The Bear – Photo courtesy of Gorge Heritage Museum

From the Hood River Glacier, page 1 – April 19, 1914

The Bear, a big ferry boat just launched by Capt. Otis Treiber, owner of the Hood River-Underwood ferry system, is now making regular hourly scheduled trips between the local landing and that at Underwood.  The new ferry boat is a double-ended side wheeler, 65 X 25 feet in dimensions, and will accommodate four automobiles at one trip.      Capt. Treiber states that his new boat, which was constructed by him at the mooring of his houseboat near Underwood, is satisfactory in every way.  Although far larger, it is costing him no more to operate the big ferry than a small launch. The paddle wheels are so built that they can be run separately, or one operated while the other is motionless or moving in the opposite direction.