The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-05-06
HOOD RIVER
FOLK CELEBRATE
HUNDREDS ATTEND DEDICATION
The Official Opening Of The DalleS-CelilO
Canal Causes Local Stores to
be Closed

be JlOSed
The old and the new met Yesterday
along the Columbia at Big Eddy at the
dedication services and official opening
of The Dslles-Celilo canal. A spirit of
progress pervaded the meeting; thou
sands and thousands of people, repre-
sentative of the new citizenship Of the
great northwest country, broke into
cheers as beautiful young ladies, the
sponsors of different communities,
poured into the new thoroughfare tot
tles:of:water taken from the Columbia's
many tributaries. Miss Leila Hershner
represented Hood River.
The oldcn days were brought to mind
by the numerous stolid Indians, accom-
panied by their wonder-eyed squawa
and papoOses. The Red Men left their
salmon spesring at Tumwster falls TO
participate in the celebration of the
white men. From time immemoTable
they have gathered at Tumwater in the
spring of the year to catch the royal
chinook salmon as these mighty fish,
headed for the headwaters oft he river,
leap Enthusiastically into the swirling
shadows below the falls.
The scene of yesterdays celebration
is rich in Indian legendary history.
Neurological demons are supposed to
have made the district their play
ground. The names of mighty chiefs
have been connected with the history of
the community. The spirits of these
early leaders of the Red Men may have
watched, unseen, the ceremonies OF
yesterdays event in as much wonder
ment as could be diseerned on the faces
of the women and children, who have
descended from them.
The Cello falls and the rapids below
the great cascades have long been
barrier TO open river transportation.
The gap was first bridged by the
state portage railway, the train OF
which yesterday hauled the hordes from
The Dalles up to Big Eddy. For de-
cade the canal has been in course of
construction. Boats may now make a
safe and expeditions passage up and
down the great northwestern river.
Lewis and Clark, as they journeyed
down the Columbia on their exploration
of the wilderness portrayed around the
rapids. Then came the French Voyag-
eurs, of the Hudson's Bay Go. These
were followed by the bold homesee kers,
who crossed the plains in prairie
schooners, drawn by teams of oxen,
that sturdy generation of frontier
stock, that laid the foundation for the
commonwealth of Oregon. Their sons
and daughters and grandchildren and
greatsgrandchildren participated proud
ly in Yesterdays celebration.
One of the largest crowds ever seen
at the local station boarded the 0.-W.
r. & N. train yesterday morning, re-
turning last night. About 300 local
folk we're in attendance at the celebra-
| tion.
While the larger portion Of Hood
River people left yesterday morning
aboard the 0.-W. r. q N. special train,
automobiles swarmed up the grades of
the hills east of the city like salm on
seeking the headwaters of northwest
ern stream.
One OF the chief speakers at the ded-
ication ceremonies was Joseph N. Teal.
who has worked harder, perhaps, than
any other man in the northwest for the
realization of an open river. Mr.. Teal
spoke in part as follows:
To-day we come together to eele-
berate the eonsumation of the efforts,
the hopes, the dreams of more than 40
years. From the peerless city Of Spo.
kane, from ldaho's seaport, Lewiston.
from the twin cities of the Colubnis, /,
Pasco and kennewiek, from Umatilla,
from Walla Walla. from Pendleton, rep
resentatives of the Inland Empire have
come to rejoice. From The Dalles,
from Portland. from Astoria by the
sea, from city and farm in every see-
tion drained by the mighty Columbia
river. this throng has gathered, moved
by a common impulse to commemorate
an event of the utmost consequence to
the northwest-the opening Of The
Dalles-Celilo canal. While the compile.
tion of this great engineering work
great even in this day of great things
is in itself well worthy of being cele-
brated, the reasons which have brought
US together lie far deeper. This mighty
work symbolizes the stern, unfaltering
determination of the people that our
waters shall be free-free TO serve the
uses and purposes Of their creation by
a Divine Providence. Ii means that
our unyielding purpose to secure free
river from the mountains to the sea
will ultimately be realized. IL means
the recongition by all that throughout
this vast territory there is no division
of interest. This is a common.country
with common purpose, common
destiny; and this stream, from its
source to where it finally weds the
ocean and is lost in the mighty Pacific,
is our river--our river-in which we all
have common share.
''lt is hardly necessary for me tc
speak of the profound satisfaction
take in the completion Of this great
work, and the pride and honor feel or
having been called on TO preside at this
epoch making occasion. Not only have
we the qualification that comes from
seeing the actual result Of our labor,
but our success thus far will but spur
us on to further efforts. Already thie
particular achievement is in the past.
Our faces are still set to the future,
and we must never falter nor tire until
from the mountains to the sea our
great river is ass free as the air we
breathe, and the land 1t waters and
serves is giving forth in abundance all
the fruits of the soil-until this coun-
try becomes indeed an empire, not only
of productlveness, but of the highest
type of American citizenship"