Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-03
NIAGARA FALLS AS II Is.
The Old HumbuEs Marring the Tour
lists Pleasure Empty HOteis AM
Cold July weather.

cola July "euhoH'
Correspondence OF the New York Tlmes.l
After breakfast one morning | strolled
down to see the falls, and found them very
much as they were last year, and the year
before, and the year before that, except that
every season the visitor is kept a little further
away from them unless hcpays'an admission
fec. An immense body of water rushes
over the prccipicc every mnutc-so it is
stated on good authority, and see no reason
to doubt ii. There is more water going over
this season than usual, because the water in
the river and the lakes is higher. My carly
morning visit to the falls stirred up variety
of emotions, if they may be dlgniiicd by
such name. Thcy were principally envy,
surprise, disgust and admiration. The falls
themselves had nothing TO do with any OF
these feelings, but the surroundings brought
them all to the front. | cnvicd the wind and
the water, because they are the only things
that are allowed to stir abroad here with
out paying tribute to the immense sharks
that bask in the Niagara sun, with their
tails in the railway station and their fins
splashipC in the river. 1t was surprise that
visitors should be allowed to see clear
stretch of more than 200 feet of the rapids
above the falls without encountering either
ticket office or toll-gate. Disgust was ex-
ceedingly prominent over the way every
visitor to the greatest waterfall IN the world
is taken in and skinned. But it is impossible
to go there without being filled with admir-
alton, not necessarily for the falls, but Tor the
mastery way IN which the natives have
- in hit pf natural
scenery, every point from which view is to
be had, and charge the visitor well for going
to it. 1t is impossible not to respect these
people. What they start to do they do we'll
When they set out to rob man they take
his last cent. They are artists and love their
art / have been mildly and dclicately
swindled in great many summer resorts,
and in soine winter resorts, for that matter,
but | never found anything anywhere to
equal the cool rascality and copper-faced
cheek of the miscreants who attach them
selves to the visitor in the Niagara Falls
station and dog his shadow as long as he is
within their reach. In this list of honor
allow me to include not alone the hackmen,
who, poor fellows, only follow the example
of their betters, but also the hotel proprctors,
the tradesmen, and every man, woman or
child who makes u living out OF the Summer
NlSllOIS. UCJ utC u bCt VI toNhOi"h'S' VIZ
whole lot of them was going TO say some
thing hard about the Niagara Falls people,
but | have JUS. been out for walk among
the curiosities, and feel too good-naturcd to
do it.
In the rear end OF the back yard of the ln-
tcrnational hotel there is q gate. Over this
gate is an arched sign, on which is painted
"Walk to Goat Island" l started out &c
obey the command and 'walk to Goat
Island" Just outside the gate had the rare
good fortune to meet an old friend. lie
stepped out of his carriage, came up to me
and said good morning. Good morning, said
| !. It's fine day, said he, and was moi
prepared to deny 1t. Would you like to take
a little drive this morning, said he. Not if ]
know myself, said !, and continued my walk
| to Goat Island. Down over decaycd boarc
walk, through side street, down hill
and came to the end of a bridge leading tC
Goat Island. There was notice nailed tC
the side of the gate-housc which supposed
to be the usual one forbidding fast driving
But it was not; 1t was somewhat different
1t read "Tol, so cents; children undel
IA, half price" The bridge was POO or 3OC
feet above the falls, and the way seemed tC
be clear to get there without having to run {
toll-gatc, so l said sorrowful farewell t.
the so cent bridge and went toward thu
falls. On the way met another friend, wht
said it was nice morning, and wanted t.
know whether wouldn't take ride. Mos
astonishing thing how many of my fricnd
happened to be in Niagara Falls and how
they all had carriages. But was wakin!
for my health and kept on. Not very far
however befor: an unwashed pirate, in a rel
cloth hat blocked my way and wanted t
sell me some Indian curiosilies from lttl
stand by the roadside. At last came to tn
to the falls? Well, not exactly, but to tn
high fence that prevented Inc from sccin!
them and to the cntrance-gatc to the plot o
land called Prospect Park. Over the gate
way for wagons was little house, with
room in one side of 1t for the ticiet-scller
On the other side of this room was AM
still is the entrance for the foot passengers
There are two big trees near the gate, and t
each tree was called u bundle of circular
about the park. Taking one of these circu
lars and looking in through the big gate, il
an instant was approached by the ticket
man, whoiwas evidently afraid l wanted I
slip in without paying toll. II a man Shout
accidentally get in through the wagon gate
that ticket man would get down on the floo
and curse his luck all day. Beyond thelvle'
of the falls there was nothing in the "Park
worth mentioning
There are some changes, generally Tor th
better, in the streets OF Niagara Falls village
Some of the old wooden shantes have give
way TO two and three story brick buildings
in which there are stores, offices and bank
There is street car line, too running dow
to Suspension Bridge There is no hotel o
the American side more than three MINUTES
walk from the railway station, and one
! only across the street yet every hotel hi
its omnibus at the station, and charges eaC
guest "quarter" for the ride each wa,
The old canal cut through the rock that WI
sold by auction few years ago for less tina
quarter IT what it cost to make it sti
worms its lonely way through the tow
eventually reioining the current SON
l distance below the falls. Two or three ne
mills have been built 10 as many years bu
substantially, it is the same old place that
was ten years ago, perhapstwenty. Thehote
arc old-far older In appearance and fitting
than those 10 any other summer resort
America. For Niagara was Il popular plat
when our grandialhcrs were running awa
# with their best girls. But it has changed
IS character since then, il not IN appearance
The visitors are very largely foreigner
Bridal couples are as scarce as formerly th'
y were plenty. The hotels are the same o
II buildings, with no improvement and &c
# changes II Andrew Jackson were
"a visit Niagara again he would no doubt ST.
% in the same hotel he went TO before, ask {
i the same old room, and might be dsa
r, pointed if he did not find the same ebol
,e waiter to take care Of him. There is 4
is Cataract House. l don't know wheth
If Washington ever staid in it, but he mig
ct have. 1t is old, solid and comfortable, o
l. cording to my ideas OF hotel comfort. 30
10 the International. So Is the Clifton Hou'
& over on the Canadian side. But lam spea
er ing Of the buildings, not the way the hot
" are kept.
ID My experience with Niagara Fla
* hotels, which covers space of n good ma
IS years, is that there is no hotel on either 81