New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-06

| ing on a rocky ledge behind the American Fall,
BY stretching out your hand you can almost toncb
the inner volume OF water, and one misstep wonId
plunge you into the horrible abyss yawnInQ beo.,
a hell Of waters Women, the gallant Conroy savs'
are bravest in this situation and have dared 70
venture fnrGher along the abrup: ledge than even
he deemed safe.
From the sublime to the ridiculous is in this cas.
literally only few steps, for you emerge again Into
the outer atmosphere, your garments clingng like
cerements your eyes weeping involuntary torrent
the roar Of thousand waterfalls in your ears
and prepared TO beat hasty retreat to yonr
dressing room, the eDterprisng PHOTOGRAPHER sfeos
forward and suayely offers to hand your moist MA
eousness down to fame. This mania OF Americans To-
being photographed in all possible situations had an
original illustration IN tall HoOser with an
elderly keen;eyed dame on his arm, whom | en-
countered in Prospect Park on Sunday.
wouldn't you like to q picture of me and
mother by the tomb OF Garfield r said he politsIu
handing me siereoscoplc view, and there, drecty
before the iron barred door of the stone sennlchr
with glimpse of the flower wreathed collin an1
the familiar face of Garfield in the background
stood dusky sentinel, on his right the smiling
lloosier, and on his left mother" IN her best barP
silk. A few moments later / behed me and
mother" seated hand in hand IN picturesque atti
tudes on the brink of Niagara. They we're again
beng taken y; this time the cataract was ropsl.
in " as a background. The privilege tof taking
these photographs in the park is rented QUO WITH
the pavilion by the season for > 200 and there ia
nothing 10 this day that 8 so profitable at Niagara
as the sale of "vews" and feather fans.
The latter, indeed, has become a local industry
which gives employment TO hundreds of women Ia
the winter season, who not only supply the Niagara
Falls bazaars with fans, but also many New-Yvrk
dealers 1t is claimed that all the feather fans In
the market are made at the Falls Not so however
the spar goods seen in such quantities. These are
manufactured IN England, OF Derbyshire spar ex-
pressly for Niagara, though who buys them is A
mystery. The blrch-baTk canoes and bead goods are
made by the Indians at the Tuscarora Reservation.
for though bright Slfarata" from her station m
the road longer pleads with her dark eyes for the
purchase Of gaudy pn-cushons and lows and
no lel
profuson in the showcases OF the lnnumerable
bazaars Some of the feather fans this are in
and stylish designs, though tie rest of the
familiar assortment of Niagara Falls curiositiesD
is the same that it was fifty years ago The yaga-
res Of fashion do not affect Tugby, whose befTiz-
Zled polka-dOtted shOp-glrs sit IN the doorway and
work upon their strips OF "rIc-rac,v and when the
metropolitan visitor enters. smiling rise To assure
her that elongated agate earrings and mOther-Of-
pearl caricases, not to mention strings Of shiny
black beads, are all made from the rock, "and
the " newest thing out" and with that audacty
characteristic OF Niagara, snub her II she looks in
credulOus.
The manner in which visitors are Influenced TO
patronize certain stores restaurants and hotels. to
the exclusion OF Others forms an interesting chap
ter in that notorious volume devoted 70 the In
iauties of Niagara Falls hackmen. But it Is less
the tours than the native that the hack-iend
pIeys upon. Carriage hIre Is as reasonable, If not
averaging dollar an hour for a party of four and
with the bargain made beforehand there Is little
chance for imposition. Nevertheless, though the
outside Is fair, the hackmens monopoly this season
IS one of the most outrageous ever perpetrated in
free village. One large owner Of livery, typical
specimen has leased Whirlpool Rapids as well as
several other points of interest about the Falls He
rents or controls several bazaars aid has under
standing with most OF the hotels, the Park Islands.
and two suspension bridges On all CATCHES
taken or goods sold to visitors arriving 10 any Of
these places one of his hacks, his commission IS
from % to 80 per cent. The smaller fly among he
hackmen, selfcOnstltuted guides, are not slow in
claiming " the usual commission" on every dollar
spent by the stranger The ileeced trade people
and landlords grumble and submit. In the Centen-
NAL year. the income from the Whirlpool was
800 900 and of this the backmeD received one
half No more dlstasteful theme can be broaehed
in the presence of the victims who one and all say
that it is impossible 10 put stop to these abuses
The hotel-men who are the chief magnates. must
keep on friendly terms with the hackmen, for their
Influence is bOnndess, and so long as the points OF
interest about Niagara are private property so long
will hackmen fatten on nnhOy spOils The error
was made nearly one hundred years AFRO, when the
State parted with this territory. 80 much has been
said by newspaper correspondents about the exoi-
ti0ns practsed on the unwary stranger az agara
that the residents are Justly sensitive and retort
that greenhUrns will be imposed upon anywhere.
They claim, with truth, that che hotel rates az
Niagara are reasonable, being less than at most
fashionable places; that though the American Rails
are fenced in" and visitors subjected 10 small
admission fee their safety and amusemeG are pro-
vided for as never before. They point with
pride" TO the solid masonry OF the Prospect Park
waterfront, as compared with the shelving edges
OF the Canadian shore with Its sudden, PERCEPTIONS
descents and treacherous sand-banks.
Signs OF renewed prosperity are on all SIDES ap-
parent. On Bufalo-st., where the more wealthy
residents live, the tall red chimneys OF Queen
| Anne's quaint architecture are rising above the
nearly completed villas of Lauren W. Pettibone
| and 4. H. GIuck The new bank on the corner OF
Main and Fals-sts., diagOnay opposite the lnter-
national, will be opened in the autumn, sherman
S. Jewett of Buffalo being heavy stakeholder.
In these days of excursion rates, trip TO Niagara
is no longer the exclusive privilege of the Itch.
Indeed " transient" seems to be the wachwOrd OF
the hour ior at other resort do many strangers
come who stay so brief time.