The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-08-14
A QUAINT CANADIAN TOWN
Incidents of Visit to the Secluded Vii.
lage of Niagara-on-ihe.Lake.
A Locality Rich in Impressive Natural Beauty
and Full of Inspiring Historic Reminis-
cence-An ImI Ortsnt Charity.

slons constitute disease against which
there Is no incubation. Even the stoutest-
hearted victim. who has vowed MP and
down. right and left, that she will never
again participate in such a multItudinous
idiocy, finds herself, again and again, az
the season recurs. on the same old train.
with the same old crowd and
anxIeties. the old strug-
gle for sleeper, but finally,
as a browning reward, ut the foot of the
same old grand Niagara, One otherwise in
telligent woman of my acquaintance has
been twelve times subject TO this malady,
which she now confesses to be hopelessly
chronic in her case. On the other hand, q
person occasionally exists who doubts
whether the water-works will be worth the
trip. Such a one sat near me on the train:
she was from Paducah. KY, and kept wish
ing that the train would stop so she could
get glass of beer. In an interval among
her thirsty groans. she asked me whether j
believed Niagara would we worth seeing.
My reply was that thought so; had seen
it several times and still felt an interest in
1t; whereupon to my horror, the
dreadful creature rose to her feet, and
shouted to a companion. evidently al
the rear of the car: La Martha, listen
herel Here's q woman that's seen Niagara
three times an goin' agin; that shows it's
worth SEEM" After this gracious adver-
tisement of Niagara. to my great JOY, she SUBJ
sided into her former condition of wishing
to goodness she had glass of beer. Of
her ilk, Also. was woman encountered az
Prospect Point, who leaned over the rail-
ing watching the majestic sweep of the
Now. iain'tthat grand. And, just to think,
1T never stops minute. day or night rain
or shine!"
The chief beauty of repeated visits ia
finds leisure for the many little side trips
which radiate from the great CEN
ter of attraction. Among these pleas
ant devlatlons Is visit TO the old
Canadian town, Niagsra-on -the-Lake.
Previous experience had taught rs that
this expedition was entitled to an entire
day, SO we fortified ourselves with q lunch
box, to waete no time in tracking restau-
rants, and were early aboard the Michigan
Central observation train for Lewiston.
There 10 certainly no finer seven miles OF
railroad travel In this or any other country;
and If you have not seen the Niagara river,
below the falls, in its beautiful, winding
and picturesqe passage, between high,
densely-woOded bluffs, through what IL
called The Gerge." on it's way to Lake
Ontario, you have missed great pleasure.
The falls vanish from view, tue whirlpool
rapids dash into sight and out again, and
the lovely blue-areen water grows more
and more placid. until at Lewiston ii laps
the shore as gently as II Nlagara's tumult
were thing unknown.
QUIET LEWISTON.
At Lewiston we have the Brock monu.
ment in sight-195 feet of dedicatory mar
BILE browning Queenston Heights-Queens-
ton SO named for cruel Q ueen Charlotte. who
selfshly absorbed so many of Fanny Bur.
ney's best days. At Lewiston. also, the
'Ongiara," q tiny steamboat rocks inertly,
with no visible intention of going down the
river. There are only fifteen passengers,
and the engineer doubts whether the boat
fervor 10 as If We were fifteen hundred,
however, SO the captain Is routed out and
coaxed into the notion. The water 10 az
smooth as an inland lake. and only the
passing tumult of the Toronto steameI
that waves could ever be. 1t was of Nj.
agara and this grand scenery below the
falls shat, in 1894, Tom Moore wrote:
These are miracles which man
Gagged in the bounds of Europe's pigmy plan.
Can scarcely dream of-which his eye must see
To know how beautiful this world can be.
About o'clock we leave the wharf of
Niagara on the Lake, and begin our pedes-
trian course through the quiet town
towards Fort MissIsauga. the old block
house of 1872. which crowns with interest
the lands end on the Canadian side.
Smooth board walks make delightful foot
travel and suggest fine bicycle possibilities.
On the long street stretching out TO wards
the lake we pass the Queens Hotel, a sum-
mer-resort place. glittering with the pres
tIge of having once entertained the Marquis
of Lorne and Louise. Here tennis-courts.
lighthouses. hammocks, with summer girls
and white flannel men. make an attractive
scene. Across the short grass of a broad COM
mon. dewy with recent rain, we pass
TO climb the high earth works that sur
round Fort MissIsauga. Not a soul is In
sight, the only sign of life being a fox ter
rier pappy. which gambols forth from the
unknown to make free with the heels of our
boots and our skirts Ontario stretches out
before us. unlocked even by single sail
stream of smoke. q sheet of dazzling blue
under O dazzling sky. On the earth-works
here and there are deeply Indented grooves
in the ground, suggestive of gun carriage
wheels. Down behind the old fort, which
shines on: square and white against lake
and sky, Is a small, red brick cottage, evil
IDENTIFY q keepers domain. and as we slide
down the slippery emGankment, together
with the jovial puppy. a woman energies
and comes towards us with an
ancient iron key in her hand. Of
course, wish to the
fort. so the door is unlocked. and
We walk into the atmosphere OF 1872
The door is heavily studded with nall
heads. the size of silver dollars, and the
timber itself II hoax. mum. 10 keep folk
bout. num-" the custodian explains. We
prOwl about the dim interior, peerinR
through the narrow guD-slits and feeling,
with Gail Hamilton. grateful that there
are men to fight our battles for us. We also
side tortuousiy mp the dark brick stair
case 10 the upper floor 10 view blue Ontario
from behind heavy iron gratings Mrs.
Porter. the woman III charge-who sug-
gests that we can remember her name by
thinking of something to drInk-has her
baby buggy and cradle stored in the cool
and quiet of the grim old fort and thus the
infant of 1SS2-''heir of all the ages
reaps peaceful profit from the stirring
events of 1872.
MISS RYE's ORPHANAGE.
Away from Missisauga through q quaint
arched doorway in the massive earth W alls
we take 10 the commons again, across
country in search of Miss Rye's orphansge.
a charitable home for the rearing and edu-
cation of girls rescued fiom the streets Of
London. of which we had read IN Harper's
Magazine, 1887. Down and across many
clean squares of boarc walks we go. on our
way passing an old church, ST. Andrews,
windows at high-bacP~H pews with doors.
and To read the Dick sh names on the
grave stones in the grass behind the
consecrated buildinC little further on
q palpable minist I the Church Of
lounge at the pleasant doorway of an
obvious rectory, and we solicit information