The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-06-05
A DAY AT NIAGARA.


Niagara Falls is one of the finest
structures in the known world. | have
been visiting this favorite watering
place recently, for the first time, and
was we'll pleased. A gentlemen who was
with me said it was customary to be
disappointed in the Falls, but that sub
sequent visits were sure to set that all
right. He said 1T was so with him. He
said that the first time he went the hack
fares were so much higher than the
Falls, that the Falls appeared insig-
nihcant. But that is all regulated now
The hackmen have been tamed num-
bered, and placarded, and blackguard-
ed, and brought into subsection to the
law, and dosed with moral principle till
they are as meek as missionaries. They
are divided into two clans, now the
Regulars and now the Privateers, and
they employ their idle time in warning
the public against each other. The
Regulars are under the hotel banners,
and do the legitimate at two dollars an
hour, and the Privateers prowl darby
on neutral ground and pick off strag-
more outrages and extortions. That
sort of thing cured itself. 1t made the
Falls unpopular by getting into the
newspapers and whenever public
evil achieves that sort of success for it.
self, its days are numbered. 1t became
apparent that either the Falls had 10 be
discontinued, or the hackmen had to
subside. They could not dam the Falls.
and so they did the hackmen. One
can be comfortable and happy there
now.
drank up most of the American Fall
before | learned that the waters were
not considered medicinal. Why are
people left in ignorance that way ? |
might have gone on and ruined a fine
property, merely for the want of little
trihing information. And vet the
sources of information at Niagara Falls
are not meager. You are sometimes in
doubt there about what you ought to
do, but you are seldom in doubt about
what you must not do. No, the signs
keep you posted If an infant can
read, that infant is measurably safe at
Niagara Falls. In your room at the
hotel you will find your course marked
out for you III the most convenient
way, by means of placards on the wall
like these:
" Pull the bell-rope gently, but don't
jerk.
Bolt your door,"
Don't scrape matches on the wall. "
Turn off your gas when you re-
tire.
/" Tie up your dog"
eff You place your boots outside the
door they will be BACKED, but the
house will not be responsible for their
return" (This is confusing and
tanglesome proposition, because it
moves you to deliberate long and pain
fully as to whether it will really be any
object to you to have your boots BACKED
unless they are returned
"Give your key to the omnibus
driver, if you forget and carry it oil
with YOU"
Outside the hotel, whenever you
wander, you are intelligenty assisted by
the signs. You cannot come to grief SC
long as you are in your right mind. But
the difficulty is to stay in our right
mind with so much instruction to KEEP
track of. For instance
keep off the grass.
"Don climb the trees.
Z" Hands off the vegetables.
EDO not hitch your horses to tn,
shrubbery."
"Visit the Cave of the Winds.
"Have your portrait taken in YOU
carriage"
Forty per cent. in gold levied on al
peanuts or other Indian curiosities pur
chased in Canada"
Photographs of the Falls taker
here"
"Visitors will please notify the
superintendent of any neglect on the
part of employees to charge for commod
tiles or services" No inattention OF
this kind observed)
"Dont throw stones down they
may hit people below"
" The proprietors will not be respon
sible for parties who Jump over the
Falls. More Sinking of response.
bility-it appears to be the prevailing
thing here.)
/ always had high regard for the
signers of the Declaration of indie.
pendence, but now they do not really
seem to amount to much alongside the
slgners OF niagara Falls. To tell the
plain truth, the multitude of signs an.
noyed me. 1t was because noticed n,
last that they always happened to pro,
hibit exactly the very thing | was inst
wanting to do. / wished TO climb 4