The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-12-28
LOCAL FREIGHT
BUSINESS Big
HOOD RIVER STATES THIRD CITY
Revenue from Tonnage Originating in
Valley Surpasses $1,OOO,OOO Annually
Mt. Hood Lines Business Grows


of Hood River stands third in the state
of Oregon in freight earnings. Port
land, of course, is first, and Astoria is
the only other city. at which fIeight
originates that returns railway lines
greater revenue than at the capital of
the Apple Valley, which is classed
with such points as Tacoma and SpO-
kane.
While at the present tin complete
| figures on the freight earnings of the
1916 products of the Valley are un-
available, conservative estimates will
bring the total revenue for railway
| lines to a figure of more than 81, ,000,-
900. The apple crop Of local orchards
the past year has reached more than
800, 600 boxes.
The rate OIL apples to points east of
! the Mississippi river is 80 cents per
box. Thus if 100000 boxes of this
lfruit is shipped to the terminals of the
Mississippi and Ohio Valleys and At
lantic seaboard. the freight earnings
of fruit will reach $500, 900. The total
lumber shipments originating at Ruth
ton, just west of here and practically
an extension of the local O.-W. X. &
N. yards, and on the line of Ethe Mt.
Hood Railroad Co., the Hood River
Valley feeder of the transcontinental
Union Pacific system, reach annually
approximately 1900 carloads. The
greater part of this lumber is shipped
to Utah, Idaho and Wyoming points.
The average freight per car will reach
about 5000, making total of $440. 600
1 -, fra;nbt rayopno Copno ON In dc
of wood. averaging freight return of
S25 each, are shipped annually from
Hood River to points of eastern Oregon
and Washington. While the potato
crop of Hood River was damaged to
the extent of so per cent by the early
November freeze, Superintendent Will
son estimates that approximately 20
carloads will originate at points on the
Mt. Hood line this season. The pota
toes are shipped principally to Port
land and California points. This year,
for the first time cider apples have
been shipped in material quantities to
outside points. approximately SO car
loads of this grade of fruit has been
shipped to Portland, The Dalles and
Vancouver. Wash.
| lUG IIldBUltuu6 tut
business can be comprehended when
one realizes that the average of the
daily freight delivered from the Mt.
Hood Railroad Company's line to the
O.-W. r. & N. Co. throughout the
year reaches about carloads. The
Mt. Hood line, originally extending
from here to Dee, the location of the
plant of the Oregon Lumber Co., was
primarily built by the lumber concern
| to handle its own output of lumber.
AS the Upper Valley orchard district
developed, the line was pushed to
ParkdaIe six years ago, and today it
| is one of the O.-W. r. & N. Com
pany's chief feeders. Voluntarily year
before last the local valley line and the
Union Pacific Co. put into effect rate
that enabled the apple growers of the
Odell district and all points north to
ship their fruit directly to points east
of Huntington at the same rate granted
| Hood River. The new rate provided
| for an absorption of five cents per 100
pounds, including the total on all ship.
ments from Odell and points north,
while the same absorption applied on
shipments originating at points south
of Odell. The saving to growers this
year over the old rate will reach more
| than $4,000. The Mt. Hood line this
| season has handled twice as many
! apples as in former seasons. BY the
end of the year total of $50 carloads
of fruit will have been handled by the
| Valley line, all but about so of these
having been delivered to connecting
| lines.
The passenger business of the Mt.
Hood line has shown a remarkable
increase during the past year. Up
until last summer the passengers of
the road were handled in the mixed
train operated once daily between here
and Parkdale. To handle the increased
passenger traffic Superintendent Wilson
last spring put into commission 30
passenger rail automobile. The service
was merely an experiment, but it has
grown permanent. Throughout the
summer and autumn months and even
during the winter the big rail machine
has made two round trips daily from
Parkdale, carrying maximum loads.
Because of the severe winter weather
all but one round trip will be discontin-
ued on January luntil the opening of
spring weather.
1.-The passenger business has been so
successful with the rail auto," says
Supt. Wilson, that shall recommend
next year the purchase of another SIM
liar car, and | have every assurance
that the purchasing department will
give US the car.
Today a kindlier feeling between the
officials of the Mount Hood Railroad
Co. and the citizens of the communities
it serves exists. The communities have
been aroused to the enormity of the
valley roads work. 1t is realized that
the line is affixed institution furnishing
very beneficial service. 1t is true,
too, that the railway officials have
aw wakened to a new realization of its
opportunities. There is new spirit of
cooperation. The officials showed their
willingness last summer to facilitate in
every possible manner the passenger
traffic. Residents of the Upper Valley
and points between Parkdale and Hood
River expressed their appreciation with
renewed patronage, and the past
years business has been gratifying.
mo condition has ever been more
gratifying to the officials of the rail-
road company, declares Superintend-
ent Wilson, "and We are going to en-
deavor in every manner to keep our
service up to the high standard main
tanned during the past summer. We
wish through the columns of the Gla-
cier to personally thank the citizens of
the valley for their hearty support and
cooperation, and it is our New Year g
,u;Sh that tho snirit of friandlinass is