atrtund.html

The Hood River Glacier, Hood River, OR., April 2, 1908, page 8

A TRIP TO UNDERWOOD

For some time I had thought that I would like to make a trip to Underwood, Wash., and see that locality myself, as I had often heard so much about the country. A friend of mine directed me to go to Mr. F.W. Dehart, who is a rancher and real estate man, also a Baptist minister of that place, who showed me around in that neighborhood. As I was a little late in the morning in finding Mr. Dehart, my time was rather limited for looking around as much as I wished, but anyway I was considerably surprised to see so nice a country.
I was told by several that there was a great deal more land north of where I had been that was just as nice as what I had the pleasure of seeing. All the farmers seem to be wide awake and hustling around getting more ground cleared out and cleaned off for berries, potatoes and fruit trees. A few of the ranches that I visited while in that country were as follows:
We went up on the hill out to B.F. Beals. He has the largest orchard of peach trees of any that I saw and they are beginning to bud out quite lively. Mr. Beals had the misfortune to lose his dwelling house last fall, but built another right away and went ahead with his work as though nothing had happened. While at his place a heavy rain came upon us, which was mixed with some snowflakes. It did not last long, however, and we were soon down on one of those nice lying flats which will in a very few years be all under cultivation and raising fine fruits.
H. Nelson has a real nice new place of about 40 acres on one of these nice flats. He has already cleared out quite a large tract and has it about ready to put out to berries and potatoes and set to fruit trees.
Mr. Dehart is situated on the same flat with his neighbor, Nelson, but has not quite so much of his land cleared out yet, as he has been building a new house and barn, and moving into the new home.
We visited Mr. Cromwell's ranch, which is near the edge of the hill looking over into the White Salmon river. He is one of the county commissioners and is also taking up the fruit industry like his neighbors.
We also went to Mr. Kellendonk's ranch. He has been in the country a little longer than some of the others and has more ground cleared out and more fruit trees into bearing. Near his place was N.M. Munch running his grubbing machine on Mr. Gibb's ranch. Henry Felling is foreman of this ranch, as Mr. Gibbs lives in Idaho. They were pulling up the stumps on his ranch, piling them up and clearing the ground ready for fruit trees.
Down on the lower flat near the railroad we visited the home of the H.C. Debo. Hear the berries and garden truck were farther advanced than any place we had seen.
Near this place is where P.T. Finley lives on a nice ranch and here the fruit trees are in fine condition. We saw several trees in full bloom, which made everything look beautiful. He is living near the station called Hood on the North Bank road.
We next visited the fish hatchery, which is in charge of Henry Bolle as manager. He expects to stay at this place until sometime in May and take care of and feed the fish which they have on hand, and get them to a larger size before they turn them loose to rustle for themselves.
Here he is working several men at this place in the industry. He expects to from this place to Oregon City, Ore., where he will take up the work at that point for a while.
In our rounds of the day we visited the hotel in Underwood, where we had a very fine dinner and got acquainted with Mrs. Harry Olsen, who is the proprietor of the only hotel of that place.
We then went to the large general store owned and run by M.S. Smith, who also runs the post office in one corner of the store.
I came across the river at the ferry run by Henry Olsen, who has been into business for sometime and understands his business.

H. Taylor.