The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1907-10-31
FAV0RS DIGGING CA.
NAL TO DEEP WATER
Portland, 0ie.. Oct. %, 1907

Portland, 0ie.. Oct. %, 1907.
Editor Glacier.-As you know ! am
inter ested with @. ID. Moore In some
hfty acres OF low land lying adjacent
to and north OF the o. II. & N. Go. q
depot at hood River. and have a di.
rect conce;n with the prosperity and
advancement of the city of Hood Riv-
or, ! am particularly interested In the
matter OF securing a steamboat land
Ing that will have convenient and
speedy connection with the business
district to the city, as look forward
to the time when the land north of
the railroad will have graded streets
and be the great factory and ware
house district, not only of the city,
but the whole Hood River valley.
Some OF your readers, knowing thai
this ground Is about twenty feet lower
than the railroad grade, may say it is
too low for such purposes, but as
much as thirty-three years ago fixed
grades making fills of from thirty to
forty feet in the city of Portland,
thought nothing strange about 1t, and
have lived to see those gulches and
other low grounds brought up to
grade snd made into valuable business
property. Hence know that the time
will come when the value of this land
will far outweigh the cost of the nec.
essary filling.
But the matter now in view is to
solve the question of "How shall the
city of Hood River get into conven-
lent connection With the navigation
OF the great Columbia riverY" Sever
al plans have been proposed. A ware
houe and wharf east of the old saw
mill, the same structure in the shelter
of the point neal the mouth of Hood
River; canal running west from the
last mentioned point, parallel with
the river and thi ough Judge Hender.
son 8 slough; and canal north from
the depot to the river channel.
Some engineers and G. ID. Moore,
my partner, favor the last mentioned
plan. | believe the solution is to
build a wharf at the point near the
mouth of Hood River or construct a
canal trom the mouth of Hood river
in a direction little north of west
so that after cutting through the sand
fiat 1t will strike the Columbia liver
again ABOUT opposite the mouth of
White Salmon river. | believe this
canal or channel through those sand
beds is preferable to the north and
south one, because of the danger that
the latter would be flied up during
every summer freshet, while the same
freshet would tend to scour out ca.
nal running east and west, and con.
slider it preferable to the Henderson
slough canal because it would be much
shorter and would end opposite to or
above Underwood. so that steamboats,
after leaving that place could come
directly to Hood River, or vice versa.
Either of these canals probably would
cost less than $4,000.
My opinion and all others ale given
only after cursory examination. but
o proper survey should be made and
the solution of TIE matter of plan left
to competent specialists, preferably
(and perhaps necessarily to the Unit
ed States engineers OF the war depart
ment.
1t is apparent that one phase of the
case has not adequately pre- sented it.
self to the people of the city of Hood
River, aud especially not to those who
had the temerity to ask the steam.
boat owners to construct a wharf aud
warehouse at their own expense and
deed it to the city as free gift; and
this, notwithstanding the example set
By some many others round about US
Indeed, Hood River might swell have
said, eve will build commodious
and convenient wharf and warehouse
fer the use all boats engaged in
river traffic between Hood River and
other points within the reach of river
navigation " Hood River must do
something more than reap the rich
profits from the production of the
finest apples in the world. 1t must
show readiness to help itself.
Some thirty seven years ago, whaEl
was lees than twenty one years oi2
and working for small salary, do
mated $3.50 to help raise fund of
800, 600 which Portland was required
20 give to have the west side railroad
terminate in Portland instead of In
East Portland. The fund was raised |
Hood River is far more able to con
struct the much needed canal than
Portland then was to raise 500, 600
Since then Portland and Multnomah
county taxpayers have expended mil |
lions of dollars to enable steamships
to reach their wharves. Cannot Hood
River valley taxpayer afford to spend
few thousand dollars for similar
purpose?
This proposed river Improvement
for Hood River is almost necessity. |
and it may be obtained in either of
two ways. The Oregon delegation
might obtain the necessary appropIi-
alton and complete the work In sever
al years, or the city Of Hood River
could complete the work within fifteen
mouths al its own expense. This ex
pense might be spread over larger
district by creating the Port of Hood
River to include all of the valley
within eight or ten miles t the Co
lumbia river, which could be done 10
the same manner by the inhabitants
thereof as if they we're incorporating
q city.
1t the people of Hood River want to
depend on Uncle Sam doing this work
they ought to at once invite the Ore
gon senators AID representatives In
congress to come to Hood River t,
eat apples and talk appropriations,
for the time is short But the shoIt.
est and quickest plan is to immediate.
ly haqin form i)n Of the Port of
hood River with power to issue not
to exceed S25, Geo of bonds, drawing
six per cent or less, for wsen you
want thing done quickly and we'll,
you must do it yourselves.
w. s. Chapman,
Not As Good A. HaoA River.
The "passion fruit of Australia is