The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-11-19
The Redemption OF Niagara.


safely say the three grandest on the earth-
are all comprised within the United States.
They are the Yosemite Valley, the region
about the headwaters of the Yellowstone
River and Niagara Falls. The first two
are amply guarded by Legislation against
defacement and reserved for public resort
and recreation exclusively and inalienably.
Congress, in 1854. granted the Yosemite
Valley to the State of California subject to
those conditions, and the State accepted
the trust and administers it through official
Commissioners. Eight years afterward, In
1872, Congress withdrew district of
nearly four thousand square miles,
situated in Wyoming and Montana Terri
tories, from occupancy under the general
land laws, and dedicated it, as the Yellow
stone National Park, to the same public
purposes with the Yosemite, under regula-
tions to be framed and administered by the
Secretary of the Interior. But Niagara
discovered ages before white mans eyes
ever rested on the tremendous escarpment
of Ell Captain, and become shrine of de-
vout pilgrimage for innumerable travellers
before white mans foot ever pressed the
burning soil out of which spring the
Yellowstone geysers-has never been pro-
tected by law from the land jobber, the
shopkeeper, the manufacturer or the pur-
veyor Of ''side shows" Everybody knows in
general the present condition of the banks
of Niagara River, both above and below
4 Eo1I kha oh 70 ha
cataracts and almost all the spots even
from which view of them can be obtained
are monopolized by showmongers, mill
owners and tradesmen, intruding incon-
gruous spectacles upon the natural piano.
rama Sir Thomas Browne, in his quaint
phrases, illustrated long ago the shame of
Egypt by the reproach that mummy is
made merchandise and Pharaoh Is sold for
balsams. The shame of the State of New
York and the Dominion Of Canada in suffer-
ing Niagara to stay degraded into combi-
nation of mill race, circus tent and bazaar
is scarcely inferior. Congress is not re-
sponsible in any degree for this Dissertation
of wonder of the world. The federal
government never has had the control of the
place which it possessed Of the Yosemite
and the Yellowstone.
Two years ago Earl Dufferin, then Cover
nor General Of the Dominion, in casual
conversation with our Governor Robinson,
suggested the propriety of some joint action
by the State of New York and the Canadian
province of Ontario to remedy these abuses
and rescue niagara from Disagreement.
He scarcely could have entreated magis-
trate less disposed to favor the application
of public money to an aesthetic purpose.
But even Governor Robinson was moved by
this suggestion, and repeated it to the Legis-
lature of New York in his last annual mes
sage, declaring in more forcible and in
dignant language than we have en-
| ployed, that it is ga matter of univer-
sal complaint that the most favorable
| points of observation around the Falls are
appropriated for purposes of private profit,
while the shores swarm with sharpers,
hucksters and pedlers, who perpotually
harass all visitors" The Legislature
| thereupon referred the whole subject to the
animation, and the gentlemen who consti-
tute that Board, under the presidency Of
| Ex-Governor Seymour, are to meet at Utica
| tomorrow for the purpose of framing a re-
port. Their eminent reputation and i'm
partial character certainly will give great
weight to any recommendation they
may make; and. from our knowledge of
the investigations they have completed, we
feel warranted to believe that they must
advise the immediate adoption of de-
tailed plan, in concert with the govern
ment of the Province Of Ontario, for the
purchase of strips of land on each side of
the Niagara River, or for their. appropria-
ton under the governmental right of
eminent domain, to be held and managed
henceforth as a public park akin to those
of the Yellowstone and Yosemite, though
pigmy in dimensions by comparison.
The method they have pursued was to
instruct the director Of the survey, Mr.
James #. Gardner, early in this year to
thoroughly explore oil tho surroundings of
the Falls and ascertain the changes which
are in progress or are threatened, and the
probable future aspect of the place if it is
left in private hands and also to prepare,
in consultation with Mr. Frederick L.
Omsted, plans for State reservation
sufficient to protect the scenery of the New
York shores and secure ample opportuni-
ties for public access to points command
ing the best views of the cataracts and the
rapids TO this business these experts ap-
piled considerable part of the spring and
the summer, subject to the personal super
vision of members Of the Board, and some
of the results they have ascertained are
more alarming than anything of which the
public generally are aware. The encroach-
ments on the shores for purposes of manu-
featuring and trade that are in progress or