The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-08-04
NEAL CREEK.

Mr.. Smith tells us that he Is pleased
to know that Mr.. Vanderbilt Is finding
the small fruit OF Bnelal Land to be
so profitable, but he objects to the
statement made In our last notes that
he was in the habit Of letting the fruit
90 to waste. He says the only fruit
that went to waste was such as his
neighbors would not have for the
gathering. 3sE &bS
Hinrichs, Lage and HARRISON broth
ers' thresher will start on Its usual
rounds next Monday, l"e ,ning a. NJ.
Lagos place. A little more gra,n TIA ;.
usual will be threshed iIi4 year. l'nr
awhile there were lldira ions dhal
grain raising in II god River valley
would become thing Of Tie. past, bit
clover meadows will run out and rota-
tion of crops will probably always
cause some grain to be grown.
An old horse with bone SPAWN
about the size Of a nail .keg has been
running our roads during the past
week. Everyone whose premises this
horse chooses TO post himself near feels
disgraced, feeling that the passer-by
will count the ugly plug among the
belongings to the property. We have
been unable to trace the ownership Of
the horse, but In the interest of hu-
manity and Gecency we hope that the
owner will load his gun aud lead this
poor old brute 10 "a quiet, retired spot
and send him to horse heaven IA
THAT COUNTY ROAD AGAIN.
The projected road along the East
Side OF the old Harrison Corum place
has kept the whole community agog for
many months, and the controversy
shows no sign Of abatement. actiona!
politics is well mixed into the affair and
nearly every man ono meets expresses
an opinion, either consciously or uncon-
sciously, from partisan standpoint.
A few OF US who are not greatly inter
ested have tried to take neutral stand
but those in this attitude have had a
hard time too "No.men-at-all, for not
coming out squarely for one side or the
other" il the way we are sized up IT
would be relief TO know that the
whole matter would soon come TO an
end, II we were not aware that, since
we mortals are but fools anyway, as
soon as one incident Of this sort closes
another Just as good Is sure to bob
up In It's place. The writer knows how
to sympathize with those who have to,
give slice Of valuable land forAthe pub
lie good, and he believes II to be no
more than fair that reasonable sum
for damages should be allowed. The
public must and will have roads, how-
ever, and those who try to block the
way by asking extortionate damages
usually discover that "agree with thine
adversary quickly, etc. applies here as
well as in some other matters. The
road in question opens up territory,
largely unimproved, Of not less than
200 or 800 acres in extent, which has no
intersecting road. Tracts OF this size
are not held, nowadays, 10 Hood River
valley by few individuals, either to
their own or TO public advantage, and
at least one road through this tract is a
justifiabIe. request.
No road has ever been opened in the
country without criticism or opposition,
and II opposition would kill roads, East
Hood River would still be a stock range.
Wherever new road has been opened
in this community, developments have
begun at once which has greatly en-
HANGED values near it, and not infre-
quently has enabled those who opposed
II TO sell off their lands at double the
price they could otherwise have OBJ.
tanned. Furthermore, we have noticed
that whenever one of these road squab.
bes begins, the true merits of the case
can never be determined 10y the size OF
either the petition or the remonstrance.
A request for u road by Il dozen land
owners In the vicinity, usually implies
that road is needed, and when the
whole community mn-t be secured near
and far for signatures by both petition
ers and demonstrators, ii is safe to say
not one signer in three on either side,
has taken the real merits Of the case in
consideration
Such body as an impartial court
and board OF viewers ought to be avail
able and their honest decision, after
weighing all the evidence, is OF far more
value than anything that can be evolved
from a factional fight,