The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-11-02

man and says the; value of the new
Mount Hood railroad to that country
cannot be overestimated. He believes
the business of hauling cordwood
alone will be paying business to the
road, while being Of corresponding
benefit to the farmers. At present
thousands of cords OF wood are being
burned up in the log to get rid of
them, the long haul to town making
it improbable to haul it with teams.
With the new road running into the
very heart of the heavy timber coun-
try, wood can be loaded onto cars
with very short haul, and thus an
added income secured for the settlers.
The new road is also stimulating the
straw berry industry in the upper
country, as they can now be mar ket-
ed almost at home, avoiding the delay
and shaking up that is inevitable
when hauled to the Hood River sta
tion. The Mount Hood berries come
in after the bulk Of the crop is gone
in the lower valley, when prices are
again on the up grade, and profits are
correspondingly greater. The soil is
the very best of strawberry land, the
berries of the first quality, The ber-
ry acreage is being largely increased,
and the station agents of the new
road will be very busy people during
the berry harvest.
The Middle Fork Irrigating compa-
ny is planning to enlarge their ditch
as soon as permit can be had Cor
passing through the reserve. The red
tape machinery of the government
moves altogether too slow, and the
end is not yet in sight. The place
where the ditch proposes to cross,
goes through comparatively barren
tract, where there can be no possible
damage to trees or overflow, yet the
government is holding back the right
to cross. While it is apparently the
government policy to assist all irriga-
tion projects, undertaking vast irri-
cation works in sections that barely
warrant the cost, yet they are holding
back the development of some of the
richest country on the Pacific coast
by Withholding permission to cross
small piece of desert land on the
reserve. All of the attorneys in Hood
River have endeavored to push the
matter through, but still they hav e
been unable to hurry the officials at
| Washington.
The Mountain Valley Water Co.
have experienced the same trouble.
They, too, must get their water by
CT ossing the reserve, yet they have
been unable to get permission. Their
ditch has been partially completed,
and while they are waiting for the
permit, they must wait and allow
their lands to lie dormant for want of
water, in places where they could irri-
gate large tracts that have been clear
ed, and which now could be doubling
their income. A change in the glacial
formation of the mountain last spring
has turned the water course of large
stream into the Middle fork, which
formerly drained into the Tillie Jane,
and will force change in the plans
of the ditch. 1t is probable that the
Middle Fork company will take in
part OF the Mountain Valley district
(when they get the government per
nit, as the new route of the ditch
will be high enough to supply most
of the China Hill country.
The cost of irrigating water in the
upper country is very low, the pres
ent bitches supply ing water for ili-
eating purposes from % cents to "a
dollar an inch.