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The Enterprise, White Salmon, WA., June 1, 1911, page 1
"Trout Lake Doings"

One of the most important improvements made in Trout Lake Valley this year is the big irrigation ditch made by the Trout Lake Power and Irrigation Company, of which a former citizen of Goldendale is a member. This is J.M. Filloon. The company recently organized and incorporated for $90,000. The contract for building the flume and ditch across the lands of two of the settlers was let to Albert Elmer at the cost of $1,000 which was a very low price for the work. The water is taken from the White Salmon river three miles above Guler and is raised by means of a rolling dam and is carried for 800 feet in a flume then is conveyed the rest of the distance by means of a canal. The system will irrigate, or be capable of irrigating, about 10,000 acres of land around Guler, and will be of great value to the ranchers there not only for giving drink to the thirsty soil but to the farmer as well. The orchard lands in this vicinity do not require irrigation. In fact, they do better without water, but the clover and alfalfa lands of course want water and plenty of it. Besides the improvements made in regard to the White Salmon ditch, the lost Creek Association, of which J.M. Filloon is also a member and share holder, will make important improvements in the way of enlarging the present carrying capacity and turning all of Lost Creek into the system. This stream rises in Skamania county and after sunning above ground into Klickitat county, for a short distance sinks and rises again when it is turned into the canal or intake of the lost Creek Association, then being carried to the settlers along the route past the Ice Cave to Guler, a distance of 14 miles. This is one of the most beautiful and one of the purest water systems in the northwest. Although this valley has not been extensively advertised compared to some localities, the mails bring many letters of inquiry and the stages and autos carry passengers who are looking for lands and property is changing hands frequently. The high lands that are not yet in cultivation are being sought by those desiring cheap lands for orchard purposes. The lowlands that yield five tons of clover per acre are not selling so rapidly because the owners are loath to sell. These, however, are dividing their holdings and selling in tracts, retaining enough for their own use. The clover and timothy hay produced here is in demand because of its excellent color and curing. The color is a rich dark green that is desirable. The entire valley is either under irrigation or capable of being easily placed under the various ditches. Strawberries grow well here and although later then along the Columbia river, are good shippers because the nights here are cool, this being the cause of the berry being very firm and meaty. Apples do well here and as high as an altitude of 2000 feet 5 miles north, the finest flavored and brightest colored apple is grown. Pears do well at this altitude. Here at Trout Lake the altitude is 1800 feet and apples and pears we well as the small fruits do as well as they do in Hood River Valley and at this writing, May 28, the apples are in fine shape, of excellent flavor and color not at all withered. At the recent meeting of local dairymen and horticulturists held here, when three Professors from Pullman Agricultural College spoke on the various subjects of interest to local people, they made the statement that there is every reason to know that this valley will be as good an apple district as the famous apple producing section of Hood River Valley. They said also that the small fruits will do well here. In fact, the berry of every variety does exceedingly well here. The soil and water of Trout Lake valley is able to produce luxuriantly. This is a revelation to strangers who know nothing about the valley, when they come here and find right at the foot of a snow peak that vegetation and hay and berries and fruit does so well. Of course they expect to find snow a foot in depth in July but they are pleasurably disappointed. The only place the snow is a foot in depth in July is around this valley is on the old mountain itself. The dairy industry is carried on in Trout Lake Valley by a co-operative Association and the very best butter is produced, clover being the base supply of milk. Every dairyman has clover meadows on which his cattle roam. Verily, the Trout Lake cow is in clover. This is not only true in summer but it is equally true in winter when she is given the finest clover hay. This combined with pure water and pure ozone, cannot help producing the best butter found anywhere. The health of the people attest to the purity of air and water. There is no sickness and a doctor would starve to death if he expected to earn his bread and butter by treating sick people. In Trout Lake Valley, sickness is a rarity. This is an ideal health resort or would be if any one cared to conduct a sanatarium. The health giving air from the pines combined with the rare atmosphere generally, proves of great and lasting value benefit to sufferers of asthma and lung trouble. The scenery of Trout Lake Valley, although not absolutely necessary for the success of the country is, here, varied pictures from Nature's own palette. She has been unstinted in her colors and with lavish brush has touched cliff and scar, lake and hill, dale and mountain, forests and valleys until in looking in any direction there is absolutely nothing forbidding in the view. Photographers rave over the beauties found here and artists with colors are in despair because of their inability to reproduce the scene as it is. There is no use for the writer to attempt to describe it for it is impossible although he has visited this spot for the past 22 years and at last has settled down to end his days right here where the wimpling waters rush past his door, making the sweetest music in the world. The mountain of pure delight out there, apparently only a stone's throw from the veranda; the ever shifting beauty of clouds, manufactured out there around the mountain itself; the dainty tender green of the quaking aspen trees with their gray-green boles; back of them the greener foliage of the Balm of Gilead trees, then back of them still the darker, richer, green of the forest primeval. There to make the scene even more beautiful, Nature has cast a veil of flimsy softest blue-grey over all that makes the picture a delight and a joy to the beholder. The sky above seems to pour out blessings in the way of sunshine and shadow that is the cause of spreading beauty on all below and making it a delight to be able to live and enjoy it all. Everything, and every possible person in Trout Lake is contented and happy and why should they not be? Clover meadows in bloom are the pleasure places of the wild bees and many a globule of honey they carry away with them to their retreat in the trees. Honey made by wild bees is found sometimes by woodsmen while working in the forests around here. Lumber mills are doing well locally in the way of sawing the pines up into building and box timber. The new portable sawmill operated by Robert Brown is working overtime in sawing lumber for local people. This mill was recently installed on the Elmer place for a beginning. When through sawing lumber there it will be moved to some other ranch. Trout Lake bids fair to be a winter resort as well as a summer place. Some day it will be a place of country homes for here it is as in no other place, a constant delight. City folk find a restfulness in this favored spot not found anywhere else. Here the angler may satisfy his fancy for catching the gamey trout. Here he may find the deer, the bear, the game birds; here he may gather wild berries in the hills right from Nature's own gardens, fresh and juicy that with cream makes a dish fit for the gods. What is the use to try to describe this Valley as it is? 'Tis no use at all. Come and see for yourself.

Mrs. J.M. Filloon