The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-03-24
4 PLEA TDR NIAGARA
Rev. Robert Cailyer uepiOres the Degrade
tion a. N.tur-'- Nohicst work.

tion 90 Natures Nohiest Work.
The subject Of tae discourse of tie Rev.
Robert Collyer last Sunday evening al the
Chuica OF the Messiah. New York, was
"The Glory and Shame Of Niagara
Named after the Indian tribe that once
peopled the aboriginal forests that in those
days enyironei Niagara falls, IL was pity,
he began, that the surroundings Of this
supremacy noble work of natures haudi-
crah had not been permitted to retain all
! its primal features. Those early Indians
liked the place. IL was their temple If
worship. When their chief was told that
they must 20 west, he asked the commits
sioner who impaired tine sad information to
hIn to sit on "A log by his side and they
would talk the matter over. The chief
asked the commissioner to move further
along ON the log, which the latter did.
Move further" the chief kept saying, III
the commissioner told him he had got to
the end oi the log and could move no fur
ther, And 80 It will be with Us. replied
the chief "You will keep asking us
TO move TIL we cat go no further" A few
years ago, Red Jacket the chief OF the sill
remaining tribe, came TO Niagara and had
how the place was being fitted up fora show.
| lie looked, as the story runs, "A long time at
the changes that were being made, uttered
a Dig oath, turned his back on the scene
and could not be induced to look toward
the falls again.
! lie had IN his possession, Mr.. Colyer
continued, book written by an English
man, describing his visit to the falls eight
| years ago. Such was the worldwide fame
of the wonderful cataract that no foreign
| tourist, even then, considered that he had
seen one-haif the wonders OF this wonder
| full country without a visit TO the falls The
| trip up the Hudson took four days, and the
writer Of tue book had among his fellow
tourists m aristoCratiC iederalist--tor there
were aristOcrats in those days-aud clcr-
| gymap, who was very drunk but of what
denomination he would not say for fenr OF
| giving Otlense. 1t took from the "a OF July
I'll the I'D OF August to reach the fails and
the end OF the trip was made by following
an Indian trail. The grandeur OF the falls
compensated for all the pains, and was the
only thing the irascible Englishmen did
not grumble ut during the long Journey
| such was Niagara at the beginning OF the
century. 1t had been battle line, and the
land OF the good Niagarag had been stained
with blood.
| About fifty years ago Il vessel loaded with
| live animals went over the falls, and such
| was the eagerncss OF the sojouruers at the
| hotels TO see the sight that many of them
jumped up from their dinners and forgot to
return and nay their bills. After describing
the scramble that ensued among the ami
mails as they lloRted through the Chasm be-
low, Mr.. Collyer spoke at length of the
| present grand features of the falls. He was
| glad 10 say that on a recent visit there he
| found hickman who was very far from
being totally depraved. The hackman was
| SO lar from IL, indeed, that he would have
lied to the customs officer, if he had only
been allowed tn do so. The main trouble
now was that the people living there had tn
make in three months money enough to
last them during the remaining nine months
OF the year. IL was not very certain in his
mind but that those who allowed them
selves TO be cheated were rs much to blame
as those cheating them, These extor-
lions were one of the shames of Niagara.
one OF the greatest shames WAS cutting
down a long, sweeping arbor, through
winch, III such grand beauty, the falls used
| to loom up 10 view hall mile away, and
through which the deep, soft thunders of
| the mighty cataract fell upon the ear a
grand diapason. The whole surroundings
were now changed There was not "A touch
OF sacrcdness. MamHon ruled Ofc0urse,
those owning the land had right to use il
as they thought hest. 1t was, however,
clearly their duty to stop us the sovereign
people OF the state If New York. The
whole management mad become byword.
This thing had gone far enough. The no.
Bile park should bc kept free to all visitors,
the waters should be rescued from the
hordes Of mills, the railroads taken away,
ana all the laud about the grand water.
Hood be given TO the world tree. They
should petition the Legislature, and use all
means IN their power to retain this supreme
wonder of the world to its own sweet noble
use' Let il be Kept for worship The
heart Will he better then Rnd nearer God in
the prcsenc. OF the sublimest Of His crea-
tions.