The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-08-06
~KSOCK.ABOUT NOTES,

1t is amistake to look upon the great.
'st Of the worlds cataracts as the chief
attraction Of Niagara Falls. All the
wonders, all the beauties, all the awe
inspiring heights and depths and far
resounding roars are less engaging and
Impressive than the once proud Niagara
lollRr.hunter, now fallen 10 the low es-
tate OF asupplianttor dimes and nickels,
His spirit Is broken who once lorded 1t
over these domains, He no longer bull
lies and browbeats, He obsequiopsly
begs the favor OF your patronage; with
a patient melancholy gives gratis a
whole library OF information once worth
its weight IN gold, This in the hope OF
finally disposlng Of his wares or his SER
vices for q really reasonable Consid-
Grafton. A Cabmau gave 10 my COM
panions and myself so much val
some and apparently disiuterested
caution with regard to the few remain
ing dishonest folk Of Niagara, that when
he told us on his honor us a man that II
would be impossible to do" the Falls
region on bicycles, l almost believed
him. 1t was at least a minute before !
could bring myself to realize that so
Chastened a spirit, so good though new
o friend, could lend himself TO the
basely vulgar arts otthe common Niaga-
ra Falls liar, This man offered 10 take
three OF us for a four hours drive in a
two horse carriage for three dollars,
assuring US that he ought TO have five
dollars for that service, Later | heard
an offer from another TO take q party Of
six for five hours at the panic price Of
two dollaraand a half for the job lot,
The trades people are hungry and as
desperate as the cSbmeu. "Barkers'
stand in front OF the "Indian curiosity
shops :or lie in wait withiR easy range
to pull in the paSser.by, strollipg along
in the evening with nothing in p%artiCu-
lar to do, you are weak enough TO stop
for a peep in the window: That seals
your doom, The WbaIkerp lays hold, A
French dancing master Is not more po-
lite. ut costs nothing to step in and
SEQ tho Curiositiea. Business ia 80 dull
this season that we hardly expect any
body to buy, but 1t is always a pleasure
TO show the finest collection at the
Falls" What has happened to donor
alize business this season? The
chest people" have gone TO
Europe-that ia 10 say, Contidentially,
about all tho best people saving your
worships' presence. Excursionists who
slide In early in the morning and break
their necks 10 slip out early in the even
Ing, have Just 80 much money to spend
and they invest none OF II in these treas.
ures Of art and wondrous specimens Of
tho hanliCraft OF the fast declining race
OF red men. Even chest people" who
used to come for a week are now salts
fed with q day and a night. While
they remain they are 30 busy sightsee.
ing that they have little time for buying.
So the trades people are having hard
lines, and II you keep your wits about
you you may save something out Of the
wreck OF q bargain for wares.
In one OF the curiosity shops Is a vel.
liable artie whom 1 will back against
any OF OF her class for dlabolical expert
ness. She is plump. OF Spanish olive
complexion with a slight touch OF pink
on tho cheeks, jet black hair and big
lustrous black eyes, a kittenish VI
vacity alternating with q repose almost
dlgnifed. She speaks a little Of half a
dozen languages. She has a fine COM
mand OF girl.of.the.period English. In
two minutes she Is anybody's bosom
friend. This Is her art. You don't wish
to buy, but, mon Diea, what Q pleasure 1t
is in these dull times to be allowed even
to show these beautiful things TO n
who can appreciate them. When we EN-
tered she was at work on.a young'man
who was Just yielding enough and just
obstinate enough to make the contest
interesting. "Isn't this spar pin lovelyl
Wouldn't II look well On your sweet
heart? You sly fellow, don't tell me
you haven't q sweetheart" She places
the pin on herself 10 show how II will
look. ooh, here is a scarf pin that all
the gentlemen buy. Isn't II a beauty"
And before the young man knows 1t she
has pinned 1t In his scarf. Suddenly
she thinks ofsomething rare she knows
he would like to see. She takes him
faniliarly by the arm and leads him OIL
into a corner. We can't hear what she
is saying, but we can see that the con-
test Is becoming unequal. Presently
she has him laughing, and then
she begins to wrap up one article
after another. She knows when he is
at tho end OF his purchasing string.
"Don't you want a drink" The young
man Is %astounded, and wonders what
kind OF q place he has fallen into. 1--WE
have a fine bar and billiard room in the
rear" The young man starts for the
bar and the Spanish olive complexion
remains behind. She "neyer drinks"
This ends the performance, much to the
young mans surprise. She has beaten
hin In the game. II is all very enter.
tanning, very devilish. 1t is one OF the
sights OF Niagara. There is nothing in
1t for the law to take hold OF, except
that II might divorce the bar from the
curiosity shop. The law could not dc.
prive the drii8te Of her art. / am told
that she Is a great favorite with the
who admire her for her intelli.
kouCe hlIu heA WlubVLuu mOueDtgs 4ue
leopard can change her spots.
A Niagara Falls "Indian curiosity
shop has tho curious interest Of being
stocked chiefly with wares which no
Indian ever saw and which have moth
ing to do with tho genius oil the place.
are toy bows and arrows, mecca
sins, the old'time bead work and the
birch bark canoes, all which the Indians
may have made but much OF which
trumpery Is said 10 be turned out by
cunning Yankee machinery. There are
mounted alligators' teeth from Florida,
hrummagem ornaments Of spar from
England, stuffed birds from every cline.
All the owls, white, gray and brown
from the Arctic region seem 10 have
Iwooped down IN Niagara Fails 10