The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-05-09
MANY VISITORS
ARE WELCOMED
EXCURSIONS THROUGH ORCHARDS
Portland Commercial and Press Club Trips
Prove Big Successes Banquet and
Picnic Entertainment Features.

IOIlidhu commercial and Press Tub Trips
Prove Big Successes Banquet and
Picnic Entertainment Features.
The Blossom Festival brought MANY
visitors to the valley, the greater num-
Der OF them on the two excursions.
that Of the Portland Commercial club
on Saturday and the Portland Press
club on Sunday. lhe visit to the
blooming orchards. with weather con-
ditions ideal, was a revelation to the
guests, the greater number of whom
had never seen the orchards before.
with practically every business house
IN town decorated and the streets and
a number of buildings festooned with
eolored lights, the citizens took on
festive spirit. The Hydro Electric Co.
furnished free of charge all the cleo
trlclty desired by its patrons for use
in decorating. The Hood River Gas q
Electric Co wired three blocks of Oak
street and strung them with myriads of
small colored bulbs. The weather Fri
day, with rain threatening, put
damper on enthusiasm, but on Saturday
morning the sun shone from a clear
SKY and everybody had happy smile.
AT :45 Saturday morning the Port
land Commercial clubs special train
arrived from The Dalles. The pronli-
nent Portland business men and rail
way officials were met by line of
waiting automobiles and whisked over
the East Side road to Van Horn. where
the special train, which was switched
onto the Mount Hood railroads s line
met them, The two engines of the
Mount Hood Co., which hauled the
train TO Parkdale, were gaily decor
ated. Although the heavy observa.
tion car and number of steel coaches
made progress slow over the heavy
grades up the Hood river gorge, the
train arrived at Parkdale shortly be-
fore one O'Clock, where the visitors,
their appetites whetted by the ride an
through the beautiful valley, feasted on
the splendid luncheon provided by the
women of the Upper Valley. The
guests were even regaled with good
rich, creamy buttermilk.
When the lunchers reared back IN
contentment at the close of the meal.
Z. 9. Chapman, secretary of the Port
land Commercial club, took the floor
and lead in some of the boosting songs.
VIM. McMurray, general passenger
agent of the 0.-W. r. & N. Co., was
introduced and paid great praise to
the citizens of Parkdale. You have
one OF the newest towns in the state"
he said. but have often heard of your
progressive spirit and you are pushing
your community forward in the affairs
of the great state of Oregon.
DIR. j. F. Watt. chairman of the
committee, who had charge of the
Parkdale entertainment, paid tribute
to the citizens of the Upper Valley.
We put our best on top. he seid, sand
here at the top of our valley, you will
find our best folks. I" DR.. Watt also
praised the ladies' of the community
for their enthusiasm in providing the
luncheon. The meal was closed by a
toast, proposed by Mr. Chapman, drunk |
to the ladies of the Upper Valley.
The train then proceeded back to |
Hood River. The first stop was made |
at Boneboro, where G. X. Bone had |
arranged for a demonstration of land |
clearing in the Upper Valley with
huge donkey engine. The machine
pulled fir trees two feet and more in
diameter for the entertainment of the
visitors, and large stumps were taken
out by the roots with apparent ease.
A crew of Japanese laborers, very
speedy from long training, handled the
cables and checkers used around the
trees and stumps. The American
Safety Powder Co. gave demonstra-
tion OF their new explosive, Lionite
stumping powder.
Because of the lack of time the train
did not stop at Winan's, as was
planned, but proceeded at once to Van
Horn, where the guests were trans
ported to the butte :home::of Mr.. and
Mrs. Wills Van Horn, in order to get
the wonderful panoramic view of the
valley.
At 80 Saturday night the visitors
and local Commercial club men and
their wives, 200 strong, sat down to a
sumptuous chicken banquet, served by
A. M. Boyce. feature of the menu
of the feast was the Hood River Yel-
low Newfoundland Spitzenburgs.
The toasts of the banquet were
opened by prayer by Rev. Il. A. Harris,
of the Congregational church. Ernest
G. Smith, formerly president of the
club, was toastmaster. In introducing
h. f. CooYert. who came here to repre-
sent S. Benson, who was unable to at
tend the banquet because of illness,
Mr.. Smith gave brief sketch of Mr..
Benson's life. ''IIe is one OF 0regon's
pioneer lumbermen, he said. ut
was he. in 1870, who built the first
logging railway in the state. He built
the first great sea RATS, such as we
now see every year leaving the mouth
of the Columbia, bound south with
millions of feet Of timber. MIR.
Smith expressed his the regret of the
Hood River people that Mr.. Benson
was unable OF be present at the ban
quet.
Mr.. Coovert went into the benefits
that the competition of the Portland
residents of both cities. 'Mr. Ben
sons donation will be of inestimable
value to the whole country" he said.
for it will not only open up the east
and west, but the north and south as
well" MIR. Covert also touched
upon the life of Mr.. Benson. There
is one thing that all OF US in Oregon,
as well as Mr.. Benson, can be proud
of, " he said, "and that is that he has
not one dollar of tainted money. When
asked to what he owes his success he
will say: L always got up little
earlier and went to bed little later
than the other fellow. " In closing
Mr.. Coovert said "You have a won
derful valley here. Its natural beau
ties are resplendent. So great are the
beauties that it would cause a wooden
Indian cigar sign to burst forth in
poetry"
Speeches were made by Bishop Rob-
ert l.. Paddock, Rev. Edmund Trew
Simpson, w. |. Cornell, c. c. Chap
man and G. F. johnson, the latter two
OF the Portland Commercial club.
The banquet was made decidedly en-
tertaining by the program rendered.
Those taking part in the musical pro-
gram were Mrs. p S. Davidson, Mr.
and Mrs, Henney. Geo. K. Wilbur. Miss