The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-08-30

scending and rising $50 feet through
space, in frail elevator, cannot be
counted among the pleasantest of
recreatiOns. 1t was now half past
three o'clock P. NJ, and the Whirl-
pool, half mile further down, must
certainly be abandoned. We accord
ingly recrossed into Canada by
means of the Railroad Suspension
Bridge, and directed our course to
st. Catharines, twelve miles distant.
As we turned our back upon the
Niagara, ever thing Of beauty
and of terror, we thought how pro.
life it had been in fearful homieides,
nearly every point of interest mark
ing the spot of some fatal disaster.
Only the week before had four per
sons, two of them children, gone
over the Falls. Here had dwelt the
Neutral Huron Nation, Worshipping
the cataract as a demon, and here
had come Brebeuf for their, conver-
sion, counting martyrdom with all
the ferver Of Jesuitical zeal. Across
this portage the fierce Iroquois
were accustomed to pass in their ex-
terminating wars against the Hurons,
and the feebler Algonquin of the
North. By this track the French
had maintained communication be-
tween Quebec and the West and the
valley of the Mississippi. Here
more than two hundred years ago
had come La Sale, to found Fort
Niagara, and amidst the TIE Deum of
the Missionaries, the salvos of artil-
lery and the wondering gaze of the
Indians, to launch above the rapids
the first wooden boat that ever nav
igated Lake Erie, westward bound
for the exploration Of the Mississip-
pi. Here had been the scene of
many a severe conflict in the French
and Indian wars. Here a detach-
ment of English troops had been
driven by the Indians over the pre-
eipitous banks in Pontiac's conspi-
racy, and later still Chippewa and
Lundy's Lane had been added to
the associations, tragic and historic,
gathering about Niagara.
We were reused from these mus
ings by apprehensions that we
should miss our boat. We certainly
had fingered too long at Niagara. A
gentleman from c., Ohio, who had
taken passage in our carriage, and
against whose remonstrance the
Whirlpool Rapids had been visited,
sought to make himself as disagree
able as possible by Ungenerous if
not ungentlemanly reflections on
the driver and the rest of the com,
pany, whom he regarded as the au
thors of the calamity he saw i'm
pending, viz, separation from hii
baggage on the Maine. The ladies
to whom baggage is generally consid
cred Indispensable, treated the mat
ter with affected nonchalance, know
ing that the OsWegatehie was JUS
behind, and that all could be over
taken, if necessary, at Ogdensburg
Between Thorold and st. Cathar
ines we met the returning carriages
of our friends of the morning, anc
were told EEat the Maine had lef
st. Catharines, but that if we woulC
push rapidly on we might overtak'
it at lock No. 8, but it was doubtful
So on through St. Catharines a
fast as our Wearied horses coulC
carry US to lock No 3.
i st. Catharines Is a beautiful anC
lgr0wing city. The throngs in th'
streets announcedthat it was election
day for members of parliament, anC
the flags flying from the electioneer
ing carriages, reminded us, for th,
first time that we were under tn
sovereignty of Victoria, and not o
| the Stripes and Stars.
AS we approach lock No. 3, tn
following dialogue ensues:
"Has the Propeller Maine passet
lock No. 81"
Haven't seen it." the invariabl
response Of the passing laborers il
spired in us some hope, but the sam
question elicits from the bridge
master the reply, "Yes; been gor
half an hour. Drive fast anG yO
may overtake it at Port Dalhousie
| (Da Loozie).
!, A drive of four additional mile
reveals the smoke stack of The MaiI
in the last lock. We reach it jul
as the boat is leaving, are hearti
, greeted by Captain and passenger
and received on board. We did n
forget our plucky young driver. o.
/ friend from G. felt relieved, and Y
f trust ashamed of his unmanly faul
t findings; and we were highly pleas
+ at the favorable termination of o
Y inexpensive visit to Niagara, 70
+ dollars each covering the who
days outlay, inclusive Of a carria
e drive of twenty-five miles. Had
: known that our boat was to rema
!, two hours longer at this point, +
: purposes of Wooding the spice
t our last drive would have been lo
: The night and the following NOR
: ling on the smoothe waters of La
Ontario, brought US before Saturd'
n moon to the wharf at OsWego, VINE
e we will close this article leaving Il
d Thousand Islands, the Rapids, Mon
e treal and Quebec for another COL
= munication.
e A rev years ago q son OF Comm
r dore Vanderbilt obtained HoraC
q Greeley's endorsement to a note
il $4,000, and II. G., had to pay tt
note. The father of young Vande
b bilt refused Mr.. Greeley's reque