The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1907-04-18
WILSON'S LETTER
TO LOWNSDALE

columns of the Oregonian, feel that
it Is but justice to put its readers II
possession of facts that that gentle
man nas not seen ti1 to mention.
In the first place Mr.. Lownsdale r
articles have been neither logical, con
fiued to facts, nor imbued with com
mon courtesy. They have been main
ly screeds full of venom and malice
and directed not only against Hood
River but Rogue River as we'll. What
has Mr.. Lownsdale ever done to bring
about the splendid reputation which
the Oregon apple enjoys at home and
abroad? While both Hood River and
Rogue River have been ready and viii
ling to impart any information that
would better the conditions OF The.ap-
pie growing industry in Oregon, Mr..
LoWnsdale s kicked, frotbed at the
mouth, fought the officers of the State
horticultural society aud resoiutely
refused TO adopt the progressive
methods of growers in other parts Of
the state. According to him We have
reached that stage of 'velopment
where community cannot advance
its own interests and the states vel
fare without an aftermath Of query,
criticism, dissent, objection and even
hostility. 1t seems that there are
some jealous souls ever ready, like b
bird of i'll omen, to sit on the fence
and croak their displeasure.
S,me years ago Mr.. Lownsdale was
present at meeting of the State
Horticultural society when the meth
DDS OF trying to exterminate the cod
lin moth we're being discussed. Among
others be spoke on the subject and
told of a spray that he had been using
and which he said was very succ ss'
ful. When pressed Ey the others who
were present to give Its formula he
refused to do so. He wanted it all tC
himself. And yet he is accusing Hood
River Of wanting to snatch everything
In sight.
However, his selfishness has not ap
parenly benefited him, for hnggine
his secret to his breast, and presuma.
bly, keeping on using it, he shipped d
carload of apples to Vancouver, b,
o., which were in such a diseased
condition that he had to pay the re-
turn charges on them or have them
conflscated and destroyed. Another
carload, for which Mr.. Lnwn sdalt
claims such superior keeping quail
ties, was shipped to Los Angeles,
where they wers refused by the buy
eI, and he then forwarded them to
Houston, Tex, we're they were also
refused. As last resort they were
sent to Beaumont, Tex, where they
we're ionnd, by their prospective buy.
er, to be In such IA decayed condition
lowing to their superior keeping
qualities) that they we're Immediately
disposed of to keep them from being
a total loss.
When Mr.. Lownsdale states that
there are no apples being shipped
from Hood River at present it Is vefy
evident that the nearest he has been
to that place is Lafayette. A carload
OF appl,s was shipped from Hood Riv-
or taken right from the ranches on
March 20 and another will leave on
April 8. Both of these consignments
in addition to being shipped 5000
miles across the Pacific will be sent
1000 miles into the interior of Sibe!ia.
There are 5000 boxes Of apples In
Hood River valley, none of which
have been in cold storage and which
on the word of an experienced apple
buyer are in prime condition. They
are OF the cheaper varities and arr
bringing from 81. 75 to 81 a box.
The assertion OF the mouthpiece o
Lafayette that Hood River Is tryinl
to snatch everything in sight, ant
that its reputation for fine fruit Il
due to Its gIsat advertising IL moi
borne out by the statement of Horace
g. Day, of the firm of Sgobel Il Day
one of the largest apple buying firm
in New York City, who bought thu
Hood River Spitzenbergs the frs
three years that they were sold in Car
load lots. Mr.. Lay stated In tn,
hearing of the writer at Hood Rive
that on the receipt of the apple, fion
here, they erased the labels on then
SO that other dealers would not know
where they came from and that the.
sold for substantially the same pric
as they do now. When | was in NeV
York last December | saw on tn
corner of Washington and Read
streets those wonderful apples Of su
perior keeping qualities, pink color
and oily, spicy flavor of which Mr.
Lowsdale boasts selling side by sid
with Hood River Spitzenbergs to
81. 80 less box, both having the sam
number of apples to the box. Whe
asked why this was the case as bot
were from Oregon the dealer said tina
the trade would not pay as much TO
the cheaper apples as they were no
good keepers. He stated furthel
"We get all of our fancy Spitzenb berg
and Newtowns from Hood River an
Rogue River" Ii will be long tim
before Hood River, the gem of tn
Cascades, will exchange her mountai
laurels for Valley willows.
Hood River has been patient unde
Mr.. Lownsdale's abuse and misrepre
sentation, but in one OF his letter
and interviews he states that his dis
play OF apples IN Portland last Nc
vember was packed by farmers, whe
to the writer's knowledge some OF tn
boxes were packed by Ion johnson
one of Hood Rivers best packers.
AS to another instance where h
handles the truth economically h
CiHtuub W HuN6 WOu pEiAos Ou bWO va
rieties OF apples in competition wit
Hood River at a meeting of the Stat
horticultural society in 1906, whe
the fact is that Hood River did nc
compete for prizes on these varieties
1t is evident that while writing hi
last bunch of vituteration agains
Hood River Mr.. Lownsdale had
brain storm for he misrepresented th
truth with the persistency of ia Port
land gas meter. Time was when a
Oregonian would hesitate long befor
prostituting his talents or his hone
In upholding what he knew to h
wrong. But the times seem out {
joint, and even pioneer honor is o
tap for prospective coin.
JOSEPH A. WILSON.
LOwnsdale Attempts to Reply
Lafayette, Or, April SIT is ratl