Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1885-07-22
NIAGARA PARK.
Letters Read from President Cleveland
and from the Governer Gen.
eral Of Canada.
Niagara Falls speoial.I

efAl Of Cano0as
Niagara Falls spectal.I
Niagara never before saw such : throng
as to-day attended the opening Of the State
Park. Seemingly all Western New York
poured itself into the village. A score OF
special trains brought delegations from
many States and from Canada. The word
Welcome" greeted the visitor Ct every
turn. Bunting ID displayed in eveYy part
Of the village. The Union Jack, the Irish
Green, and the Tricolor are mingled with
the Stars and Stripes. The hotels are Law.
ish in display. The fronts OF the Inter-
national, Cataract. Spencer, md others are
almost hidden from sight by rich.hued
decorations. In front Of the Cataract il q
fine arch. Many handsome deconHons on
the Canada shore show sympathetic re-
joicing.
The Reservation Commissioners met at
the Cataract House at 1890 a. m. There
were present Commissioners Dorsheimer.
Robb, Rogers. Anderson, and Green, and
Secretary and Treasurer Leighton Will
Jams. The following cable dispatch was
read:
LONDON, Eng, July IA.
ITO the Representatives Of the State 81 New
York at Niagara Falls:
"The Commons Reservation Socisty con-
graduates the State Of New York on secur-
ing the Falls to the public"
About 1880 a delegation representing
the Canadian Government drove over from
the Canadian side to take part in The cere-
monies. II included Lieut.. Gov. Robin
son, Of Ontario; the Hon. Oliver Mowatt,
Premier Of Ontario; Provincial! Secretary
Hardy; Lieut.. Col. Gzowski, Chairman Of
the Canadian Niagara Falls Commission;
Commissioner Langmuir; and the Govern
or Generals secretary. An informal
reception was held during the morning in
the hotel par]ors occupied by Gov. Hill.
The Canadian visitors were presented to
him and remained until the time arrived
for the ceremonies Of the day.
THE OPENING CEREMONIES.
The formal opening ceremonies were held
in Prospect Park, whose we'll kept domain
was early given over to the lawless tread of
q public which needed police restriction,
and had it not.
At 1915 o'clock Gov. Hill, Hon. Eras-
tus Brooks, James G. Carter, Of New
York, the orator of the day, and Bishop
Coke. made their appearance i'll the
pavilion, escorted by President Nelson Of
the Prospect Park Company. They were
followed by the staff of the Governor, State
officials, Niagara Reservation Commission
ers, and others Of prominence. The cere-
monies, carried out according to program,
included fine vocal and martial music, the
latter by military bands from Buffalo and the
Mexican National Band. present by special
invitation. Bishop Coke read a prayer
written for the occasion, and the Hon.
Erastus Brooks, President of the day,
made a long address. The formal presen-
tation Of the Park to the State was made by
the Hon. William Dorsheimer. Gov. Hills
reply went into details. He gave the
crowd a history of Niagara, said the State
would undertake to care for the reserya-
ton. and wound up with merited praises
for the Commissioners, and none the less
merited ~eu'ogies for the cataract. The ora.
tor of the day was the Hon. James @. Car
ter, OF New York City, a prominent lawyer,
who has been active in The Niagara Ealls
Association Of Now York" His oration
dwelt upon the sublimity of the falls. free
access to which the park is intended to Sc
cure. the evils of private proprietorship in
Natures wonders. and reviewed the pro-
ceedings and negotiations which resulted
in the purchase Of the park by the State.
Letters of regret and congratulation were
read from President Cleveland, the Cover
nor General of Canada. and from Samuel
J. Tilden. Lieutenant Governor Robinson
Of the Province Of Ontario and Premier
Mowatt Of the Dominion Government
made bright speeches.
The military parade n the afternoon wal
brilliant. It was reviewed by Gov. Hill,
who left early for the East.
A MOTLEY CROwD-swEPT OVER THE
FALLS.
The crowds fingered to enjoy freedom"
and fireworks. A sergeant Of the guard
during the parade having orders to keep
horses from the line Of march attempted
to enforce them. A mounted orderly at
tempting to ride past him, the sergeant
thrust his bayonet into the horse, killing
it. The sergeant wa arrested. The
friendly Canadian from the near
on arm, was everywhere. The farming
community OF all Western New York SEEM
ed to have hitched up and driven to the
village. Prospect Park looked like o mon
strous picnic ground. Even the Tona-
wanda reservation sent in it's Indian dele
cation, gay in cambria and red feathers.
All day long these throngs walked the
streets. The hickman, as o feature Of Nj
agara, was wiped out of existence. The
crowd was the great thing. People trooped
over the bridges in endless battali ons and
marched shoulder to shoulder through the
moist and shady pathways Of Goat Island.
Farmers hitched their teams among the
.shrubbery which private management had
hitherto 80 sedulously guarded. The deep
woods Of the island looked as though gwen
up to a vast camp-meeting. The Biddle
stairway was free. as it always 10; and
the number of people who went toiling up
and down it's tedious spiral was 20 great
that further admission was repeatedly de-
MED. The trip to the Cave of the Winds
cost q dollar apiece, but the lessees reaped
a harvest. The inclined railway in Pros
pect Park was run at twenty-five cents a
head as usual. There was total lack Of
police supervision, and it was a constant
remark during the day that accidents were
being invited. About six O'Clock two Buff
falo women were about to cross the first
bridge to Goat Island when one of them, q
Mrs. Mcintyre, ventured upon the un-
guarded planks at the edge Of the pier.
Turning, she called to her companion,
You're a coward! Come ont" Az she
spoke she lost her balance, fell into the
rapids, and was swept over the American
Fall.
HOW NIAGARA WAS MADE FREE.
In making q free park at Niagara New
York State has made an imperial gift to
mankind. No one will undertake 70 say
who first advocated the matter. From the
earliest days, before the genesis of the
hickman and the reign Of ~extortion. innu-
merable tourists advocated a free Niagara.
Oddly enough, tho honor Of first advocat-
ing it to q purpose belongs to q foreigner.
Lord Dufferin suggested not only the pur-
chase and making free to the world Of the
lands on either side Of the river, but he
made his auDCeseion To A man who c0ulp
act. II was in 1873 that Lord DufYerin's