The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-08-09
SCHENCK PAYS
VALLEY TRIBUTE
PROMINENT ENGINEER AT ORCHARD
Here to Run Survey, Mr.. Sehenck Fell in
Love With Pleasing Climate
"a Years Ago

Here for his annual alivacation on his
East Side orchard place, A. A.
Schenck, pioneer engineer of Port
land who is now engineer of mainte-
nance for the Chicago & Northwestern
r. r. Co. with offices in Omaha,
Nebr, declares that no state of the
Union has finer summer climate than
Oregon.
81 discovered in 1885," says Mr..
Schenck, who is accompanied by his
wife, that from the standpoint of
scenic beauty, the fertility of soil and
the climate, the Hood River valley
Just suited me. Here in this little
community of the Cascades the happy
medium of weather conditions is
reached. 1t is not too dry, not too
wet.
81 had just been appointed engineer
R. & N. Co. at that time under opera.
tion. and had been sent to Hood River
to make a reconnaissance survey for
branch line up the valley. My COM
pany never attempted to build the
road, which, however, was later con-
structed by the Mount Hood Railroad
Co., to tap the rich timber belts of the
Oregon Lumber Co.
''ln my party of men was Newton
Clark, for whom one of the glaciers of
Mount Hood is named, man rich in
personal experiences in the new coun-
try and whose knowledge was invalu-
able to me. One of my duties consisted
of running asline for new grade and
| ,;nbt nf haf rtlnnI md
The Dalles. Since the work was done
much of the old road, very crooked,
has been abandoned and the line placed
on the survey made by my crew of
men. Mr.. Clark. who had much ex-
perience in establishing section lines
for the government, brought down all
of the land lines to my survey, thus
making 1t more comprehensive.
Mr.. Schenck, according to DR.. T. L..
Eliot, pastor emeritus of the First
Unitarian church of Portland, was one
of the greatest cranks on the conser
vation of native trees who ever hit
Hood River. Today, Mr.. Schenckssays
ne knows of one other man who eX-
ceeds him as an exponent of conserva-
tion. THAT is DR.. Eliot" he says.
Through the interest and initiative
of Mr.. Schenck, the gorge of Indian
creek lying just south of the city, sswas
secured as a park for the people of
Hood River. According to document
recorded in 1887, Mr.. Schneck, DR..
Eliot and Murray Kay hold the beauti-
full gorge in:trust for.the residents of
the valley. Mr.. Schenck planted one
of the earliest commercial orchards
ofsthe community in 1884. His first
local ranch was bought from E. L
Smith--a rs acrestract in the Belmont
district. He paid $1,000 for the tract.
After a term of service with the O.
R. & N. Co., Mr. Schenck, before re-
turning to the middle west, was with
Henry Willard, an early terminal pro.
moter. Mr.. Schenck brought mum.
ber of young men out from the east
to be associated with him, among
them Franklin |. Fuller, who is now
engineer for the Portland Railway,
Light & Power Co.
+ ut was love at first sight for me,
says Mr.. Schenck, 'but the love
have for Oregon and Hood fRiver has
been an enduring one. My pleasant.
est weeks of all the year are those
when my wife and can slip away ant
come here for the brilliant sunshine OF
the summer days and the cool, starry
nights. My hopes of making my per
manent home here have always beer
thwarted, ,Ebut when | come to die
want to be in Oregon.