Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-04
4 Legend of Niagara

A great want has just been filled. Lee
gends about the Niagara Falls have been
so scarce that it will be great relief to
many to know that a new one has been
discovered. Not exactly new. either, for
it is written on old parchment, and must
have been lying where it was found for
many years, but, as it has just recently
been discovered, it is to the present
generation new. While shOYeling snow
from the steps of the Extortion Hotel Just
after the recent heavy fall the abOve-re-
ferred-to parchment was found. The fol-
lowing is free translation of its contents:
John jackson, a young man of some
pugilistic attachments, who dearly
loved a handsome young lady in
Buffalo, determined to take his
darling to the falls for a trip.
Now, John, like many other Buff
falO young men, didn't know much about
the outside world, and had never been
warned to avoid the Niagara Falls hack
man. 1t was with light heart that he
stepped from the train on that bright Nav
morning, and with Miss Angelina ThOmp-
son hanging gracefully on his arm, started
gaily for the great cataract, little dream
ing of the terrible fate that awaited him
and that was destined to bring to so
gloomy a close a day which seemed to
have dawned the brightest of all the days
of the year. The couple had gone but
few steps when they were aceOsted by a
hackman, who said:
"Have hack, sir?"
"Nor'
"Better take a hack. This is 'one of
the finest and PHI drive you to all the
points of interest"
''NO: We'll walkv'
"What! Do you mean to say that
you're going to make that young lady foot
it over these rough streets? If | had as
handsome lady as you have l wouldn't
be so penuriOus as to make her tramp
around here and have sore feet for
week."
Now John, as was formerly limited, had
some knowledge of the manly art, and the
remark about penuriOusness grated on his
finer feelings. Angelina said:
sob. never mind him, john"
But Johns blood was up. So he put up
his hands and gave the impudent hack
man one in the neck. In an instant they
were surrounded. All the hackmen came
to the rescue of their c0-laborer. Ange-
lima screamed, and that made John ner-
vous, and he could not attend to his coun-
tiers and guards. The only faint made
was by Angelina, and the blows from
whips, fists and other missiles that rained
on John from all sides made him retreat
in dismay. And this, the day that opened
so brightly, closed darkly, particularly in
as he washed the blood from his face and
tied Angelina's handkerchief around his
throbbing temples he was heard to mutter,
81 will be reyenged."
Several weeks had passed. The cata-
ract was still doing business at the old
stand, and waving on high its glorious
plume of white spray. The hackmen were
also at the old stand. The battle with the
young Buffalo man had ceased to be a
topic among them, and in the wild rush
for worldly gain they had almost forgot
ten the face of Jackson. A wild shrek
pierces the morning air, and the train
from Buffalo. with changing bell and hiss
ing steam, brings up at the depot. John
Jackson walks from the train. At his
side is a person in female attire, but the
person has not the handsome form and
smiling face of Angelina. The hackmen,
in the aforesaid rush for worldly gain, do
not recognize the man.
"Have hack, sir"
ono"
''Better take hack. It's fifteen miles
to the Falls"
mo; we will walk
'Oh, you're pretty fellow to make
that young girl trudge around"
That was as far as he got, Jacks arm
had Strengthened, HIS fist had come in
contact with the nose of the speaker.
The noble form of the hackman was gro
Yelling in the dust. 1t was at this period
that the conduct of fhe person in female
attire became noticeable. There was no
scream and nobody swOOned, while the
attitude assumed was not usual one for
a lady. The hat dropped forward until it
nearly touched the nose, while the fists
very large ones for a lady-were tightly
clinched and the elbows drawn back in a
Pat Rooney style, which plainly showed
that their owner would put up with no
nonsense. The other hackmen rushed to
the rescue of their fallen companion,
but the first to arrive received such a
singing blow from Johns companion
that he retired in dismay. The second
was similarly dealt with, and he also took
a back seat. In the meantime John was
not idle. He kicked, thumped and other
wise maltreated his antagonist until he
felt that the dishonor heaped upon him
during his previous visit had been whipped
out. Then his companion took his arm,
and, looking up into his face with a sweet,
seaside-musing smile, said: "Did you see
me get away with that red-nosed coon
that tried to interferer The loving couple
went Immediately to hotel, and shortly
after they had disappeared through the
doorway two young men came out. One
of them was John while the other was a
stranger and carried small bundle. The
woman has never since been seen alive.