The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-04-17
DISASTER SHOWN OF
LOSS OF REPUTATION
New York, April 10. 1913.

Editor Glacier: / am in receipt Of a
clipping from a Hood River newspaper,
which quotes Mr.. Roots criticism Of
Hood River apples which found their
way to New York markets this winter.
In view Of the ail-ahsorbing interest
attached 10 this particular phase Of the
proposed amalgamatiou, may | ask for
the privilege Of a few remarks on my
own observation?
| am dyed-in.the-wool and yard
wide believer in the heneiieent results
obtained from eating apples. For
years | have eaten two, three and more
apples daily. Strictly speaking, the
fact that | own a ranch in Hood River
is directly traceable to this prediction
for the apple. For, in former years,
whenever | asked the fruit dealer,
Where do the best apples come from y
he would promptly say, From Hood
River, Oregon" And when | finally
got sufficiently interested to look more
closely into the matter, and put the
same question to the large commission
houses, and the answer was invariably
"From Hood River" And the apples
sent out from Hood River certainly did
bear out the information in every in
stance. Pack, grade, color, everything
was perfect. Next, | determined to
ascertf in the cause of this remarkable
fame Of Hood River as an apple grow
ing locality. | soon realized that very
good apples we're being raised else
where, in Washington, in Virginia in
fact in my own state of New York.
But nowhere did the growers enjoy so
perfect an organization as in Hood
River.
And thus, in spite of the excessive
prices charged for Hood River land as
compared to prevailing prices in Vir-
ginia or New York state, | bought my
ranch in the Middle Valley. | argued
that although | could secure equally
good apple land in New York state at
one-third. or one-quarter, of Hood
Rivers prices. probably would never
live to see the day, when the product
of my New York orchard would be
handled by an organization such as
found in Hood River; and that in con
sequence, | could never hope to realize |
one half as much for my New York |
product as for my Hood River product
despite the enormous difference in
freight charges. dare say that the
majority of eastern people who now
own Hood Rivre ranches we're actuated |
by similar motives.
But if | had not looked into the apple
ranch proposition until this or last |
winter. certainly should not have
been tempted to even pay Hood River
a visit on possible inspection tour.
FOr-and il pains me to state the cold
factthe majority of Hood River packs
which came under my observation were
beneath criticism. Like Mr.. Root, |
again and again have seen apples
marked Extra Fancy" which in the
east would be fed to the pigs On the
other hand, | have not come across a
single box of apples raised elsewhere
which did not come up to the highest
standards concerning pack, color, uni
form size, etc. As a sure and swift
retributi0n, the average dealer com
PEELED by his customers, has changed
about face and is now offering for
sale, fine, very fine. apples raised part
ly in other parts of Oregon, but princi-
pally in other states Upon inquiry, he
will inform you that his customers no
longer will accept the Hood River
product OF course there are eXcep-
tions; thus, for instance, but yester-
day, bought some Hood River valley
yellow Newtowns, which were marked
Special and packed by the fruit
growers association, which fully came
up to the old Hood River standard.
Parenthetically | ought to state right
here. that none of the poor stuff | saw
here had been packed by the associa-
tiOn.)
said above, that | certainly would
not have settled in Hood River had
seen such poor apples from the valley
earlier. / will 20 farther and add,
that | most surely will sell my ranch
even at loss. rather than remain in a
community which is so blind to its own
interests, as to throw to the winds that
precious distinction of being the 'ars-
tocratic" apple producing district of
the world as though such distinction
were jutst so much rubbish. This does
not mean to say that Hood River can
not worry along without me. But it
does mean that unless old standards
are re established, and that right soon,
the earnest efforts of the Commercial
club in inducing desirable, wide awake
people TO locate in Hood River must of
necessity be defeated
Or to be still more 60 the point; il
means that |, personally who have
been singing the praises Of Hood River
and its apples on every possible and
impossible occasion, can no longer
couscientiously do so. note that Mr.
Root feels as | do. Very likely, there
are many others in a similar unpleas-
ant frame of mind. And can a com
munity thrive when its wn members
have lost their enthusiasm?
Since locating in Hood River a year
and half ago, ! have spent thousands
of dollars IN Improvements, etc, most
of which money remained right in Hood
River. If | remain, undoubtedly shall
spend many thousands more, before my
apple trees come into bearing. BY in
ference then, this is not only a uues-
tion of successful or unsuccessful apple
raising; rather, !, is vital question
for the whole valley the whole com
munlty, for every merchant. every
mechanic, every laborer, every bank,
every hotel. Take the fame of Hood
River away and what have you left? A
lot of mortgaged ranches, ON which the
poor ranchman cant even pay the in
terest, much less pay off his mortgage
stores which can't pay expenses; ho-
tells, which go into the hands of the
receiver, etc. But il is not too late to
call a halt Even now, the clerks mot
the owners) at the fruit stores will tell
you that his fine Wenathee and Yakima
apples are from Hood River, although
the labels on the box prove him to be
a liar; so strong even to this day is
the spell of the old Hood River fame.
| have related what found without
exaggeration. love the valley for its
beauty, and grealy admire