The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-08-01

days after the battle young American
soldier lay wounded passing the long
days and nights of agony, with frequent
ly singing fragments OF songs that had
been dear to the loved ones at home.
IN this the hardest battle of the war Of
1912, the British loss was eight hundred
and seventy-eight, that of the Ameri-
cans about eight hundred. American
history gives the victory to the Ameri-
cans and the Canadian to the British.
An old resident with whom have Just
been talking, said sSMy father was on
the battlefield the next morning before
daylight and both armies had deserted
the place. II was draw game, both
sides were whipped, but the British
came back and took possession of the
field" However, this is but one of the
many historic points TO be found all
along the old Niagara frontier. Every
body goes to Niagara Falls, but only a
few among the multitudes who visit the
place every year, pause to think that
within the sound Of this cataract have
taken place some of the most interesting
events in American history
During my vigils on the old tower at
Lundy's Lane, my attention was several
times attracted by what appeared in the
distance to be tall, slender column
lifting itself up to the sky from point
Of high ground several miles down the
river. Taking this as my guiding land.
mark, ] left Drummondville at 1880 D.
M, and after q seven miles ride alonl
! the beautiful banks of the Niagara,
| am here at the dFowsy old hamlet Of
| Queenston. located in the very SHADOW
4 of the mountain on which stands the
slender column, or as it now reveals it,
self, d grand monument erected to thI
memory of the British General, Sir lsaaI
Brock. who fell in the battle of Queens
ton Heights, fought here on the 18th O
October 1912 This is what the Cana
dians call their "Bunker HILL" and al
though my Yankee views Of certaiI
historic events do not exactly harmonic,
with theirs, yet ] can not but admir-,
the pride that they take in this pictur
esque old mountain which they assoCi
ate with the name of their lamente,
Brock. and we with that of our gallan
Van Rensselaer,. Just back of tn,
monument, half hidden by a dens
growth of underbrush, are the earth
works which the Americans held agains
repeated assaults, until they were routet
g, Go s,t utf ffgl. I.a
dians, who drove them at the point o
the bayonet over high bluff into tn
river, where large number wer
drowned. There are few places il
America which could afford better ma
terial for the poet and the artist, tha
the valley OF the Niagara, and the land
scape which now lays spread out beloN
me, if supplied with few old castles
would pass for very respectable Gel
= man picture, and | am not sure but th
sagging ruins of the old stone building
in tie village below, might fill this wan
Of musty, legendary antiquity, Half
century ago Queenston was bus
+ Canadian town All of the shippin
- which came from foreign countries Il
. the St. Lawrence was landed here, an
taken by tram roads to point aboy
the Falls, where it was re-shipped an
y carried on to the " est. Along the rive
are still standing score of old "ta'
erns." which forty years ago were boi
> ferrous with the tongues of all nation
S But the railroads and the great Wellan
t Canal have taken away their custom
=, and here they stand like a group Of o.
revelers dreaming of the merry days Z
q old. Everything here seems to speak
S departed prosperity, and even IL
: droyes of geese that march lazily throue
the quiet old streets seem to look up
the bustling American with an EXPIRE
e sion of sullen envy. Seven miles ava
e where the river empties into Lake o
v tario, | shall visit Niagara, the oldes
- and one of the most historic points
. the old Dominion of Upper Canada.
IS BYRON r. NEWTON.