The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-02-17
Winter at Niagara.

Dazzled by the glowing descriptions of the
great bridge at Niagara which have for the
last two weeks been appearing in the Rochester
Democrat and other papers at last decided
shat Niagara was of all others the place most
desirable to visit; SO being in Buffalo yesterday
with some hours to spare, L persuaded my
friend the captain, an old Buffalonan, to ac-
company and protect me, and together we start
ed. Now the captain being as it were, to the
manor born, was not at all inclined to enthase
over Niagara, and wished to direct my atten-
ton to the large orchards Of young peach trees
with which the road on either side was lined,
but he couldn't do it,; peach trees as peach
trees and peach trees in the latter part of the
summer are all well enough, but peach trees
when one is approaching Niagara in all the glo-
ry of its full winter panoply-the idea was alb
surd. At length our journey was accomplished
and with many grants on the part of the cap
tain, who hated to leave his warm seat by the
stove, and with much impatience on mine, we
left the car and Immediately received one of
the most touching ovations; and one of the
warmest welcomes ut the hands, or rather the
voices, or rather 1 guess it was both the
hands and voices of the NIAGARA HACK
MEN (put it in caps) that ever fell to
the lot of mortal. Now this shows
the deluded state of some peoples mines;
had always supposed that the hackmen of
noted summer resorts Jay torpid during the
winter like other beasts of prey; but expert
ence comes with travel. Never again will such
an absurd idea as that gain credence with me.
But the hackmen. There were butabout dozen
of them instead of the two hundred and fifty
which generally greet the traveller at this
shrine of the nation, but for dear exuberance OF
spirits L think they were equal TO thousand; =;
WHY the mere idea of two innocants falling in
to their clutches in the winter time was of itself
perfectly exhilarating to them. They danced
around us, and sang, and howleI, and clutch ed
at US, and offered to carry our baggase-which
we hadn't any-to any part of the world, and
acted in such perfectly wild and cantanker-
ous manner, that in order to rid ourselves OF
them we were compelled to do what e. w.
never, neuer would have done; we had to tell
lie: and alas not one but many. We said that
we didn't come to see the falls, that we didn't
care fig for all the falls they had to show,
that we were only going to that hotel across the
street to which we had rather walk than ride,
even should they pay us for riding-thls last
was an awful-lie, etc., etc. At last we found
refuge within the doors of the hotel, the pro.
prietor of which gave us a cordial welcome and
said that we did perfectly right to get rid
of ''them low fellers and their old
rickety hacks, and that he would instantly Or
der a nice covered carriage, into which, if we
kept the curtains drawn, no cold air could PEN
citrate, and in which we might be driven
around the falls with some degree of comfort,
even if it was the coolest day of the season" "
| Having explained to him that we had burn
ingsdesre to see the falls, and refused his offer
| of an open sleigh, aud having also discovered
| that our prosecutors, the hackmen, had re-
treated to their ars there to lie in wait for the
next unfortunate who might chance that way,
| we sailed forth, and after paying twenty cents
| each were admitted into Prospect Park, where
we stood for about five minutes in the deep
| snow, trying in vain to shield our faces from
| the binding clouds of mist, which, being
heated to temperature of good many de-
| grees below zero pricked like so many needles.
| The mist surrounding us in such clouds that we
were unable to obtain the faintest glimpse of
| water, falling or otherwise, save in its con-
| gealed state, we concluded that we were ON the
| wrong side of the river for anything excepting
an ice bath, and so emerged from the park,
| where our only prospect had been one of freez-
| ing to death, clothed in garments of giistening
| white, which were perhaps trife too cool for
| the season, and looking like-what? couple
| of Santa Clauses or couple of Santas Claus?
| No matter. only hope for his own sake that
| he was never so thoroughly chilled as were the
white-clad figures whom the captain loosely
called "the exies of Prospect Park" Wend-
| ing our way bridge-wards we soon presented
ourselves before the astonished gaze of the gor-
| geous official who collects the twenty five cents
| each way of those who wish to cross his
| bridge and in foreign lands to roam. Now,
( Mr.. Editor, wish you would allow me to dl-
| gress in order to ask you question why is
| it, that wherever we go we meet so many per-
| sons in the walks of private life clad in blue
cloth, gold lace and gilt buttons? Is it that
| having no standing army of any size our nat
ural love of display exhibits itself in this man
| ner OF are all corporations compelled by law to
| clothe their servants i'll uniform? Why the
/ other day saw man going round with a lad
| der and tin can, ostensibly for the purpose of
| fixing the street lamps, who, instead of being
| clad in modest apparel, had on a navy CAP
trimmed with two broad bands of gold braid.
| and brass buttons enough on his coat to have
| furnished line officer; on the front of his cap
were the golden letters @. G. c., which. as he
| looked and acted like o lunat;c took to mean
| conceded gone case" Be all this as it may,
| very few of them can outshne our toll taker
| of the Niagara bridge, whose countenance and
| general bearing fiercely correspond with his
| dress. By paying his demands promptly we
passed him without serious bodily injury,