The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-11-16
SNATCHED FROM NIAGARA.

eyes, stranger it is mighty fine
fall. | guess that Niagara beats crea-
ton for bigness. Your curiosity-hunt-
ers can't find a dip of water better
worth cycling over in all your jaunts
anywhere. Well, you see its just an
ocean, as it were, rolling over that
limestone ledge. Foam, spray and
thunder-one dull, eternal, awful roar,
spanned by shiftless rainbows- that 5 it.
81 hate it, but calculate the sights
grand to you. You think that natures
got it up fine for you to stroll down to,
after breakfast at Forsyth's.
Its like an entertainment provided
for those who house at our hotels,
something to draw customers and pot
up jolly return for the capital in
vested. That's it, isn't it? 1t gives
you a pleasure to talk about and pay
for, and brings dollars to those who let
you lodgings. Come, it is up to your
notions, is it not, Stranger"
The dollar-giving uses of this sublime
cataract had not, | must own, occurred
to me. | looked with some natural
wonder at the speaker, who took this
view of perhaps the most marvellous
scene that this world of ours has to
show Indeed, with its deep, dread
roar throbbing through my very brain
and blood, heard the suggestion with
no little disgust, The spray clouds
ever steaming up from the abyss which
received the plunging sea, the over
flow of the vast American lakes, failed
altogether in my mind TO associate
themselves with cash calculations. The
twenty miles of river rolling the drain
age of the continent to its giant leap,
did not bring with their mighty mass
of doomed waters ideas of profit that
better suited New York counting
house than the shuddering surface of
Table Rock.
My manner, as | replied, dare say
somewhat smacked of surprise and
candor, but my American friend took
it with that self-possessed GOODNESS
which showed him to be quite careless
of my estimate of his want of what our
fine old sculptor Nollskens used to call
entusymusy."
Cant you see something beyond
dollars and cents in this wonder of
wonders?n | said. 81 know familiarity
breeds contempt toward most things,
but | rather expected to find Niagara
beyond this customary result"
"Well, to say the plain truth, Brit
isher,I don't 90 in for outlandish howl
ings about this roarer; but when you
talk of my having any sort of contempt
for it, tell you my fancies about old
thunder are something particularly diff
ferent to that. Shall tell you why?
Are you in listening fit? Yes? Then
for once I'll tell you story l have in
my memory, and no living man, native
or foreign, has anything to pair of
with it as respects the tumble below
u.s." So with the dead music in my
ears of this mighty mass of flashing
down waters, listened to a tale thai
has ever since formed part of my recol
lections of Niagara.
"Why do | get savage at travellers
spoony raptures about this awfulles
work that the power of God Almighty
has turned outP This is why: They
are so much Brummagen tinsel-no
got up well. You come here not jus
to feel as this would naturally make
any creature feel, but to froth and fus
about what you do feel and what yol
don't. That rifles me. like to snee
down such bosh. This thing was no
made to be talked at. 1t wasn't mean
to be raved over. It's too darned real
too horribly grand, for that. You're
quiet one-not one of the mouthin!
sort, see; my dander isn't riz by you
You're genuine, you are. l saw that
that's why meant to give you a rea
scare with this tale of mine. If you
wool doesn't straighten before Nv
done, you're a cooler card than l Civ
you credit for being.
"rm toughish yet, you see. Odds
rather; for sixty odd years I've live
hereabouts, for here | was born.
know this place pretty well, guess
every foot Of every rock, of every trac
for long miles away, up to Erie an
down TO Ontario. Field and fore
know my shoe leather all through the'
parts.
"When | was thirty, or thereabout
HUNTED up the river some four mil,
or so away. You've tracked it dow
may be to here. You'd hardly thin