The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-06-03


NE4 over the union protests have
poured in against the fur
Their designation of Niagara's wonder
full beauty for commercial purposes.
And due heed has been given to the
protests; Niagara is not to be turned
over to the devastators. 1t is hoped our
country may long continue to regard as
one of the noblest of her many shrlnes
of natural beauty the wonderland OF
Niagara.
Years ago agitation was employed to-
wards the preservation of Niagara, put
it is said the honor belongs to couple
of Scotchmen of making the first real
suggestion that the place be carefully
protected. After a visit to America,
these words of theirs were published:
Niagara does not belong to Canada or
America. Such spot should be deemed
the property of civilized mankind, and
nothing should be allowed to weaken
this efficacy on the tastes, the morals
and enjoyment of men" -
The Niagara region is territory OF
no great extent but famed the world
around for the grandeur Of its falls, the
loneliness of the surrounding country,
and it's preservation IS certainly ques-
ton of national, if not of international
concern. And the historical assocla-
lions lend added interest to the pres
ervation of innumerable landmarks
about Niagara Here it was the red
men held their councils. Here, at an
early date, the daring French traders
penetrated, and there is proof that the
intrepid French missionaries crossed
the Niagara river in the days of the mis-
sionary zeal of France. For the four
score years the French had dominion
in America. they considered the Niagara
region most important portion of their
domain.
Among the noted names connected
with Frances enterprise in this local
ity is that of Jacques Cartier, and in al
account Of Carriers second voyage tc
the st. Lawrence is presented the frs
reference to the Great Lakes country
and the wonderful cataract now known
as Niagara. In Champlain's "Des Saw
ages" published in 1903, mention j:
made of waterfall and river, doubtles!
Niagara Falls and river; and in hi:
Voyages" the same explorer tells of {
very high waterfall at the end of Lake
st. Louis (Ontario), where many kind!
of fish are stunned in the descent" /
is thought Brule, Champlain's inter
prefer, may have been the first Whit
man really to look upon the falls. IL
1926. a Franciscan priest Travelled OIL
the Niagara river, and IA years later two
Jesuit fathers crossed and recrossed tn
stream. In the Jesuit Relations" repor
is given of work with the Indian nation
''Onguiaahra, having the same name a
the river"
In 1857, the location of the falls an
lakes was correctly made in Samson
map of Canada, the falls being called tn
"Ongiarra Falls" In 1869 La Sale ant
Rene Gallinee travelled to the west EN-
of Lake Ontario, and Gallinee's journa
gives an account of Niagara as describes
to him by the Indians; speaks OF the fac
that "the river falls al, that place from
a rock higher than the tallest pines.
Father Hennepin saw the wonderful
place for himself, in 1878, and his repor
| of it's beauty was widely read in Europe
his books on the new world being trans
| lated into many languages. Fathe
| Hennepin was the first to use the pres
ent spelling of Niagara. The word ha
been variously interpreted; "thunde
of the waters seems very fitting if no
accurate.
Fort Niagara was the last of the i'm
portant posts held by the French in thei
system of Notifications connectin
Louisiana and their possessions in east
ern Canada and this presently fell un
der the grasp of the conquering English
The English then made pow-wow wit
| the Indian inhabitants of the land, ha
their acquisition ratified by the natives
| Sir William Johnson, in 1854, at For
Niagara assembling 1000 Indian wal
riors of the region, and having coded t
him, for his sovereign, a strip of Ian
four miles wide on each bank of tn
Niagara river, and also acquiring at thi
time all the islands in the river. No
for long, however, did the English con
tinue in possession, for their title t
things in America was presently weak
ened by the American revolution
Within 20 years after her procuratio
of the territory, England was forced t
give up one-half the lands bordering O
the Niagara river-counting the islands
more than one-half, but it was not unit
1916 it was absolutely conceded tina
most of the islands in the Niagara rive
| belonged to the United States.
During the war of 1872 the Niagar
frontier was in the heart of the horde
warfare. Lewiston, Fort George. New