Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-05-07
Letters from Hood River Apple Grower

the promised land lay dust over the hill,
so we took heart again.
And right here in passing Il may not be
amiss to say a word about the irrepressi-
BILE, irresistible real estate agent. No
doubt he is built along the same lines,
whether under sunny southern skies, away
back east, or here on the Pacific coast,
and 1t should not be necessary to warn you
against him, yet let me say to you, bewarel
He will spot you the moment you get off
the train, follow you to- your hotel listen
to and interrupt any conversation you may
be carrying ON In the hotel lobby, and
finally follow you into the dining room
and seat himself at your table. He will
use gentle persuasion, hold out promises
OF big returns and when all other arts
known to this class of men fail, he will
try to bulldoze you. So, I say, beware
Of the man who tries to sell you apple
land, not for its real worth for growing
apples. but as a speculation who states
in his advertisements that values will
double in two or three years, and assures
you confidentially that yau can unload on
an easterner at a handsome profit who
asserts that. IL you buy young orchard
you can grow strawberries between the
trees and get income sufficient to carry
you along until your orchard comes into
bearing. To be sure there is a grain of
truth in all his representations but only a
grain, so 1 repeat the warning that you
investigate we'll before tying yourself to
any real estate shark.
To return 10 our trip. After breakfast
the auto was brought around and we
started for the land flowing with milk
and honey" and / might add apples. AS
We were served with condensed milk for
breakfast at the hotel, we concluded that
flowing with milk and honey" was only
metaphorically speaking and not to be
taken literally. We crossed Hood river,
then climebd the hill 10 the east of the
town. winding In and out until we rounded
curve that brought us to the top. We
gods, what view! The entire valley was
spread out beneath up and II seemed like
one vast orchard. with miles upon miles
of trees. Away down beneath us was the
river a wild mountain stream. and over
all like mighty giant sentinels standing
guard. one at either end of the valley, was
Mt, Hood and Mt. Adams.
You remember the Bible story of the
great temptation how his satanic majesty
took the Lord up into the high mountain
and showed him the kingdoms OF the earth.
Now, l don't mean to infer that the real
| estate agent was IKE unto the IeInpter,
nor that the other character was dupllca-
ted. but as I Toasted my eyes upon that
beautiful valley, the story came to my
mind and 1 felt great wave OF tempta-
| ton surge over me-to be master over
part Of this land. II only a few acres. And
ever, as the auto started. did we turn for
one more look upon that wondrous scene.
Upon closer view We were now In the
/ famous East Side district where the old
est and best orchards are located, and we
/ got a better impression OF what care and
thought and hard work the orchardist be-
slowed upon his orchard. The trees were
pruned into perfect symmetry. each like
unto the other; and as one looked down
the long rows, not tree was out Of line:
there was no litter OF any kind strewn
about, no big elods OF earth. but by careful
Gu tiN attn the ground was worked into a
/ finely pulverzed dust. The impression re-
| ceived was that Of absolute cleanliness
and tidiness.
AS We proceeded up the valley, our real
estate friend pointed out, here a ten-acro
bearing orchard. sold for 81. 80 per acre;
there a ten-acre tract, not yet in bearing.
| At 1850 per acre. Orchard after orchard
was shown us, with values ranging from
| ti.5O0 up for fun bearing, and 1900 and