The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-04-29
W. ]. BAKER RECALLS
EARLY RAILWAY DAYS

Thirty-three years ago the people OF
Portland had their eyes turned to Multi
nomah Falls just as today, when the
Columbia highway. which passes at the
foot of the giant cascade, is nearing
completion. And the eagerness and
expectancy Of three decades ago was
brought about by the completion of a
lap in a great transcontinental trans
portation system. IL was here that the
silver spike, commemorating the join
ing of the rails of divisions Of the COM
pleted o. r. & n. Co. line. was driven.
The incidents of the former celebra-
tion are recalled by w. j. Baker. a pi-
oneer conductor of the early railway
lines Of the northwest, who had charge
of the train that bore the Portland
party to Multnomah Falls for the driv-
ing of the silver spike.
Mr.. Baker. who is 64 years old, is u
native of Iowa. In 1867, when his
family was living at Boone, Ia. he
was a passenger on the first excursion
train ever run over the Chicago q
Northwestern railway line from Chica-
go.to COnucil Bluffs.
"lt was that day." he says. that
was imbued with the ambition to be-
come a railroad man. No sooner had
returned home than | applied for a
position, and few months later began
work as a newsboy. In another month
| was promoted to the position OF
freight brakeman"
In 1868 Mr.. Baker, following the
conductor under whom he had learned
the business, Morris Geheene, left the
c. & N. W. Co. and accepted position
with the Union Pacific Co.
1--WE ran over the old Bridger divis.
ion." he says, between Rawlins and
Bryan, Wyo. ! was a brakeman or
this run when the Snake Indians, or
March II, 1869, raided the town. Forty
or so of US armed ourselves and pur.
sued the Red Men. At Cherokee
Springs, a short distance from the
town, the Indians gave fight. None OF
our men were injured, but one of the
Snakes bit the dust. The Indian was
brought back to town. On the station
platform he was scalped, and portions
of the scalp given to the participants
in the battle as souvenirs. Soldiers
were called out to quell the uprising. y
Mr.. Baker later went to the Illinois
Central lines, braking on the Iowa di-
vision. In 1870 he was promoted to q
conductorship. While in this position
he was in charge of one of the trains
that conveyed Gen. Geo. A. Custer anc
his troop of cavalry to Sioux City er
route to the Black Hills, where he en-
gagged in his fatal encounter.
AS a memento of this trip Mr.. Baker
has in his possession a camp chair that
was stolen from Gen. Clusters private
baggage by one of his brakemen.
GAS soon as | knew the chair was
taken from the train," he says, | be-
gan some personal sleuthing, and dis
covered where it had gone. The brake
man became frightened and hid the
article near a lonely little station
Several weeks later 1t came into my
possession, but was never reclaimed by
the government.
C. G. Pratt, formerly president ot
the Hood River State bank, now res
ident of Los Angeles, was conductor oi
another section of the train conveying
Gen. Clusters troops. There we're sew
en- sections in the train.
In 1880 MIR. Baker returned to the
Union Pacific, taking up the passenger
service. He remained with that line
until he came to Oregon in 1882. 90
first had charge of work train on tht
o. R. & N. line, before 1t was com
peted, at Shell Rock. just west o.
Hood River.
| was shortly transferred from Port
land to Walla Walla, running to Ripar
ia, where connections were made will
Lewiston, Idaho, river steamers.
"In 1884 | was in charge of the first
passenger tram ever brought through
from st. Paul to Portland, my division
being between Wallula and Portland
Later | was stationed at Huntington
In 1885 | was blockaded for 22 days al
Huntington on account of the SHOWS il
the mountains, and was in charge o1
the first train run through from east
ern Oregon to Portland, after the
tracks were cleared"
Mr.. Bakers marriage had taker
place the year before and his first
child, Mrs. Harry Dewitt, was born q
hours after he arrived on his memora'
BILE run from Huntington.
In 1885 Mr.. Baker purchased tract
of land in Hood River valley. Fol-
several years before he left railroading
he had been Lstudying books on horti.
culture. He and his family.removed
here in 1886. kAs soon as he was able
to clear the land, s:.Mr. Baker planted
the first apple orchard set out in Hood
River for commercial purposes. The
place has been subdivided, and TODAY
the larger portion of it is owned by E.
H. Shepard, editor of Better Fruit.
W. M. Swick has 10 acres of the orig
inal Baker tract, on which today may
be seen one of the premier pear orch.
ards of the valley. - -
Mr.. Baker retired from orcharding