The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-03-05
BUSINESS Men
ENTERTAIN
FIRST BANQUET OF ASSOCIATION
Odd Fellows Hall saturday Evening
Scene OF Banquet and Coed
Speaking.

Speaking.
| The Business Mems Association
gave their first annual banquet st the
| Odd Fellows Hall Saturday evening
aud invited guests to the number of
100, but owing to Inability tc attend
ouly about 70 we're in attendance.
rhe spread was prepared by the Ia
dies Of the Christian church and two
long tatles in The commodiou> hall
we've iilled with good things to eat
and nicely dec rated, as was the hall
itseif Music was furnished by Beat
tvs orchestra.
II G Smith, president of the asso.
ciatien, acted as tosstmaster aud nj.
Though it was his first experience in
that capacity he did the honors in a
way to reflect credit upon himself and
the association. lie said in part :
"The Portland Retail GIocers Asso-
citation was organized about a year
ago and the Hood River Association
was organized soon after. The bene-
dts are derived in many ways. We
find we can do business in harmony
and we find 1t great aid to handle
our credit business and save a large
percentage of loss. The merchants
OF the state are forming these associa.
tions and coming into the state or
ganization. Many think She work of
the association covers only the retail
grocers, but many lines OF business
are represented and any man doing q
credit business can get benefits from
the association.
e. L. Smith responded to the toast,
Hood River, Past and Present."
Mr.. Smith said: "It is thirty-two
years tomorrow since | landed here
with my traps on the sand bar on the
banks of the Columbia. | was met
with teams by the two or three pio-
neers who had preceded me to the val
ley. Peter Hinrichs and Nj. Peeler
had wagons. Spring flowers we're in
bloom and the children we're delighted
with them and the country bought
thu ee-quarters OF section on the Bel
mont road, where we made our home,
and afterwards donated piece Of
land for the Frankton school house.
There was large orchard on the
place, the trees planted twenty feet
apart. There waq nursery dear by
and | contracted trees of the proprie-
tor to set out more ,ground and also
to ill in vacant spaces. In order to
hnd places to set all the trees | had
bought he put them In between the
old trees, until the orchard resembIed
a nursery row. l soon made up my
mind that this was to be valley of
almost limitless wealth and predicted
that the land would be divided into
small tracts, which has come to pass.
The present townsite was then a COW
pasture, dotted with fine oak trees.
DR.. Robinson said on a visit to Hood
River that while Virginia was the
United States she must now learn
from Oregon how to grow fruit. Our
apple orchards have taken the highest
position where fruit Is bought OF sold.
AS we are first in fruit we are first In
other things. We aIe first 10 school
work. Old man Goes dream was to
have magnificent school placed on
the point overlooking the city. A
prominent authority has said that
Hood River was the ideal place for
higher education Portland would
send their children to school here.
We must also have good roads. No
country can succeed without good
roads 1t is estimated that this years
apple crop will make 14,000 wagon
loads, which will have TO be hauled
to town over our roads. 1t would
taks 100 teams foui months to bring
them in. We need trolley road to
help move our orops.'
Truman Butler was the next speak
or and at oncs put the assembly in
good humor by telling story OF the
boy and the torn pants. Mr.. Butler
said that the association was doing
good work aud there was much yet to
be done. lie thought they should get
together oftener. The Portland asso-
citation gets together once a month.
The banquets are good thing. but
they should be charged for and not
have the expense borne by the asso-
citation.
Hon. A. A. Jayne was called and
said that he was unfortunate In these
gatherings for the reason that he
could neither drink coffee nor smoke.
81 was impressed with the remarks
OF the toastmaster, ~ .aid Mr. jayne
"The objects OF tho association are
good, the chief end being to keep tab
on bad debtors. | think that depends
much upon the point of view. Now
we all realize we are down In the big
book and some of us would open that
hook with a good deal of trepreda
tion. | think that another factor
could be added to the work of this
association. Business men should take
| more interest In politics. Now is a
good time. This is the budding time
of year when mems minds turn to
thoughts of Office. 1t would not be
out of the way to talk politics. The
politician in the past had genius for
intrigue lie bad peculiar qualities
for knowing about his neighbors. lie
had nothing else to do. 1t is the ten
dency among busi ness men to turn
politics over to the professional poll
ticians and give them the manage
ment of the campaign Just now
there is q wave OF reform sweeping
over the country--a moral reform; q
political reform. 1t Is the duty oi
the business men to pay some atten.
tion to politics. We are sll interested
in good men in Office, good policies.
Think of these things and devote some
time to politics. The grange and
the church are into politics end why
not we?'
+. Brayford, the Rockford mer.
chant, spoke on the text, "Pull To
gether. !" He pointed out the adyant
ages of pulling together and acting al
unit in good business methods
working Tor the best interests If mer
chant and customer alike. "Let us
pull together and cut the wires. anc
we will accomplish the object we hav,
in view. Most of you know what
mean wheni say Gu. the wires. lie
ne mil tooathar -