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The Hood River Glacier, Hood River, OR., November 15, 1901, page 2

TROUT LAKE

Last week a representative of the Glacier made a trip to Trout Lake, in Klickitat county, Wash. He went out with that skilled jehu, Joe Smith, who handles the lines on the stage between Bingen and Trout Lake. C.W. Moore of Trout Lake owns the stage line and carries the U.S. mail. This was our first trip to the lake. We have often heard of Trout Lake and its thrifty population, but no one can realize what a beautiful and productive country they have without going himself to see. The stage leaves Bingen every other day at 9 a.m. and traveling over one of the best and most picturesque mountain roads, reaches the post office at W.F. Stadelman's about 4 o'clock. Passengers and driver are given a good dinner for 25 cents at Husum post office, kept by Mrs. Gregory. W.F. Stadelman, Trout Lake's genial P.M, is on hand when the stage arrives and at once begins to sort the mail and to hand it out to a mob of jolly, hardy looking school children who fill his big office room while the mail is being distributed. Mrs. Stadelman, a big, large parted, good natured German, came here with his wife and small children in 1884. He went to work and overcame all difficulties encountered by pioneers, and now has hundreds of acres, big barns and herds of cattle, and with a family of intelligent and industrious children, mostly grown, is prosperous and contented. The history of Mr. Stadelman's locating here, and his success, is a history of all the first settlers who are now well to do. Mr. Stadelman also keeps a hotel for the accommodation of travelers.
A good school building not far from the post office is supplied with all the latest school furnishings. The school has a library of 51 volumes. A nine-months term of school is now being taught by Mr. Frisbie, who is doing good work. His school numbers 46 pupils. Mr. Frisbie has rented strawberry land of T. Wyers of White Salmon and will move to White Salmon in the spring.
Mr. Guler, who owns the E.L. Smith place near the lake, keeps a boarding house for tourists and campers in the summer months. It is a delightful place to spend a few days, weeks or months in the summertime. Mr. and Mrs. Guler have accommodated as high as 40 boarders at a time. They give the best of fare for $1 a day, or $5 a week. Being near the lake and fishing grounds, with the best of milk, pure air and water, it is an ideal place to pitch your tent or take lodgings. Groceries and tobacco are kept by Mr. Guler to supply campers.
Although fruit growing is not considered the most profitable, this being strictly a dairy and stock country, apples have done quite well in different parts of the valley. Mr. Eckert, who recently purchased the Shafer & Bence place, has six acres in young orchard that this year produced 100 boxes of apples. He has some fine Yellow Newtons and Ben Davis. His Gravensteins he sold at 50 cents a box and his winter apples find ready sale at $1. He has a branch of Ben Davis apple tree 13 inches long hanging in his house that contains 20 well developed apples. The cluster contained 24 apples but four fell off. At Mrs. Wagnitz' place I saw several boxes of Gravenstein apples just in their prime. Mr. Eckert also has another place, his original homestead, now run by his son-in-law. On this place he is building a barn 50 x 40. His old barn is 50 x 60. Like other settlers here in early days, when there were no roads and it took three days to make a trip to the Columbia river and back, Mr. Eckert has been successful and can now reap the full reward of his labors.
Coate Bros., William and F.M., do the largest business in the dairying line. They informed me they shipped $2,200 worth of butter a year. They have two separators each with a capacity of 650 pounds of milk per hour. The separators are driven by water power. One of them can be operated by hand power during freezing weather when water cannot always be utilized. They have been in the valley 15 years and 12 years in the dairy business. Both men are industrious and enterprising and the substantial improvements upon their farms give them all the comforts of the most favored localities. Wm. Coate is commissioner for this part of Klickitat county, and we take it there is further and higher honors in store for him.
The United Artisans have a lodge here of 38 members, and nine new members will be initiated at the next meeting. The lodge holds its regular meetings on the third Saturday of the month, with a social meeting on the first Saturday of each month.
The bottom lands of the valley are very productive. Six tons of clover hay, in two cuttings, is about the usual yield on this land. Forty acres is said to be enough to grow all the feed and keep all the stock a dairy farmer needs.
The wild strawberries bloom week made the ground white in places, and many red berries were found. But there was every indication that winter was close at hand, and the ranchers are well prepared for it. Friday morning a heavy white frost covered the valley. The thermometer registered 25 degrees at 7 o'clock and ponds were frozen over.
Sellinger Bros. & Kedenburg's saw mill is making lumber pretty fast but not fast enough to supply the local demand. The company also makes fruit boxes. The mill formerly operated on the north side of the valley, just below Coate Bros'. places, and moved to W.F. Stadelman's timber two years ago. This mill is capable of cutting 10,000 to 15,000 feet per day.
Singleton & Wang have a portable saw mill that started up in September. They have been kept so very busy making lumber for others that they have not had time to cut lumber to cover their mill. They cut 3,000 to 5,000 feet a day.
The Trout Lake country is well provided with water, and the splendid irrigation systems furnish all the water needed for crops of clover and timothy and garden truck.
Every year, as the Trout Lake country becomes better known, more and more people visit it for health and recreation. It is a beautiful summer resort, the drives are lovely, the people are hospitable, and exorbitant prices are never charged anyone for anything. The trade of this section naturally drifts to White Salmon and Bingen, whose merchants have the confidence of the community. Naturally, what helps White Salmon helps Hood River, and both places will be greatly benefited by the settling up and development of this fine country stretching from the Columbia to the base of Mt. Adams.