The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-22


ments IL not merely to achieve a pretty
piece Of landscape gardening. but to
let nature have her own way. as far
as II consistent with the comfort and
convenience Of the public.
They aiso find that they must keep
a sharp lookout for the encroachments
Of persons and corporations seeking
privileges In the state lands. The grant,
ed licenses are few. A well-managed
wagonette service let's the visitor see
the whole thing Uhat Is. above the
cliffs). with stop-off privileges at a
dozen points. for % cents the round trip.
There is still heard the charge that
drivers of these wagonettes discrim-
mate against certain places of business
by systematically steering visitors to
rival establishments. Something of this
exists, perhaps. but 1t Is usually the
dealer or hackman who Is left out In
the cold who makes the charge. So
far as the tourist public IL concerned.
the carriage service at Niagara Falls
Chat Is. within the reservation was
never before SO cheap or SO well man
aged.
Swindicrs Not Vet Dead.
1t Is still extremely easy for visitor
to be swladled by irresponsible drivers.
A fivorite trick is for one of these fel-
lows to hail the stranger as he steps
from the railway station into the street,
with the promise that he will show
you the falls for quarter" II the
visitor accepts the invitation he is
driven three blocks down the street,
where he can indeed see the falls. but
he finds out that he has merely been
hauled away from rival hackmen In or
der that this particular Jehu may work
Kim to consent to two or three hours
slow drive at a good substantial charge
per hour. If the stranger does not agree
to this, the driver will make him get
out unless he can get an order to take
me back to the depot" In which case
he charges whatever he thinks he can
collect for the return trip. These and
other tricks are still practiced here, but
a visitor of ordinary eXerlence and eau
tion is not likely to be entrapped. Prac-
tically all the points of interest In the
immediate vicinity of the falls can be
visited in an afternoon, by reservation
van, for % cents or less. Outside OF the
reservation-at the lower rapids. whirl-
pool and so forth-let the visitor be-
ware.
The sanctity Of the peoples park has
two or three times been threatened by
the efforts of corporations. An effort
was made in the last legislature to get
right of way for trolley road through
part of the grounds, but 1t was unsuc-
cessiful, ana the commissioners and Su-
perintendent Thomas V. Welch are firm
in their resolve that no grants OF the
kind shall be made. The park does not
need anything of the kind, and 1t Is a
good policy which avoids making bad
precedent.
Visited ty Millions.
Niagara Falls is unlike most other re-
sorts. Few people stay long. Before
the war 1t was different. Wealthy
soutIherners, their families and servants
stayed at the big hotels for weeks. and
gave to Niagara as a resort a social
character now wholly gone. To-day the
falls are visited by crowds who come
in the morning and go in the afternoon.
They bring their lunch basket and they
spend dimes where the tourist of a
dozen years or SO ago spent $40 bills.
On that memorable park opening day,
ten years ago. $40 car loads of visitors
arrived. That seemed to set the pace,
for every summer since has brought
more and more of the railway excur-
sionS 1t was thought that in the sea-
son of '93 the Worlds Fair would swell
the number of visitors al the falls. So
far as 1t affected the ort-stay excur-
this was not the case: yet In that |
season 4.273 carloads Especial excursion |
trains) were brought into the park. OF |
the 100000 visitors that summer, 256, $50 |
beonged to this class. Last summer the |
number was somewhat larger, but this |
1t Is stated. tho business has |
been less than usual, up to date. But |
even with only half a million people en- |
joying the freedom of the park each |
summer, 1t would seem that the policy |
of the state has been proved a wise one.
One apprehension. that was made much
of ten years ago, was that a free Mag
ara would mean license, damage to
structures and trees. vandalism gener-
ally, and an increase of accidents. Th.
decade passed has shown this fear to
be wholly groundless. The public does
not abuse it's own.