The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1885-07-09
Our George at Niagara.

Before we got there man stopped us and we
anted up again. | don't know whether he was
highwayman or what he was. We hadn't
crossed any bridges, or gone through any
tunnels, or down any elevator when he stop
ped US, but suppose the five minutes were up
since we paid the last time, and that it was
time to pay again. | know felt better after
paid him. We soon arrived at the rapids and
were slid down ii board to the bank of the rlv-
er. Before we went down, however, the gen.
tleman who turned the crank at the slide,
smiled at me. and l handed him dollar.
Well. that's all right. When was here last.
the visitors came to see the rapids themselves,
but now they come to see where Capt. Webb
tried to swim through and lost his life, and |
believe his insurance. A small boy met us and
for a compensation offered to show us Just
where the Capt. was last seen. | told him
that | didn't think had compensatons enough
with me to last me back to the hotel, and fur
thermore didn't care ii darn am quite sure
| used the word darn--where Capt. Webb was
last seen, for anybody who was idiot enough to
try to swim those rapids ought never to have
been seen last at all. | once knew man, who
LETT silk umbrella in the lobby of theatre
and who went back the next day to see if he
could find il, and that incident has always re-
manned IN my mind, as the most consummate
piece OF foolishness that Il man ever did, or
ever could do, but Webb has laid all over him.
and covered him completely. Why the fool
ishness Gu Webb's brain must have been eight
cen inches thick on an average. After the
water has plunged over the falls it sort of
stuns it and it lays around in a kind of a dazed
way. and then commences to slowly run down
the river. 1t starts sort of moderate, but III
little time it gets over lis numbness and comes
to itself, and when it reaches the rapids it has
recovered the full use of its limbs, and the way
it tears down between the rocky banks of the
river and leaps up and turns somersaults and
froths and foans at the mouth as if it We're
chewing No. brown soap. and splitting out
sudS, is sight to behold. The falls are stu
pendous and grand but the rapids are clear
case of ugliness and temper. We walked along
the bank for quite distance by plank walk,
ana viewed the seething and angry waters and
threw pieces of board and old limbs of trees
into it, to see them Immediately swallowed up,
never to be seen again, and thinking of the
power and strength of w alter in motion, which
is 50 harmless while at rest, when "now gent
stand right where you are-,Just take the lady's
hand, won't detan You but a moment-giye
YOU nicely finished. handsomely mounted
photograph of yourself and lady for-but he
never finished his sentence, and never will. 1t
was done III Il moment of passion. but | was not
my self at the time and hope when the sea gives
up its dead that a Niagara photographer will
come 10 me and ask my pardon for w bat he said.
and forgive me tor throwing him into the rap
ids. This little incident having taken the ro-
nance all ont of the rapids for me, we We're
pulled up the bank, and drove back. up by the
bridge and along the bank of the river, to the
Horse Shoe Fail, for the purpose of driving up
through Cl'trk'> Islands, five Of them connected
by little bridges to the Burning Spring. one Of
the most celebrated sights and the greatest
wonder on the Canadian side. All along, we
had been told to be sure and see the Burning
Spring. Guide book. advertisement, hackman,
guide and everybody said see the Burning
Spring" and conscience whispered "see the
Burning Spring," and my companion suggested
If my finances allowed, that 1--WE better see the
Burning SPRING As had never experienced
anything but Il cold backward Spring, for the
last half century thought here was my chance
TO see warm Spring. anu took it. The drive
gave Us a fair view of the rapids above
tLt ldllN. lucy were not Gullt 50 BUSY.
think, as those below but | noticed that they
bumped themselves pretty lively for new begin
ners. At length the carriage stopped at a build
M, and we were told TO enter. admission 90
cents" There was sort of barrel sticking
up through the floor, that resembled one of
those affairs that a carriage maker sets up Il
wheel ON, Il sort of Il hollow cone, with iron
hoops around it. a man stood beside it. and
is we approached he said. The gasseS are gen
Grated in the waters and the rocks, and permc-
ate the bank at this point. They are got to-
gethcr and conveyed below this tank. We place
over this tube of wood which YOU see there,
and when the gas has filed the receptacle we
light il from the top, and blaze OF flame shoots
into the air. 1t Is considered by scientific gen
tlemen to be one of the greatest wonders 10 be
seen anywhere" Well, said |, harness up your
Old wonder aud lets see her perform. Il am
very sorry sir. but we have lost the vein some
where. and the spring is not i'll operation,-but
perhaps your lady and yourself would like Il
glass of this mineral water Well, if Il mule
had kicked me should not have been any more
broken up. Here | had driven Il couple of
p!cs. TO see the celebrated 'Rurning Spring"
(Which by the way has not been burning since
last year, and had to compromise on glass of
water that tasted ~ il an unripe egg had been
broken into it. Great Scott. ! was glad that
this was not AN American sell We will do
some awful mean things ON our side, but this is
little beyond Us. W would have filled the old
thing with benzne, and fooled the victim that
Wal-Dut we never-n0 never. would have
tried TO even up the thing with bar tumbler
of rotten water. When they find this lost
Chari" Ross spring, hope they will notify me,
Now my advice to my friends is, when you 60
to the Burning Spring-dont 90. You will see
it Just the same as if you did 90.
This little incident stirred me up, that my
bood,-Weli if it didn't boil. it emmered some,
and in order to cool off. decided to 90 under
the Falls. | looked at them and satisfied N.Y.
sale tl.,tt i,,l+ tl,1