Morning journal and courier., 1880-04-03
NIAGARA FALLS.

A memorial addressed to the Governor General of Canada and to the Governor of New York has a notable list of signatures. Among them are those of Ruskin, Carlyle, Longfellow, Emerson, Lowell, Psrkman, Sir John Lubbock, Lord Houghton, Max Muller, Alexander Agassiz, Horatio Seymour, Thur low Weed, Cardinal McCloskey, Charles Frau- cis Adams and many others of the chief men of America and England. The object of this memorial is to secure the help of those to whom it is addressed in carrying out the plan formed to repair as far as possible the rava- ges which enterprise" has succeeded in mak- ing in the beauty and grandeur of the sur roundings of Niagara Falls. How serious these are is well known to recent visitors at the falls On Bath Island there is paper mill, and in place of graceful trees and shrubbery the ground is covered with un- slightly sheds and buildings and the rapids above ara disfgursd with wing dams and ice- barriers. This paper mill and it's aocompani- msnts are, however, but small pA.t of tho abominations which mar tho beauty of the American rapids. Their eastern bank was once rich in verdure and overhung with stately trees. In place of the pebbly shore, the graceful ferns and trailing vines of former days. ono BOW sees a blank stone wall, with sewer like open ings, through which tailraces discharge; some timber crib work, bearing in capitals foot high the inscription, ''--Hsir Balsam;" then, further up the stream, more walls and wing dams. Overlooking this disfgured river brink stands an unsightly rank of build ings in all stages of preservation and decay small 'shotels," mills, carpenters shops, sta- bles, "bazaars," ice-housss, laundriss, with clothes hanging out to dry; bath-houses, large, glaring, white hotels, and an indsscrib- able assortment of miscellaneous rooksries, fences and patent medicine signs, which add an element of ruin and confusion to the im- pression of solid ugliness given by the better class of buildings. Thanks to the good feel ing of the Porter family, who own Goat Isl and, that spot has still been preserved in it's natural beauty, but this cannot be for long. It is about to pass from their possession, and the pror S3als already made to utilize this last remaining spot of native beauty show what is in store for it if some action is not taken to prevent the deseoratioa. One pro-
  hippodromo another, to make it into a mill tary camping ground; 8 third, to turn it into riGa range; while yet another, and, prob ably, the scheme that would be adopted, is to cover the island with factories.
 The Commissioners Of the State Survey of New York have been conaidsring what can be done to restore tho place, and they recom- mend the removal of the unsightly structures on Bath Ialand and the banks Of tho rapids, and the planting of trees They say ''On the main shore, by the removal of seven good buildings and ten -'c2 little value, the river front of Niagara village may be cleared from Port Day to upper suspension bridge, giving belt of public land mile long, and widening from 100 feet at the head of the rapids to 800 feet broad at the falls, where most room is needed for visitors. By planting this strip of land with trees, the whole village may be shut out from view-'planted out-and the un slightly walls, the sewer mouths and wing dams replaced by natural banks like thess of Goat Island" And similar measures for other parts of the river bank are proposed.
 A plan for zecessary changes on the Cana dian side Is also formed, and the Dominion government is already beginning to move in the matter. The cost of restoration will not be very great, but if 1t took millions the money would not be Ill spent. Ths govern ments of New York and Canada will earn last ing gratitude by removing that which disfg | ures and offends from the surroundings of one of the most wonderful works in all na-