The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-06-12
NIT. HOOD LINE I'M
PORTANT FACTOR
ROAD HAULS Is PER CENT OF APPLES
Rate Absorption Saved Local Growers
$4,000 in FreightS on 1918 Apple
Crop Service Convenient


port the output from the Dee sawmill
OF the Oregon Lumber Co.. the Mount
Hood Railroad Company's line has be-
come the most important factor in
handling the fruit crops of the Hood
River valley. OF the 1850, 900 boxes
of apples shipped from the district last
season, the valley short line hauled
SIS, 900. With 10 per cent of the
strawberries of the district now grown
in Dee Flat and Upper Valley district.
the percentage of this fruit hauled by
the Mt. Hood line will exceed that of
apples.
The refrigerator ears are iced at To-
cal plants of the Apple Growers Assoc
citation and then sent out for straw
berries, making it possible to have the
fruit under refrigeration immedi lately
after they are picked. Locally iced
refrigerator cars are also sent out for
apples.
As result of an absorption Of the
local rate from Odell, amounting to six
cents per 100 pounds, jointly by the
Mount Hood line and transcontinental
lines on through: shipments, the grow
on frelghts on last years crop. The
Mt. Hood company several years ago
initiated the movement for an absorp-
ton OF local rates, and aided by local
shippers and the O.-W. r. & n Co.. j,
succeeded in getting the reduction. APP
plies subject to thesabsorption may be
stored in transit at Hood River refrg-
orator plants.
The service of the numbering road.
improvements keeping pace with the
increase of tonnage in up.valley points,
has resulted in numerous warehouses
along its line at Van Horn, Udell and
parkdale. Investments in plants along
the line will run we'll up toward 500,
600. Before fruit was shipped in any
great quantities over the valley line,
arrival of applet laden wagons at local
receiving stations created a very an
moving congestion. With all local
available trackage space now utilized
future storage plants Of Hood River
shipping concerns will necessarily
have to be erected along the valley
line The storage plant of the Hood
River Apple Il Storage Co.. recently
purchased by the Apple Growers Asso-
citation at cost of $55, 600, was the
first mid-vallev structure of this nature
to be built. ~4
The original line of the Mt. Hood
Railroad Co. extended only to Dee, a
distance Of 1914 miles. In 1910 the
road was completed to Pardkdale, an
additional distance of 5.8 miles. Park
dale, when the road was finished, CON
sisted merely of railroad station,
the store of X. J.Mclsaac Il Co. Today
it is one of the thriving rural commun-
tiles of Oregon, with a grade school,
union high school, two churches, Union
and Catholic, library and numerous
rural homes. The station erected by
the line, however, was not the usual
small structure that might have been
expected. 1t would pass for the sta.
ton on main line road supplying a
town of several thousand inhabitants,
and hotel operated in connection
with the office of the road will accom-
modate a score of guests.
The short rail line was built and is
owned chiefly by stockholders of the
Oregon Lumber Co., one of the Eccles
interests Joseph A. West, of Ogden,
Utah, had charge of the first construc
ton work but the line was completed
to Dee by his son, j. W. West, now
manager of the road. The younger
Mr.. West built the Parkdale extension
In connection with the 22.2 miles OF
road over which regular freight anC
passenger service is maintained, the
company operates IA miles of STANDARD
gauge logging roads, supplying tn,
Oregon Lumber Company mill a
Dee.
Formerly the valley line ran single
mixed passenger and freight steam
train daily between here and Parkdale
In addition to this service passenge
rail automobiles, each accommodating
80 passengers. are operated twice dali,
between here and the Upper Vale!
terminus. Thus residents of the rura
sections served by the short raj lin,
are given full interurban conveniences
Residents Of way stations get thei
morning Oregonian almost as soon a
residents of the city. and small freigh
is delivered with the speed of express
service.
IL would not take S5, 600 for the Mt
Hood siding on my place. recent.
remarked O. H. Rhoades, owner of :,
large ranch and orchard place at Oiell
"The conveniences of the road are in
valuable to growers along its line. y