Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-01-16
HARVESTING NIAGARA,
The Erosive Effects OF Time on the Rocky
Foundation Of the Great Waterfall.

I NtAkIAnA.
The Erosve Effects Of Time on the Rocky
Foundation Of the Great Waterfall.
New Orleans Times Democrat
Biologists have known for century
or more that Niagara Falls were a
mere ephemeral demonstration of ma
ture. With each year the line OF the
falls recedes, and the time must come
when there will be only a rapid from
one stream to another. This would
not occur in our day, however, and we
could afford to let posterity weep over
the disaster. But human hands are
Fastening what nature has always
threatened, and the Toronto Globe is
already singing an eloquent lament
over the passing of the cataract as an
other instance OF the irresistible COM
mercialism of our people. The same
commercialism that has "denuded
forests, slaughtered wild animals and
birds, leveled hills and filled up val.
leys, and obliterated Natures hand
work at all points," is now, says the
Globe, Fastening the time when "the
cataract of Niagara will be chasing its
tail in a turbine wheel like Gagged
squirrel" The Globe declares, if the
destruction of the cataract can make
a town grow up where it grew some-
where else before or would otherwise
have grown up somewhere else, the
achievement will be hailed as a sue.
cess"
The Globe sees but one ray of hope
in the situation. It proposes that
when water concessions are granted
hereafter it be done with the express
stipulation that provision be made for
certain Niagara days. 1t says: at
would be splendid thing to be able
to announce that the Niagara Falls
would be turned on from 8 A. M. till
10 80 p. M. on certain date, when ex-
cursionists would have an opportunity
of seeing the great wonder OF nature
in its original condition"
There is vein Of very sad truth in
this satirical outburst. But what can
be done about it, The only possible
way to preserve the falls would be to
make government reservation OF
them. and the Globe proposes some-
thing of that kind for the Canadian
falls. It demands that concesionaries
be kept off OF the Horseshoe Falls and
that only the American Falls be con-
demned to" chase its tail in turbine
wheel like Gagged squirrel" The
American Falls are doomed. The new
town will need the water power Of the
falls to haul its street cars, light its
streets and tnrn its wheels Of trade.
The necessities OF the human race are
constantly increasing, and these neces-
sites must be met. Poor old Niagara
must contribute her share. If she
make two sky.scrapers rise where none
rose before, and make possible the de-
claring OF dividends where none were
declared before, what more can be
hoped fort Why should not nature
contribute her full share to the COM
fort OF the human racer We may not
be as picturesque as we were but we
will be able to smoke better cigars, and
to wear better clothes. The blue nose
which acquires dividends from the har-
Messing OF Niagara can afford to buy
oil paintings of the falls, as they were
before the turbines began to work, and
perhaps he will be OF that type of phil
anthropist which turn over to the pub.
lie his effects when he retires from
the world and has no further use for
them. Thus, the public will always
have an opportunity OF seeing the falls
as they once were, while the turbines
will continue to grind grist and coin
dollars. The world will be less beau.
tiful when we are through with it, but
we have reached that point where we
must take advantage of every offering
of nature for material purposes. What
is more beautiful, anyway, than the
churning OF a turbine-to the man
who owns the turbine?