The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-12-08
FARMERS DONATE
MUCH GOOD FRUIT

Hood River, Dec. 6.-Editor Glacier
When last weeks Glacier came to hand
| turned as usual to the editorial page
for intellectual pabulum, but when |
read in your leader that the farmers Of
the valley Contributed nothing toward
making flood River known to the out
side world" | was filed with amaze
ment. | exclaimed "Can this be2 Is it
it possible that | hold in my hands the
Hood River Glacier?Surely this must be
The Dalles Chronicle" But the captiOn
''Hood River Glacier" stared me boldly
in the face.
While struggling with my thoughtsthe
old story that is told OF Lokman, sur
named the wise, came wildly before
me. 1t will be remembered that Lok-
man lived in the days of Solomon or
thereabouts One day his master who
was kind man, gave him a kind of
melon called the colonquntida, which
is one Of the bitterest things in the
world. Lokman Immediately ate it all
up without making faces or showing
the least dislike.
His master quite surprised said ;"How
was it possible for you to swallow so
nauseous iruit?' Lockman replied,
81 have received 80 many sweets from
you that it is not wonderful that ]
should swallow the only bitter fruit you
ever gave me-" Asa reward for this
generous and grateful answer, the slave
was Immediately given his liberty.
So that by reasoning that human
nature is much the same in all ages,
saw no cause to be offended at your
editorial. The good things that our be-
loved home paper has said of we farm
ers in the past and the confidence we
have that more good things will follow,
makes your terrible arraignment, ,wheth-
er in earnest or otherwise seem almost
like a benediction.
II it were not that fear this criticism
Of us in your widely read paper might
cause the people OF many lands to look
upon Hood River farmers as contempt
ible lot Of Shylocks, | would not have
taken up my pen in defense. The truth
Of the matter is Hood River farmers are
the most public spirited, whole souled fell
lows on earth, but they are modest and
are given to not telling their left hand
| Wlhb bhSii ilBlll nuuu uDbbl,
1t is true that some money has been
paid to growers this fall for fancy ap-
pies in box lots for exhibition purposes,
but demands OF this sort are becoming
so frequent these days that many grow
ers whose orchards are young could
soon find recipients whose only return
would be, "thank you," for every box
OF fine apples they grow. Several years
must elapse before an orchard yields
profit, and many growers can be found
who are anxiously awaiting the com
forts and conveniences which apple
money will bring.
The town people bore generous part
in the work of getting up the late fruit
| fair, but it must be remembered that
much time and labor was also expended
by every exhibitor. To select, polish,
pack and deliver for exhibition 10
to 20 boxes OF fancy apples is bigger
task than most persons suppose. Few
growers are capable OF putting up fruit
in competitive style and the services Of
an expert packer must usually be OBJ
tained. After all this trouble and ex-
pense, which easily amounts to 80 cents
a box,i would not have been reasonable
to ask each and every grower to give
away $40 to $40 worth OF fruit.
1t can easily be seen that our bi-en-
NAL shows are only made possible by
the cooperation and strenuous efforts
OF Hood Rivers enterprising horticul-
turists, and besides this thousands of
plates of our choicest apples have been
donated by them for exhibition in Port
land and elsewhere for more than a
decade. The real estate man comes to
US often for choice samples to send to
clients all over the land, and who ever
heard of him or his seed begging ap-
pies for this purpose and going away
empty handed,
AS before intimated, much is being
done by every grower which does not
attract much attention at home. Facts
and figures on this are not easily OBJ
tainable, but | heard not long ago OF
five boxes of choice Hood River apples
going from grower, free and prepaid,
to Yale college. In like manner another
box found its way to Bryn Mawr, where
the bushes on the apples are said to
have outrivaled the bushes of the fair
students who made away with them.
The entire st. Louis police force ate
Hood River apples which the grower
sent them without cost Twenty-Five
crates OF strawberries were sent abroad
free by the owner of one plantation. Ten
boxes OF cherries from another producer
went free to the Oregon exhibit at st.
Louis. The letter carriers, some 20 in
all and their families, of Portland, all re-
Gently ate apples without cost to any
one but the orchardist.
The Grangers who visited Portland a
fortnight ago were all fed on apples do
dated direct from the growers. | also
have positive knowledge OF single boxes
of apples that have been sent east,
west, north and south to friends of
of the growers. One grower has sent
from one to four boxes Of fruit every
year of the six years he has lived in the
valley to friends in Iowa and Nebraska,
and every visitor that comes to Hood
River valley goes away, ii he goes at all,
with his grip or one corner of his trunk
well packed with these apples of Eden
While the combined farmers of Rogue
River are to be commended for giving
away 80 boxes of apples, don't for
PHYS sake compare this isolated case
with the efforts which the Hood River
farmers have made along this line for
years past, If the farmers of Hood
River valley had not been equally as
generous and foresighted us the business
men of the town, the fame OF our fruits
would not have extended far beyond
the mountains that surround us.
X. T.. IL.
'TWas Merry Dancing Party