St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-09-29
Niagara I'm Danger.

Goat island, as everybody who has
visited it knows, is an essential feature
of Niagara falls. Aside from its loca-
ton, dividing the American from the
Horseshoe fall, the magnificent growth
of forest trees gives il an inestimable
value as the only bit of unadorned,
mutilated nature in the vicinity of one
of natures grandest works. Goat ISL
and is owned by the Porter family, who
have had many and strong temptations
to sell it, which they have hitherto re
sisted but a sale will soon be made
imperative by the coming of age of the
youngest heir to the estate of which
the island is a part. The matchless
water power fits it for manufacturing
purposes, and the probability is that
some manufacturing corporation will
be the highest bidder unless the state
or nation steps in to rescue the spot
from such dcsecratiOn and the great
cataract itself from what is equivalent
to ruin. A representative of the duke
of Manchester is now at Niagara falls,
negotiating for the purchase of land on
the Canadian side for an immensA pleas
ure park. Not long ago an internation-
al park, to he owned jointly by Canada
and the United States, was talked
about, but the project fell through for
want of the necessary interest on the
part of the latter government. Unless
private enterprise comes to the rescue,
the natural beauties of the spot will be
ruined. Goat island is soon to be sold
for manufacturing purposes, and the
shores of the river will be lined with
factories and mills. The intended pur-
chase of the land on the Canadian side
for a park will save portion of this
picturesque region from the hands of
the grasping vandals, and it would be
well if some American of enterprise
and wealth would purchase the land
along the American shore with the
same purposes i'll view. Private inter
est in the extOrtions would impose no
greater eXtOrtions than are already
practiced, and the natural beauties of
the falls would he preserved.
Why the New York Legislature did
not take the proper measures to acquire
the property on the American side of
the river, when "A proposition to that
effect was before it quite recently, has
never been satisfactorily explained ;
but the Empire state is not very poor
in purse and in honor it must and will
move in the matter very speedily. The
Canadian government has offered to do
whatever requires to he done on that
side, and there can be no serious diff
Guilty i'll etfecting Il mutual arrange
ment by which the grandest object OF
| its kind in the world shall have, and
forever retain, appropriate surround
| ings, and be saved from either the greed
or neglect of man. If New York can
not or will not do her share of what
ought be done, then the United States
| should come forward in behalf of the
| American people for the salvation and
protection of IL unique natural curiosl-
| ty of which every American is justly
proud. Indeed, it would be far better
! for many reasons if the American pro
prietorship of the falls were held 10y
the Federal government. Nature in
| tended Niagara to he national, not To-
cal or sectional ; and the authorities O
the nation should give this intention
practical force and expression. New
York would cheerfully yield her rights
in the premises, Canada's cooperation
is already assured, and with the joint
ownership thus vested Niagara's futur,
will be worthier than its past has beeI
since the first bath house and hack.
driver invaded that sacred domain
We are convinced that no expenditure
of public money would he more popu
lar with all classes than the one indi
Gated as no misfortune of simila
character would he more deeply anC
generally lamented than the one whicl
the sale of Goat island to private par
ties must necessarily involve Mis-
souri, Republican.