The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-12-21

meetings of the Oregon state horu-
cultural Society. These meetings were
always interesting and profitable, ara
generally of a very pIacticai cnaf'
acter. .Lo
"In addition to its practical side the
sub,ect of horticulture has many othef
interesting features which tnese meet
inps might occasioniy prohtaoiy take
up and consider for short wnlie. 10
this connection thought it might DOT
be amiss to bring to your attention fof
a moment a little of the early history
and the somewhat sentimental sue OF
the apple to the Pacific Northwest.
al here have a gavel which ! desire
to present to this society on this occa.
sion It is made from the branches OF
the most ancient apple tree in the olo
Oregon country. The old tree is stlli
alive and growing on the GROUNDS OF
the Vancouver Barracks at Vancouver,
Wash, 1t is without doubt the OLDEST
annie tree on the Pacific Coast. its
history is quite clear and authorita'
lively correct. -, NJ
"About 80 years ago DR.. John Nc
Laughlin, governor of the huoson pay
Co. west of the Rocky mountains To-
Gated the headquarters OF MS company
on the terrace sloping up from the
north bank of the Columbia River
where now the city of Vancouver ana
Vancouver Barracks are situated: Ia
; connection with the location OF the
Hudson Bay company at Vancouver Is
/ found the first record of the coming OF
the ample to the Northwest. then
, called Oregon country.
"The first account of this historic
. tree, then about 10 years OLD. was
I written by Mrs. Narcissa Whitman
q while she was staying at Fort Vancou
n yer at the home of DR.. Mclaughlin
I Her husband was then in the walls
WalIa country LOOKING for location
+ | will read an extract from her diary
under date of September IL. 1886.
;. "I must mention the origin of thes'
e apples. A gentleman IL years ag'
II while at a party in London put seeo
v of the apples, which they ate, IN hi
= vest packet. Soon afterwards he too
N a VOYAGE to this country and LETT then
n here. Now how they are greatly mul
" tiplied.
" "Another story of this old tree, NO
n Inconsistent with the quotation fror
n. Mrs. Whitman's diary, is as follows:
al cat q dinner party in London abor
or 1926, given in honor of some youn
at gentlemen in the employ OF the Hut
" son Bay Company, who were about
= embark for Fort Vancouver, seet
ne from the apples eaten were playful
se slipped by some of the young ladi'
oy into the waistcoat pockets OF some.
ey the young men, and upon their arriV
us at their destination the young men.
ev overbauling their wardrobes, found Il
h. seeds, which we're given to John Bruc
We DR.. McLaughlin's gardener, who plan
". ed the same The seeds produced amor
re others the now famous tree at Va
er. couver Barracks.
Or. "The story is told that after sever
an years of waiting one of the trees bo
re. an apple which, when ripe. was pick
by Governor Mclaughlin and careful
ul- cut into II slices, one slice OF t
ion precious fruit being served to ca
er, person at DR.. McLaughlin's tab
Id. The next year the tree bore 20 apple
st. and the old tree left is still bearl
to fruit.
of "rhe Hon. Glen S. Rassek, of Va
vas cuover. has written poem in honor
rec the old apple tree. l will now re
on from it:
,m- "'In 1926 on London 8 famous stral
ing On the eve of their departure for o.
CONS distant land,
the Hudson's Bay officials sat in fest
the banquet room,