The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1910-10-27
TROUT LAKE Is
PROMISING COUNTRY

The little Trout Lake valley lying
25 miles north of the Columbia is a
beautiful little country, holding many
surprises for the visitor, who has
heard little Of the place except as a
summer camping and fishing ground.
During the past week the writer
visited the country at the base Of Mt
Adams where there is a most pros
porous little community, rather iso-
lated, living and raising fine crops
and fat stock.
The road up the White Salmon valley
from Underwood offers an excellent
grade and there his only necessary pro-
per work to make it an easy highway.
1t follows water grade with no
heavy hills up through Husum and
about 20 miles north the mountainous
canyon of the river broadens out into
the fiat Trout Lake valley, which is
about IL miles long and has an aver
age width of about four miles. The
White Salmon River and Trout creek,
branch, run through the valley com
ing down ice-cold from the glaciers
on Mt. Adams. The little lake is a
widening out in the fiat country Of
the Trout creek. Although the road
into the valley is not the best, as soon
as one strikes the little community,
he finds good smooth roads which are
hard to beat.
The settlers, who have been in the
valley for as long as 20 years, have
cleared up about 5000 acres of the
broad level lands and are getting great
crops of hay and grain from them
every year. Free water for irriga
tion gives crops III which you can lose
yourself. Two big crops of hay are
cut every year running to about five
tons and the oats runs around 100
bushel to the acre. Most of the
crops are fed to the cattle during the
winter and dairying is one of the big
enterprises of the valley. There is Il
cooperative creamery through which
the farmers get the full returns on
their dairy products.
There is still large acreage on the
floor of the valley to be cleared and
brought into cultivation while the
slopes which rise up into the mountains
are we'll timbered and when cleared
promise to make excellent farming
lands Two saw mills are operated in
the valley and there is much timber
to be manufactured. Water can be
put over most of the hill land and al
though there have been very few
orchards planted, the trees which have
been put out are bearing big crops of
fine apples this year, and it seems
probable that fruit raising may be-
come one of the big industries Of the
country.
The little valley, besides its good
roads has telephone lines connecting
the farms and there are two postoilices
and rural delivery of mail. The peo-
pie are progressive. having lodge and
church organizations. The one great
Improvement which they await is q
railroad offering them adequate trans
portation. Surveys have been made
up the White Salmon and also across
the county from Yakima to Vancouver
where very good grades may be estab-
lished it is said. The two streams
running down narrow rock gorges
furnish great opportunity for power
development.
This year the people have taken to
active boosting which is bound tC
bring to their little valley the notice
which it deserves from the world and
gaining the attention of the people il
cannot fail to gain new settlers. The
Trout Lake Valley Commercial Club
was formed last spring and meetings
are held every fortnight. The club is
active and has over 80 members who
besides paying their SIS entrance fee,
have been paying dues of 81 month.
In addition a publicity fund was raised
and most attractive little booklet
published. Under the active leadership
of DR.. A. G. Belsheim, as president,
the Club is sending out much ltera-
ture in response to inquiries resulting
from the advertising. The directors
of the Club are William Coate, vice.
president; j. M. Filloon, secretary,
Chris. euler, treasurer; o. J. Smith,
J. f. Blew and c. w. Moore. With
these men at the head of the move
ment, the valley cannot fail to come to
the notice of the outside and soon will
be Offering such great opportunities
for a railroad that the builders will not
fail to build in.
The little village has good stores and
we found a most appetizing dinner at
the restaurant of &. II. Depue, who
is very accommodating gentleman.
AT Guler's resort, Landlord Christ
euler, well-known to many Hood
River people, who have spent happy
days at his place, is greeting every
body with hearty welcome. MIR.
euler has been at Trout Lake for over
20 years, and in his good Swiss fashion
makes everybody feel perfectly at
home. He seems to be in a plot with
the excellent climate of his section to
put visitors to much inconvenience in
travelling about soon after meals. The
fine mountain air gives you an ap-
petite which seems to have but one
Ii,,;t tb, ,,,,o,,,,t sc Fo,J 4bot mill -