The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-10-23
The Impos,tions at Niagara.

Very few persons, we imagine, who
wish to view Niagara Falls, one OF the
grandest of the many grand natural
wonders of the United States, will be
deferred from doing 80 by the impos1-
tions and extortions practlced there by
landowners, hotel keepers, bridge
stockholders, livery men, etc. Every
wear some new scheme is devised,
whereby travellers and sight-seers at
Niagara may be feeced of their money.
A correspondent of New York daily
describes the latest scheme of extortion
as follows:
Every year, cozening becomes not
more customary-forth there has not been
time in this country when the custom
was not established-bu more unblush-
ingly audacious. The last eucroach-
ment upon the public, of which you
have probably heard, is the formation
of what is called Prospect Park, on the
American side. This is simply inclos-
ing all the ground along the river from
which any one can obtain view OF the
Falls, and charging fifty cents admis-
zion to the inclosure. One would sup
pose that the fees you are compelled to
pay for going to Goat Island, and for
crossing both suspension bridges, for
going under the cataract and for any
sort of satisfactory glimpse of it might
have satisfied the pecuniary nav of i'm
position in this vicinity. One who
thinks so knows not Niagara. The NAV
of imposition is SO utterly Unsuitable
that there is ground for believing that
| a plan is now on foot to have the Falls
entirely inclosed, with holes at the
sides, Tor the optical use of which 81 6
second will be charged. I have some
doubt in respect to the roof, although
it is intimated there is to be roof, lest
persons by going up in balloon and
looking down should avoid the tax.
How far onward, wonder, do the
titles of property holders and lessee'
hereabout extend Their titles, Il
might be inferred, like their nature ano
their destiny, could not be above the
earth. The rumor that all the real
windows of the hotels are to be boarded
up to prevent patrons from looking IL
the direction OF the Falls has not ye
been substantiated, nor has the stor.
that all travellers on arrival will be com
PEELED to pay 80 cents OF wear cotton
In their ears to prevent their hearing
the roar. The Clifton House, on thu
Canada side, specially advertises itsel
as the only hotel from which the catarac
may be seen without extra charge, ant
this is fact. The hackmen, just now
are not half so rapacious as they will b.
in few weeks. They will take you t.
Goat Island or over the Suspension
Bridge, and still leave 81 or So In you
, portemonnaie. They are probably una
, ware of this, however for it Is tn
habit of their life and calling to &c
q, every penny you have, and abuse yo
because you have no more. 1t is pit
that tourists and pleasure-seekers ca
not be protected IN some way fror
these rogues. They and their fellow
G swindlers destroy most of the satisfac
ton received here. They are create
curiosities of Nature than the catarat
itself, but in different way. They al
as much below average Nature as til
cataract is above it. I am surprise
|, that the leading hotels do not, in col
sonance with the general spirit of e.
'. tortion, put up their rates to $40, 81
i or even $40 day. But they do no
. They are considerate-of themselves
; ast-demanding only s.; while tt
"a second-class houses are content wit
v AZ or a.