gon have had their annual vacation
aud have returned to their homes con.
graduating themselves upon the
wisdom of choosing Hood River as the
place of the 18th annual meeting. Nc
more pleasant social gathering than
the one held in the famous Hood River
valley last week has ever been recorded
in the history of the Oregon Press AS
sociation. While the attendance was
| not as large as usual, the convention
was composed of men and women who
are actively engaged in newspaper
work, and the usual crowd of idle plea
sure seekers was conspicuously absent.
AS a result, the publishers were en-
abled to get tdown to earnest work, and
steps were taken to place the Associa-
ton on a substantial business footing
and to carry out measures that will
financially benefit every newspaper in
Oregon. The members, one and all,
express the belief that the days of idle
junketing trips are over for the Oregon
Press Association, and that a bright
and prosperous future is in store for
the country newspapers of the state.
THE CONVENTION CITY.
Hood River is beautiful little city
of 1900 population, situated on the
south bank of the lordly Columbia
river and at the mouth of the stream
from which the city derives it's name
1t is 64 miles east of Portland, and "a
miles west of The Dalles. Being on
the main line of the O. r. & N. rail
road, it has excellent transportation
facilities, Portland being reached by a
tWo-hours' ride. The town was plated
twenty years ago, but up to within the
past five years its population did not
exceed 500 souls. Since that time it
has grown in size and commercial i'm
portance by leaps and bounds.
The town has an excellent water sup
ply, electric lights, well-improved
streets, a $4,000 hotel, and numerous
stores and shops. A sawmill of 100000
feet daily capacity and large fruit
box factory give employment to a
small army Of men. Two large public
school buildings and numerous hand
some churches speak eloquently for
the educational and moral tone of the
town. Many costly brick business
buildings are in course of construction.
The residence streets are lined with
beautiful homes, many of them be-
longing to Portland capitalists who
have orchards in the valley
The business interests in Hood
River, as in Dallas, are controlled by
young men, and it is needless to add
that no opportunity or advantage is
overlooked that will add to the welfare
of the town. The people, young and
old, are hospitable and are ever ready |
to extend the hand of welcome to
the stranger within their gates. They
are proud of their beautiful town and |
it's rich surroundings, and are con-
stantly on the alert to make known to
the outside world the wonderful riches
and resources of Hood River valley. |
WHERE THE APPLE is KING.
Hood River valley is about twenty
miles long and averages five miles in
width, containing an area of $4,000
acres. The Columbia river is the
northern boundary; to the east is a
mountain range 1000 feet high; the
timbered slopes of the Cascades form
its western boundary, while majestic
Mount Hood stands sentinel at the
southern end successfully disputing
entry. The area of tillable land is
estimated at $4,000 acres.
The high lands are generously
covered with oak and pine, with little
or no underbrush. These wooded
slopes, when cleared for cultivation,
are better adapted to apple raising
than is the low land along the banks
of Hood river and it's numerous tribu-
taries. The low bottom land is where
clover and berry fields are seen in all
their perfection. Water for irrigation
purposes is plentiful, and dairying
and vegetable raising contribute no
small share to the prosperity Of the
people of Hood River valley,
There are now 28OO acres planted to
apples, less than one-quarter of this
area representing bearing commercial
The Spitzenberg and Yellow
Newton are the chief varieties planted,
few of any other kinds having been
set within the last four years.
The apple crop now being gathered
is expected to fill $4,000 bushel boxes,
or 125 cars. The entire crop of the
Hood River Apple Growers Union has
been contracted for by a Portland
apple buyer at the following prices
Four tier Spitzenbergs, $2.1O box;
four-tier Newtons, S175 a box. The
fve-tier apples sold for s1.75 and 1925
a box.
Hood River Spitzenbergs and Yellow
Newtons bring higher prices than any
other apples in the United States.
This. the buyers say, is because Of the
bfrrE ,,oIov opd o1,rarioT- nm q lifxy inn /