The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1906-12-27
PROSPEROUS YEAR
FOR HOOD RIVER
BUT NEXT YEAR WILL BE BETTER
MANY Thousands of Dollars viii BE
spent Here and All Business
Will BE Benefited.

next Year will he one of the mos
prosper us that the Hood River valley
has known. lne profitable seaso'
which has just closed for the apple
grower has placed funds in his handl
that ha not only enabled him Il
meet waite or obligations he may have
contracted but left surplus with
which to make further improvements.
The past year has seen many chang.
es in the ownership of property and
many new purchasers at double the
prices of the year before. The sale in
the past few days for Sl2, 900 OF part
of a ranch which was recently pur-
chased for sl5, 900 shows that prices
are still on the advance. The ranch
originally consisted of 70 acres aud
30 acres of it was sold at the figure al.
ready Quoted.
The demand for property is still
keen and has extended later into the
| winter season this year than at any
previous time. Anything in the way
OF cleared or land set to trees can be
disposed of at almost the owners
price, but few sales of this character
are taking place. The return for the
els are not letting go OF something
that can not be replaced.
The Hood River apple has taken a
irmer hold than ever on the foreign
market this year and reports from
London show that California ana
fruit from other pats of the Pacific
Northwest have not maintained any
competition of serious nature With
the Hood River apple. In the big
markets of the East the demand foI
Hood River fruit has been greater
than the supply and new market
has been created for varieties that is
expected to bring even better prices
for them next year.
One of the most important factors
in the prosperity Of. tho valley during
the past syeai, .ands one which sis
too frequently overlooked, has been
the erection and operation of the big
lumber mills. The open winter has
allowed of their running late this
year and 1t is the intention of the
mill companies to keep them in oper-
alton as long as it is possible. The
Green Point mill has been saving un-
til day or two ago and will be start,
cd up again after the holidays pro
vided the men, many of whom went
to Portland. can he induced to re-
turn. The Dee plant will be running
all winter unless heavy fall of snow
should render 1t impossible.
The Menominee mill has employed
large force of men during the past
year and has probably cut more lum-
ber in proportion to the size Of the
plant than any mill along the Colum.
bia river. The maintenance by it OF
big force of men at the mill and Flst
one in the woods across the river,
who spend their earnings here
has been quite factor in the city's
income. Other small mills in the
vicinity have also contributed their
quota to the city's prosperity.
Many thousands of dollars have been
paid out to employees by mill concerns
during the past year which have
found their way into the tilla of Hood
River merchants. In fact for several
months they have been the chief sup
port Of mercantile estahlihhA.onts
here. 1t is expected that the comin
year will see a greater activity in the
lumber business in the valley than
ever before and that the shipments
will reach several million feet
Building will be more active duIin2
the year of 1907 than it has Tor he
past year, notwithstanding the fact
that many changes and n good many
thousands of dollars were spent in
that way in the past twelve months
ha hri
tions which have taken place have
been in the vicinity of the railroad
station where the Mount Hood rail
road has built its station, made a
railroad yard, built offices ard car
barn and the o. X. & N. is making
improvements that call for an ex-
penditure of $50, 600.
The most important business build
ing that has been erected during he
past year WAS the Odd Fellows bn Id
ing. Next year, however, will see the
erection of several new business build
ings Among them will be the Elliot
building at the corner of First aud
Oak streets and the Nicholson build.
ing, and it is probable that new
building will take the place of the
wooden structures beween the hotel
Wauccma and the Brosius building.
A building may also be built at the
corner opposite the First National
bank formerly coupled az a meat mar
ket and it is underst ood that Sherman
Frank is seriously considering the
erection of brick block on his prop
erty.
1t is said that other important
events of a business nature are being
fostered and are likely to be brought
to a successful conclusion, although
plans for them have not as yet been
brought to a point where they Can be
announced. The outlook, altogether,
for the coming year is one of much
promise.