Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-07-05
An oTruM VANS TRIP

CeMeteTy--DeecHeS - WHuutfp"te
Independence HAL and the Cen
tennial shoe.
Leaving Ottumwa east, via B. Il M.
r.. r. The first thing that attracted
our notice was three buffaloes quiet
~ herding with n drove of cattle near
Agency, which seemed to indicate we
were going west instead of the east.
With our tail board toward the "Star
of Empire" however, we could not be
mistaken and rested at ease.
We notice a handsomely dressed
lady on the train with two fine look
ing children. She kept telling them
if they went to sleep she would leave
them when she got or the train. Hav-
ing unbounded faith and confidence in
the veracity of all women, mothers
especialIy,we concluded as our house.
hold was not noted for its cheerful
echoes of infantile voices and must
cal clatter of little feet, we'd watch
that mothers exit and if either of the
cherubs dropped asleep we would see
it got a wing to shelter it, Strange
to say they were both mapping sound
~, yet when that lady's station was
called out she dseoke and took them
both and we lost our opportunity to
be father to an orphan, moreover,
we doubted if it was hygienic to thus
threaten to do thing and fail to car
ry II out.
After good nights rest in Pull
man sleeper VIC reach Chicago. the
Phoenix city. Having an hour to
spend we view some Of its most elo-
CANT streets and buildings looking
upon them in perfect amazemcnt as
we remember tAe ashes, bare brick
and stone walls we saw there only q
few years since.
From Chicago we taEe tho Michi-
gan Central Railway for Detroit, fly
ing along at the rate of forty miles
per hour through a very beautiful
country thiokly dotted oyer with cit
les, towns and villages that gave CYL
dence of thriving condition..
A young couple entered the cars at
Chicago who appeared very anxious
to have seat together In our car
The crowded condition prevented
this, so. after much hcsitancy, the
maiden sat down by us and the sullen
Alphonso in a scat directly behind.
being bound by matrimonial letters
we, Of course. could only be mqto.
However, we soon had the salisfac-
ton of loaning them our lead pencil
and for two hundred mlloz loving
cpistlcs flew off that lead pencil like
| similar sparks off an electric battery.
They then found o seat, she laid her
head on his snowy shirt front and
looked too happy for uttcranse.
Arriving at Detroit we change 10
the Great Western Railway which
crosses the Detroit river into Canada
on ferry. The boat is so large it
takes aboard twenty-five freight cars
at time and FORCES Its way through
the ice all winter long. y -
We went through Canada in the
evening and during tho night, but it
being moonlight we got some very
very definite ideas of the country. Ii
is quite heavily timbered and rolling
without being rough. The towns and
villages through which we passed
looked like those Of the same size in
the rougher portions Of the east. -
, In the morning we reached Niaga-
, re- Falls at o'clock and long before
we could see them we could hear
their roaring.
When we reached the suspension
bridge we witnessed the grandesi
scene of pyr life. just below were
the foamipg, polling, dashing rapids
as they enter the narrpWs. JHs'
above the green waters that have but
/, q few memepts before taken their
[ fearful plunge over Niagara cataract
;, They looking disturbed, agitated, the
white foam occasionally floating OF
I top. No waves or roughness appear
upon the surface the agitation being
underneath, and the appearance anC
impression, very much to us like tha
of a whipped but encouraged hero
who after losing the battle fingers
and looks and yoEs IT can't be die
again.
In the distance-two miles off-wt
see the great falls and some exclaim
"That amt so wonderful" sWhat an
ado about nothing" while others say
chow grand how stupendous," sun
surpassed ETC., etc.
But we reserve our fire for nearer
inspection and for four cents board
the train and 60 up. This is preferable
, to paying hack 50 to SO and much
quicker.
We reach the falls and first go
above which Is Q sight aBpallipg in
grandeur in itself. The river falls &C
feet to the mile before coming to the
final leap. These falls rapids roll,
rush and splash over rocks and against
small islands throwing up the spray
for many feet sometimes into the air.
For distance the bed will be smooth
perhaps and the water rush with
lightning like rapidity, then it will go
over a ten to fifteen foot fall striking
rocks and bounding 'hie in air. Civ
ing a very grand and imposing pict-
ure. The river is three fourths of a
mile wide and is as irregular in its
bottom as warts on q toad. Some
Times The water will dash directly
across the channel and meeting that
coming down will cause the spray to
fly in every direction and produce a
roar almost deafening.
We now go down to the falls on
the American side. There is an is.
land in the centre of the river here
called Goat Island that makcs two
falls, the American and Canadian
The American falls arc 900 feet wide
and 164 fees high and when we get
there words fail to convey our feel
ings. To think of such a mighty riv.
er making such Q fearful plunge is
beyond our conception until after we
have witnessed it. 1t was the su-
preme felicitous hour Of our evcntful
life. The falling cataract, the deafen-
ing roar, the clouds of rain or spray
for O. full half mile below the falls,
the dazzling beauty Of the rainbows,
the foaming, white capped pillows
just below the falls, all produce a
picture sublime In Its grandeur and
majesty that is indiscribable. Here
the rocky banks of the river below
the falls are $50 feet high which we
descend by means of a slanting stair
way.
Here the spray or rain is so heavy
we 60 down in q covered shed TO pre-
vent being drenched with water, and
land in little house or Office. We
now can take skiff if we wish and
cross the river below the falls. We
didn't wish. We may also, for so
cents, go with the guide under the
falls if we wish, We wished. So
disrobing ourselt, we don heavy suits
of wooden underwear and heavy
rubber pants, overcoat, boots and cap
and start underneath the immense
precipice.
The shower is almost binding as
we approach, and it being very windy
we turn several times with our
back to the storm to get our
breath. When we come up to the
side of the fall, the roaring and
laundering and dashing of tho waters
cause us to ask our guide If there was
any prospect Of our seven years bride
becoming wearer of weeds if we
went under there. The wind would
blow the waters composing tho edge
of those forming the fall, in sheets
upon the walk, entering where we
headed for, so we would have to
dodge from point to point to prevent
a perfect deluge coming upon Ms. As
we viewed this we suggested again