The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-09-28
PIONEERS HOLD
ANNUAL MEET
OLDTIMERSLVEOVER BYGONEDAYS
D. A. Turner Plays Fiddle and Newton
Clark Tells Of Lost Lake
Discovery

Once a year the sturdy men and
women who conquered the virgin for
ests of the Hood River valley, who
have seen the vast area of pine and fir
trees give way acre by acre and rtact
by tract to orchards of Spitzenburgs
and Newtowns, the apples of which
have been sold in every market Of the
world, with their children and grand
children meet to live over the days of
the conquest. The incidents of pleas
ure and primitive joy along with the
innumerable hardships that they en-
countered are all recalled. Each year
some prominent member Of the Hood
River Pioneer Association, under the
auspices of which the annual reunion
is held, is selected to give the formal
address, and the address is usually an
authentic narrative of some early day
event that is full of historical signifi-
cence. Indeed, the Hood River Pioneer
Association is partially historical or
ganization, and in its archives may be
found papers that tell graphically the
pioneer history of the mid Columbia.
Some September day is chosen for
the annual reunion, and the birthday
of a member is always chosen. The
pioneers met Thursday and simultane.
ously participated In their annual
gathering and celebrated the SOth
birthday of David A. Turner, who has
resided continuously for 55 years in the
fostering cline of the mid Columbia
region. Mr.. Turner. native of Mis-
souri,, came to the Hood River valley
from Californa. Mr.. Turner, who for
merly owned tract on the East Side
that has long since been planted to
commercial orchard trees, has now re-
tired to a home in the city, where he
devotes his time to the tending OF his
garden and flower plots and in hobby
of the protection of song birds.
Despite his four score years MIR.
Turner was bubbling over Thursday
with optimism, and was greeted with
rousing cheers when he rendered on his
beloved fiddle 1.-THE Arkansas Travel
er" and other old time favorites. Ac-
companied by his granddaughter. Miss
Ethel Turner Rand. daughter of ex-
Sheriff Ed Rand, of Baker county, he
sang, 1.-The Golden Sunset Trail" a
song for pioneers written by W. X.
Winans. On behalf of the Pioneer As.
sociation Mr.. Turner was presented by
E. l.. Smith with handsomely bound
copy of Samuel c. LancasteI's book on
the Columbia River Highway.
Newton Clark, who delivered the an.
nual address of last Thursday, chose
| for his subject the discovery of Lost
Lake. the beautiful shores OF which
were first sighted on an autumn morn
ing in 1879 by a party of men composed
of DR.. T. L. Eliot. Prof. L. F. Hen.
derson, Milton Odell, E. L. Smith and
i MIR. Clark. A few weeks previous to
the trip of exploration begun by the
local men party of pioneers from The
Dalles had sought for the beautiful
lake renowned in the stories of In
dians.
"We met with our first real adven-
ture," said Mr.. Clark, when we
reached the Hood river near the pres
ent site of Dee, where bridge was
made by telling huge tree across the
river gorge. We tied rope to the
stump and to a tree on the opposite
side of the gorge and holding to this
carried across our outfit. Later oul
pack pony was roped and dragged
across the swift current. When we
reached the region of the Upper Wesl
Fork we found that this country hao
all been burned over the year before
by a great forest fire. Only jagged
trunks were left. We called the regior
desert. was axeman for the party
and proceeded ahead to cut patti
through the debris. The earth was {
soft ash bank, and soon the dry ash
soil filled our shoes. Mr.. Smith grew
discouraged over heel minus most o
the skin, but his wits continued keen
That old saying of Horace Greeley
was then going the rounds, and MIR
Smith to stimulate US as our determin
alton tagged must have remarked
score of times as we pushed on towar'
the lake, GO west, young man, g
/ westv
1--WE did not reach the lake the frs
day, but found it early in the morninI
H of the second. took MIR. Odell's riff
/ and went out to get some game, Will
II the other members of the party built
raft from fallen logs and endeavore
| to catch some fish. returned wit
only my rifle. expecting to find tn
| bank covered with fish. But my com
| panions had not caught a single fish
l They declared there were no fish in tn
lake. We had supper and just as tn
. sun was setting behind Huckleberr
mountain, lighting up with gorgeou
Il color the peak of old Mount Hood,
II suggested that: we again try fishing
II Everybody demurred but Mr.. Smith
II who consented to 60 out on the raj
II with me. Pretty soon the surface Q
Lost Lake was literally alive wit
trout. They bit the hook as fast as "
II could take them off. | soon gave u
II catching for myself taking the fish o
II Mr.. Smiths hook, and then after abor
II 80 minutes not fish was to be seer
II Everything became quiet. The lax
II trout had finished their evening feet
ing and had sunk to the bottoms of tt
III crystal waters. But we had landed a
II we could eat. They were fine spec
ii mems, each about the length OF a cas-
ii knife, handle and all.
II "On our return trip Prof. Henderson
Il a botanist, found many wonderful spe
linens of plants that thrive in the r.
II gion." :,
II A paper on The Columbia River Ii
II dians, I" prepared by Capt. b. c. Co
II of Portland. who was unable to
II present for the gathering, was read |
III Prof. Henderson. The paper. an j
II teresting and authentic document. vi
II be placed among the archives of Il
Il society. MIR. Coe also presented to Il
III Association a pruning hook, the pro
iii erty of his father. Nathaniel Coe, Il
Ill founder of Hood River. who arrive
in the mid Columbia when Hood riv
III was known to the Indians as D,
river. The yelic was used BY the pi
II neer settler in pruning the first app
II orchard ever planted in tbe district.
II Other numbers of the program wer
iii C;poino of America hv the entire 4