New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-21
viccroy and the Chief Secretary are in this re-
spect decidedly encouraging.
Utilizing NIAG1R1.

merely ornamental part. Ever and anon, if
not oftener, the utilitarian has asked himself
rs. corrugated of brow and thoughtful of eye,
he has gazed upon the mighty volume of water
aimlessly, not to say frivolousy pouring itself
away. if there was no plan by which so much
power might be turned to some practical
account In the old ballad tailor devoted to
naught beside tailoring gazes upon the Falls
with rapture-filled eyes, and at length
The tailor makes a single note.
"Zounds, what place to sponge coat"
During the last month Rochester gentleman
has given utterance to this tailor's ejaculation
with difference. To him also the primrose
by the river brim is simply an unprOductlve
yellow primrose. He, too, yearns to give
Niagara a business turn. Some account of his
dazzling scheme-than which nothing can be
better calculated to make Jules Verne's mouth
water and Colonel Sellers's heart thrill with the
emotions inspired by the contemplation of
something with millions in it-has already APP
pearcd i'll The TRIBUNE. This eminent
Rochester utiltarian believes that Niagara can
be transformed into a colossal and neyer-fail-
ing generator OF carbohydrates east and
west supplied on reasonable terms-and he
yearns to have the transformation scene take
place under his management. lie estl-
mates the hydraulic force of Niagara at
2,0000 900 horse power, and all he asks OF
gcnerOus-hcarted public that believes in en-
couragng home industry is TO encourage him
to the merely nominal extent Of the merely
nominal sum required to pay for ten thousand
miles of properly isolated" cables, and to
defray half dozen other related expenses.
The particulars of this boon, for which the
ages have so long waited and without the
sight of which so many disappointed kings
and prophets died, have been laid before Mr..
Edison. This gentleman, who is popularity
understood 10 have given some casual mo-
mcnts to the study of the nature and habits
of electricity, does not damn the scheme
of the Rochester unitarian with FAINT
praise. He does several horse-powers
worse than that He damDs it with deadly
though decOrous condemnation. He does not
assert in so many words but it is a far in
ference from the general tenor of his criti-
cism, thai he regards the Rochester gentleman
as Mr.. Kccly, of Kcely motor fame, i'll dis
guse OF course Mr. Edison may be madly
Jealous of the Rochester gentleman, regarding
any person that purposes to have dealings
with electricity as infringing upon his pre-
serves. However this may be, the Rochester
utitarian serDly declines 10 be concluded by
Mr. EdisOn's opinion, and at this moment he
is reported as going mp and down the country
seeking capitalists whom he may devour in
the interest of his scheme. He has opened the
necessary subscription books, and although we
have had no communication with him we feel
authorized to state that these books will re-
mi
the required fifteen or twenty million dollars
shall be sooner raised. In the meantime the
Falls continue TO witch the world with their IN
comparable charms, and rs the mighty waters
rush on, unvcxed by electric cables or any
such things, their language may fairly be pre-
sumed to be:
II eyes made for seeing
That beauty is its excuse for being.
We have said that various attempts have
been made to utilize the Falls of Niagara, and
have specified two--thc tailor's and the Roches-
ter electricians. Others will readily occur to
our readers. There was Mr. Blondin, in whose
eyes the Falls were simply good to walk over
on a wire for the dedication of fools
who paid him we'll for his folly There was Sam
Patch. who saw in the Falls nothing except
capital place to dive into. Then there are the
hackmen, who, i'll conjunction with the hotel
keepers and the Indians from Ireland who sell
that dreadful bcadwOrk which so dcprcsscS the
summer traveller--but this phase of our sub
iect goes too deep for words On the whole,
however, we are inclined TO think that the
most notable of all the utilizcrs OF Niagara
Falls was a genius that ilOurshcd quarter
of century ago. The older readers of
TIE TRIBUNE will surely remember him.
He burst upon the continent one day
with proposition to erect a perfectly
tremendous wheel under the Falls-we
believe it was to be something like mile and
three-quaTters in crcumfercnce-and this wheel
being connected with a complicated system of
betting and shaftng and wheels and pulleys,
was to supply all the manufacturers of the
State with power. For some reason the
noble scheme, which promised so much, never
got further than the illustrated circular in
which its merits were coquenty set forth and
county rights were offered for sale 1t was
said that there was trouble in getting wheel
of the necessary size cast but for this report
we are not prepared to vOuch.
We trust the Rochester utilitarian will not
be discouraged at the fate which has attended
previous efforts in his line. We are aware
that enough cold water has already been thrown
upon his scheme to feed what might pass for
falls in some of the efiete countries of the Old
World but if he possesses the pluck of the
average American, opposition will only serve
to strengthen his purpose. If he can coax
Niagara Falls to generate electricity in such
quantities that the luxury can be brought
within the reach of the humblest purse, he will
he hailed as a great public bcnefactor, and
that, too, of an entirely novel pattern.
THE GREAT RELIGIOUS CONVENTIONS.