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The Hood River News-Letter, Hood River, OR., April 20, 1907, page 1

HOOD RIVER'S PROSPERITY INDISPUTABLE

That Hood River is a prosperous little city there are none who are acquainted with its rapid growth will attempt to deny, but there are few who are aware of the continued and constants advancement being made along all lines.
Take the banks, for instance, their history is a sure indication that of the financial pulse of any city and their history here it is very flattering. By preference to our editorial column of the issue of April 6th, it will be ascertained that the Butler Banking company established their bank in 1901, and at the end of the year their first annual statement showed their deposits to be $36,741.73; this small beginning which at that time was thought to be extremely good, for the little city, has increased until the recent statement issued by this institution shows on deposit $378,004.39.
On June 1st, 1904, The First National bank entered the business world in Hood River, and with this bank as with the Butler Bank, it was predicted that its advent was made to early. There are always found a greater or lesser number who have frail vertebrae, weak-eyed faith, who consider themselves "conservative" but who in reality are simply back numbers, calamity howlers, cumbers of the most progressive class of citizenship. Of these there is a beautifully small proportion in Hood River and they are growing beautifully less. These are they who predicted that the new bank would not last long here, it would soon die or if it did live the other bank would not have business enough to live up on. Both these banks are pretty lively endeavors today, for in the face of the wonderful growth of the Butler Banking company, the First National bank deposits have grown during the past three years to the comfortable sum of $235,662.53. The Butler Banking company's deposits in the same time and have grown from $140,866.60 to their present amount and within the past four years the banking business of Hood River has more than quadrupled in volume.
The first of this year the Hood River Baking and Trust company opened a banking business in Hood River and are getting in readiness to handle their share of the business of the city. While they had no figures ready for the news fiend when he called, he was informed that their reception in Hood River, and the amount of business already coming to them was a surprise to them, and far exceeded their expectations.
The postal receipts were given recently showing a wonderful increase the past few years, increasing from $3554.05 in 1900 to $7864.18 in 1906, and that the increase is still growing is shown by comparing the first quarter's receipts in 1906, $2165.37 with the same period this year, $2680.19 an increase of nearly 25 percent or $514.89 for the quarter.
An effort was made to ascertain the increase in the shipments and receipts made over the O.R. & N., but we found the people at the head of that institution to thin skinned to dig up any information. While we do not think it is necessary for any man or corporation to give away any business secrets, and have the sense enough not to ask it, when we make a request for a general estimate of the increase of business so as to show whether the output of the country is keeping pace with the wonderful growth of the banking business, or whether that development is being made simply through the increasing values of the realty, and a corporation is so "nigh to itself" as to become dumb as an oyster, we will certainly be glad when another railroad approaches near enough to Hood River to make its services available to our shippers, and we will find a source of satisfaction in noting in our columns the amount of business which may from time to time be transferred to the competing line. This will be obtainable from sources beyond the control of even Brother Harriman or his hired man.
Viewing the situation then exclusive of the railroad business we can say that Hood River has steadily advanced in her financial interests, is advancing today both as to realty values and the output of her products, that never in the history of the city has Hood River been more prosperous in all departments of her varied industrial life.