The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-09-01
Our Lake Ontario Correspondence.
LAKE ONTARIO, STEAMBOAT CArARAcr, !
Aug. %. 1919,

LAKE ONTARIO, STEAMBOAT CATARACr,(
Aug. %, lS49.
The Pvesidext's Mness-Proba Comcissiom of his
To~r-Notes By the, Way, from E,rs to Os,cego-
Buuness IN BrgalO- Canadian Anneration-
Steamboats, on Lake Ontario, &c, &c.
The Presidents illness, at Erie, has of course
entirely unsettled his plans as to continuing his
tour. and il is now believed he will not pay Buffalo
formal visit, but pass through 1t as rapidly as
possible, as soon as he is sufficiently recovered,
and return to Washington by the way of the Lake,
Oswego, &c, as privately as he can. The fatigue
which he has undergone already can scarcely be
imagined. Riding in hot sun all day. and kept
up half the night, it can scarcely be wondered
that he has found the exertion too great. Besides
this, he has antpathy to medicine, and it is
only in ertremss that he succumbs. He may be
"Roueh and Ready" but when he got west of
the Allie hanles, he found few customers shade
"rougher," and 1t was perfectly agonzing to see
the unfortunate gentem ans arm worked for hours
Ia pump-handle, by way Of displaying, we sup
pose, how much the bumpers thought OF him. We
sincerely trust he will not further overtask his
strength by prelongng his journey at the present
time, and we know the people, much they de-
sire to see HIM, will cheerfuly forego the graft
fcation, when they consider that to continue his
tour at this season would be at the expense OF his
health, II not his life.
The town OF Enc, where the President is stop.
ping, possesses but few attractions. II flashed
some years since, and has all the appearance OF
antiquity and decay. The Reed House" Is a
very fine building, nearly as large the Astor
House in New York, but it is most wretchedy
kept-scafcey anything TO eat-mlserably fur
nisbed, dirty. IL possesses but one qualification
keeping with its size, and that is the landlords
bill, which is certainly of antedlnvlan dimens IONS
The cholera appears to have depressed trade
VERY he he Iasff eXv W. kc h.
vlsil. a number OF The most Important GILES OF
the Union, and find everywhere the same com
plant of "dull times" Buffalo, usually bus
thing, Is now as quiet as boarding school mss
making her hrst appearance; and her magnificent
steamboats, present but beggary account of
empty berths This tie Of things cannot, of
course, long continue. The immense West, of
which Buffalo is the great entrepot, must have its
usual supply OF goods and the flour and other pro-
duce which is received exchange will soon fill
the warehouses, and employ the elevators to their
There are many interesting objects in and about
Buffalo, and not the least is the celebrated Plat
toIm, which was constructed about year ago.
1t is now, however, in a very dilapdated condi-
ton, and ii is not improbable Its decayed tIfnbers
may be the cause OF the epidemic prevailing the
place 10 such an extent.
The editorial fraternity of Buffalo is "whole
team" and we are under personal obligations 10
many of Them for their kindness and attention.
Messrs. Clapp and Wheeler, of the Express, will
accept our thanks especially, and, should 1t ever
De In our power, we VIII cnuedVOr 10 reclprOcate.
From Buffalo to Niagara Falls, new track has
been laid of heavy II rail, and It Is now equal to
any road in the country. With new cars, and The
polite attention of Mr.. Minton, the conductor. the
trip, formerly so unpleasant, is now delight
one. Fort Schlosser, of Canadian rebellion
memory is still an object Of some attraction, aud,
as you gaze at the old barn, you cannot he LIP thnk
ing that the galantry OF the Canadian forces IN
der the command of the bombastc Mr. Allan
M'Nab, was about on par with the strength OF
the old "fort," or barn, and you irressIlbly adj
mlre the courage which must have been necessary
20 cut out q small unarmed steamer, and murder
Its crew, at the dead of night, as II lay moored to
one of the posts Of the old barn in Schlosser.
The Falls OF Niagara are almost deserted this
season, and the hotel keepers in deporable
fix. The Falls themselves, however, DONE APPEAR
TO mind the fluctuations OF fashion or taste, bat
thunder away as loudly as ever. The grandeur
and beauty OF Niagara is thrice told tale, aud we
would not, even we able, inflict a sIngle cyl
liable in description Of the fosming torrent. Stiil
we may be pardoned, having thus given our bond
not to peIpelrate the poetic, If we touch the
full The want OF enterprise displayed IN permit
ting the waste OF such vast water power Is certainly
unSccountable. With the exception Of some halt
dozen small manufacturing establishments, there
is TO use made of the rroweI, How different would
have been the state of things If any OF the New
England States possessed such abundance OF ma.
tural wealth-the whole length of the river would
be studded with thriving manufactures and crowd
ed with busy artisans.
At the Fslls we met with several Canadian gen.
freely upon the condition Of the PROVINCES. But
one feeling seemed 10 animate them, and that wa
discomfort at their present condition and desire
Tor change. They cannot hello contrasting this
country with their own. and the weakest intellect
can understand their infe iiorty, when they find
wheat on one side Of the river commanding but
seventy Five cents a bushel, and Immediately op-
posIie, ia this country, readily bringing dollar
They see this eide trayersed with railroads and all
the evidences Of prospeIlty-they turn their eyes
homeward, and find neither railroads, capital, nor
enterpIise but In s place sort Of bastard royalty,
for which they are obliged to pay twice as much as
we pay the President of the United States, iig-
ment about being an integral part Of the British
Empire" and system called responsible GO
verDment," by which they have full liberty to
govern ihcmselves-in Pckwickian sense.
But although we believe the feeling Of dissatls-
faction and discomfort is wide spread, and, # the
truth were known, almost universal IN Canada,
we still think that II will require some accidental
circumstances-s element not now in operation,
before any change is made in the present condl-
tion Of things Like a heap Of gunpowder, Canada,
unless lighted up by some spark, may remain for
years In her present inert state. This does not
arise ircm any want Of courage general
information. but from the absence Of anything
like concerted acton, aDd the butter party spirit
which always fourshes In peculiar degree among
Frovincialisis The cry Of annexation" IL get
ting to be almost household word in Canada,
however, and the merest chance may bring such
an event about Let Canada but obtain her inde-
pendence and she will be received into this Union
a. n great State, whose future prosperity may be
unlimited. The very fact that the ministerial party
in Canada desire, so earnestly, reciprocity with
this country, Is n distinct avowal of the advantage
which a federal union with would be to them.
The great element Of prosperity has mainly
been The commercial unity which exists betwixt
all The States and if Canada desires to reap the
advantages OF euch n union, she must also partske
OF the responsibility, and the sooner this Is under
stood the better.
Passing down to Lewiston, over some ten miles
Of what IL would be libeous to denomnate a rail-
ed I'm fd he tie ,ata
rsct for Oswego. The Cataract belongs to an
American line Of boats which run between Lewis
ton and Ogdensburg, touching at Oswego, and thus
connecting with the railroad to Albany and Troy,
or the steamboats, to Montreal She is commanded
by Capt. X. II. Chapman, who with the attentive
clerk, Mr.. Randall, does everything in his power
10 make his passengers comfortable. The Csta-
rsct presents a striking contrast to the British
steamboats, alongside, anything but favorable to
The latter She is a beautifully modelled boat, and
clean TO fault. The Rochester, Capt. Massou,