The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-11-19
DELEGATION TO
CITY COUNCIL
INTEREST OF MT. HOOD CAR LINE
Ten Mill Tax Voted on for City
PurpOses-0ther Import
ant Matters.


terest of the proposed street car fran
chise, which was asked for at the last
meeting by ii. b. Langille.
Ii. b. Langlle stated before the
council that he was acting in the in
terest of the inhabitants of the upper
valley in the matter, and he had no
more personal interest in the matter
than any other of the men present
from that section. lie said that
corporation was being formed for the
projection OF the railway through the
valley, and the franchise was asked
TOR that company. If the line is
built they must pass through the city,
and the application was made with
the expectation that tho council would
order an ordinance drawn to cover
the matter satisfactory to the city.
The franchise WAS not wanted for
speculation. The men interested in
the project have the good of the val
ley at heart, and.believe it is time TO
start the line If we ever expect to get
one. There is no graft connected
with it. and it is the fullest intention
OF the parties to put the road through,
unless turned down by the city.
Mayor Blowers asked when the work
would be commenced and when it
would be completed. and was Inform.
ed that work of construction would
be commenced within year, and
work on the survey within thirty
days. The work in the city would be
pushed through to completion at once.
The time of completion of the line
would be hard to determine, as it was
not always easy to get material when
wanted.
W. S. Gribble said that he thought
all those named in the incorporation
we're present. They had been work
ing to secure rights Of way from the
upper end, and had secured the
rights 'or ten miles this side of China
Hill, with one exception, and the line
would not have to infringe upon the
property Of the one objecting. 1t had
only taken two days to accomplish
that much. Mr.. Langille had been
working on the city end of the line.
There was no foreign capital Interest
cd so far, only those interested in the
valley being asked to subscribe.
They want all in the valley to take
stock. When that is done, there will
be no trouble to get capital from out
side
"We want to get connection with
the o. r. and & N. road," said Mr.
Gribble. 1--WE mean business. We
need street railway to get timber,
lumbar and fruit out, and height
back. 1t means the rapid improve
ment Of the whole valley. A country
with no railway Transportation does not
develop. There is wood to be cut In
clearing up the land, which will be
done as soon as there is a railway to
take it out to market"
Jas. Langille said: "a railway has
become a necessity. In The lower val
ley land is selling at 81, 600 to 81, 500
ali acre. We have as good land as in
the lower valley, but not as good
transportation, and are handicapped.
1t is estimated that in five to seven
years it will take q 8 re8m of teams
from the upper valley { o the city for
weeks to move oil the fruit. Those
who have not been in the upper val
ley recently have no idea OF the devel
opment going on. We have been
burning up thousands Ut cords OF
wood because we could not get it to
market, and it is shameful waste.
Ii We could get the cost of cutting the
wood and putting IL on board cars,
we would gladly do 1t, and there
would be thousands of cords sent out
of the country to markets which
| would be glad TO get 1t. There is a
necessity of having some other way of
transportation than wagons. A rail
way means prosperity for all. Let US
be one people and pull together.
There should be no dividing line in
the valley. there can be fT2m 500,
600 to $3.50, 900 raised in the valley,
and after that there can be plenty
raised outside.
c. a. Bell was present, and while
he did not have anything to say il
regard to his franchise, which passed
one reading at the present meeting
he stated that he hoped the Noun
Hood people would Ee able to builc
their read, and that they should hav'
access to the city. No one was NOR,
anxious to see it than himself.
The street committee, in who's,
hands the matter OF franchises wa
left, we're granted further time, ant
will closely Investigate the merits o
the two propositions.
N. G. Evans wss present and mad
protest against putting In Sewe
District No. 8, claiming that tber
was not enough water to flush it fFou
the upper system. He did not expec
the ordinance would be passed at tn
previous meeting lie had not bee
asked to sign tho petition for tn