The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-02-06
BILL NYE AND THE FALLS.
THE HuMoRIsTs VISIT TO NIAGARA.
a Blizzard and william Arrives About
the Same Time-His Quaint Expert
ences-A Call on Gov. Hill
at Albany.
rPast-pisnateh.l

Niagara Falls at present is practically
free for all. You can go and look at them
as you would at the aurora borealis or the
rich creamy contour of the uuskum milky
way. Ii you walk to the falls and carry
your dinner, you need not run up large
bill. The hackman even takes you the
entire road of the falls on both sides the
whirlpool, the Three Sisters islands, Goat
island, and everything else at an agreed
price. You get coupon ticket, which is
Just as good as a railroad ticket, and there
can be no skullduggery about it, as Aris-
totle would say.
We visited the Falls on the day of the
blizzard which wrecked Reading, and
which wound up by tipping the suspen-
sion foot bridge at Niagara into the river
below. The falls have been visited in
summer and in winter, in the broad glare
of day and the soft and mellow moonlight,
but very few people have gone there dur
ing a blizzard.
The day broke moist and measley at
Buffalo, but at noon the gray and choppy
clouds scattered a little, and patch OF
sky could now and then be discovered.
Eating hasty meal, our party. arrayed in
alpen-stocks and conscious rectitude, be-
gan the ascent from Buffalo by circuitous
route. We reached Niagara Falls station,
whence we proceeded by drosky to our
chalet. Here we I'll GIFTED. The chalet is
kept by native 4 -ierican, and after our
long journey from Buffalo it was good to
once more hear the music of our own Ian
guage. Hastily eating a light lunch, we
put on our top coats and in charge OF
John Darn, we proceeded by diligence
toward the fall via the American side.
The storm now burst upon us in all its
fury and the rain descended in the wild
est profusion, saturating the falls and rem
dering them well nigh impossible. Our
! mueteer covered himself with his pom
toon, wrapped his tarpaulin around his
ears, and while our slender diligence
swayed in the blast he drove us across to
Goat island. The thunder of the immense
volume of water was now swallowed up
by the mighty roar of the bursting tenn
pest, and then, as it died away, like the.
wall of perishing soul, one would again
bear the sulleu thunder of the great
American dam site.
We now began the descent on the side
| of Goat island looking toward the Great
| Horse fall The rain fell in torrents, and
as our umbrellas had been turned wrong
side out bv the blast we were soon wet
| to the skin. There we stood in the
| presence of the greatest spectacle America
can produce, perhaps, outside of congress.
| Like an egOtistical author Niagara for cen
| turtles has been pouring over it's own
works. 1t is really, however, beyond
criticism. went there thinking that if
! the falls really deserved scathing / would
scath them through the press and inquire
! their business, but mustsa that like Mr.
Booth they deserve their great success
| and l do not blame them for respecting
/ themselves and Q having their pic
lures taken every little while and getting
| their names in the papers. They deserve
all the glory they have got and far be it
| from me to put straw in the way OF the
| progress of Niagara Falls.
We next went down to the Whirlpool
| and on the way a detachment of John
DarnIs escorted us with an air OF suspicion.
/ Our drosky driver evidently watched us
every moment like a cat. At the Whirl-
| pool we alighted again, being narrowly
watched by the driver and a John Darn
! from Cohoes.
Here as we reached the brink OF the
! cliff, the blizzard struck us amidship, the
/ great NIdRdId MlllCI las dSSlclcu 81 IldlN
! temperance lecturers in soaring to death
| the moderate drinker, seemed to become
/ silent in the presence OF Old MIR. Blizzard
! from the wild and unkempt West. Just
| then my high silk hat which | wear in
ascending the Alps and doing the tourist
] act generally, went up into large blue
! hole in the sky and while Twas watching
] it. the square red remarks "Keep of the
grass" with an iron rod on one side
| swatted me across the organ OF aliment-
! iveness.
| The storm was now at its hight, the roof
| of the hotel gently lifted with the breeze,
and through the fast falling rain we could
! see a surprised gentleman in his room
! Just emerging through the neck-band of a
| bright new shirt. With look of wonder
and horror he tried to pull down the roof
| again and conceal himself, but he could
not do so.
The storm now took off its coat and
! shrieked. while the Whirlpool was lashed
| to its greatest fury, and at the Whirlpool
| bazar genuine Indian moccasins, made
! in Connecticut, went down to 8 pair. |
made movement toward the brink of
the precipice, intending to peer down
over it into the boiling waters, when
felt the grasp of John Darn on my
shoulder and I was jerked back with an
|
precinct Of non-residents at presidential
| election.
Monsieur fool heemself, said the John
Darn in pure Buffalo French, with slight
patois of the Rue de AIain-st. Then grind
ing his teeth he managed to make me un-
derstand that had stated in Buffalo that
Il was going over the falls and through
the whirlpool" but that a Nemesis was
on my trail. 1t is very disagreeable to
have your trail stepped on by a Nemesis,
and so l explained that | meant to be
! figurative, and so when the John Darn
had opened my overcoat and found that
/ was not dressed in tights with double
loaded bridge jumping shoes. he allowed
me TO pass. 1t was here at the bazaar
that met my old friend Pocomoco of the
Piute tribe of Indians. "And what are
you doing here, so far away from home,
| Pocomoco p" / asked in the light-running
domestic accents of the Piute tongue.
81 am here" he replied in the same
! language, ito procure our regular supply
of Indian relics for the coming year We
cannot compete any longer with Con-
necticut in the manufacture of genuine
/ Indian relics. So we come to Niagara
Falls for them. We also get most of our
ornamental bead work done in England,
and our ornamental massacre business is
done there too. The white man has