The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-07-03

wells and from the many springs OF
the district, and most of the homes are
equipped with waterworks and sewage
systems. Underground streams may
be found almost anywhere by digging
into the earth's surface for three OF
four feet.
The Underwood people are not wor-
ried by religious cares. In the district
one will find members Of all denomina
tions from DunkaIds to Presbyterians.
They have solved their problems OF
worship by forming a Union Chapel
Association. No church has as yet
been contructed, but Sunday meetings
are held at the handsome little school
house, where the local orchardist-min-
listers or visiting preachers alternately
conduct the service. They have found
cooperation beneficial in their religious
worship as in the selling of their prod,
ucts.
As many gooseberries are perhaps
marketed in the Underwood district on
large commercial basis as in any
other northwestern district. The grow
ers there all have large tracts of goose
berries and the fruit is shipped out in
large quantities every year to all the
northwestern cities. The plants seem
freer from the destructive mildew here
than in most ditricts.
The growth of the fruit district has
justified many improvements by the
North Bank railroad. The big power
development Of the Northwestern Elec.
tric Co, where huge dam, more thar
a hundred feet in height and a power
house developing 10000 horsepower
was contructed on the White Salmon
river, the ework being completed this
spring, has FASTENED this progress.
New tracks have been constructed
The two local stores, that at the sta.
tion of Underwood and that at Hood
about mile to the west, have in.
creased the size Of their buildings. and
the growers have been furnished better
accommodations. A kind of coopera
tive rural free delivery has been estab.
lished, the carrier making the rounds
of the district three time a week, dis.
tributing mail, groceries and meat.
Trackage for the railroad is limited
as is locations for business houses or
the railway, because of the very mar,
row strip of land at the foot of the
gorge along the Columbia. Indeed, the
railway company in places has beer
forced to blast out the right of way
for its tracks. A townsite has beer
laid out at the top of the gorge, anc
there many new homes have already
beent ntbuilt. While the town will never
assume large proportions, because OF
the limited territory, il is gradually
assuming more Importance, as road i'm
provements are being made and as the
stock and hay ranchers of the interior
are increasing the size of their places
and are looking toward more convent
ent locations on the Columbia as ship
ping points.
A few years ago the region was prac
tically impossible to motor cars, but
now as road are being constructed tC
all parts of the scenic district, visiting
motorists from Hood River are fonC
of ferrying across the Columbia oil
Sundays and on holidays. Indeed, it il
said that one has not had a good view
of the Hood River valley until he ha
looked down upon the larger distric
from the Underwood heights. And
sublime view meets the eye of tn
traveller when he stands on the brinl
of the gorge at an altitude of almost
thousand feet. He can look up tn
Columbia for a distance of more thai
ten miles, and the orchards of the Hoo
River district appear below him lik,
those of miniature park. 1t is de
lightful birdseye view. While off Il
the south on a clear day Mount Hoot
looms up with its gigantic white peak
No Underwood resident can murmu
because of lack of scenic beauty OF
which to feast his eyes.
While il is pleasant in the neghborinl
fruit district at any season of thu
year, no time is letter than at presen
for a visit here for hui dreds of wild
flower bushes are blossoming. Tn,
wild lilac. mock orange, purple lupin
bachelor button, cora flower, wild car
rot and wild sunnowers give vivid colo
to the lal dscape ard distill delicat
perfumes to gree the stranger stroll
ing through the woodland roads an,
paths.
The orchardists have been clearing
land and making improvements thi
spring, Those who have added to thei
land under cultivation, their tract
ranging from an acre to 10 acres, are
H. Knapp. Packard 4 Morrow, Loui
Thun, Beebe Il Love, f. W. Dehart,
G. Clark, Charles Walther, H. A. He'd
rick, and w. NJ. Greiner.