Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-11-30
A Trip 70 suitals and Niaaara

At the whirlpool staten we PURCHASED
a few souvenir postal cards and mailed
them to our many friends; then we
went out and stood OH the extreme
point of the promontory; to our right
the whirling, eddying maelstron., to
our left the mighty river after it energies
from the whirlpool, and directly in
front of us the river in its mad rush
through the rapids. But train com
ing along, we boarded it and were soon
whirling long toward Queenstown.
| We did not leave the train here, but
crossed the river on the old suspension
bridge to Lewiston. A customs house is
located at the entrance to the bridge
but we we're not interviewed: perhaps
Our appearances we're satisfying.
| At Lewiston where the train waitcl
for about twenty minutes we were as
sailed by numerous fruit sellers, and as
they only asked ten cents a basket, for
which we were in the habit of paying
about forty cents, we invested. Leav-
| ing Lewiston, we continued our Jour
ney toward the falls. For the entire
distance the road is made by cutting
along and into the face of the cliff. On
the left. the cliff rises abruptly eighty
or one hundred feet in height, while on
the right and sixty to eighty feet below
runs the river. Rounding the point
opposite the whirl pool, we came upon,
to us, the grandest sight of all, the
angry, rushing, roaring rapids For
some distance. our train ran only some
twenty or thirty feet above Il level
with the river, affording an excellent
view. Here the angry breakers rise
often TO a height of ten or twelve feet
and break into spray or foam and fall
back, only TO rise again like some Gagged
beast trying TO escape. Reaching the
| falls again we crossed the series Of low
stone bridges which span the American
portion Of the stream. reaching from
shore TO island and from island to
lisland, and built almost on the very
brink OF the cataract, we soon reached
Goat Island, which separates the Amer
lean from the Canadian falls. Crossing
the island to its extreme western side
we crossed short foot bridge out upon
large table rock which forms part
of the brink of the precipice From
this point we could easily have lcaped
over the falls into the gorge below, but
we didn't do it,
Remembering that we were twenty
five miles from our base of supplies, we
rctraced our steps and boarding a
train, were soon enroute for Buffalo,
where we arrived, tired and oh. SO
hungry. And by the way, they told us
that the state of New York owned the
American falls and the Dominion gov
that everything was free, but somehow
we got back to Buffalo, but we felt
well paid for time and expense.
Our convention closed on the evening
of September 20, and from that until 5
p. IN. on the 22nd, almost without
Sleep, feed or water we settled bills
incident upon the gathering. By noon
of Saturday, the 22d, we were ready
for our homeward journey, but our
train would not start until 1920 p. m,
SO in company with the Grand Chief
Carman f. L. Ronemus and his wife,
the grand president of the LOYAL Star,
and an old friend of Bro. Ronemus, we
started for drive through the resi-
dcnce portion of Buffalo
We we're somewhat surprised at the
contrast between the residence portion
and the business districts. The city
has many magnificent homes. Among
Others we may mention the forme
residence of Ell hu Root and the present
home of Goodyear, of rubber fame. We
also saw the home of President Fill
more, now a hotel and known as Gas
tie Inn We saw too the house where
President Mckinley died, as also the
one in which President Roosevelt took
the oath of office. We visited the old
exposition grounds. the Zoo and the
cemetery, AMI Delaware park. In the
cemetery we saw wat we consider one
of the finest works of art it has ever
been our good fortune to see, this may
be partly on account of the circum-
stances, memory of which is perpetu-
ated in marble. This beautiful creation
is known as the Blochcr monument.
About twenty years ago there lived
in Buffalo a family by tie name of
.Blocher, consstiog Of father, mother
and son, who was the only child. Be
ing we'll supplied with this worlds
goods, the parents were very anxious
that when the son chose a wife it
should be from among those of wealth
and high social standing. But fate de-
creed otherwise; he fell in love with
young woman far below him in point
of wealth and social standing and tried
for years to gain the approval of his
parents, but they were unrelenting III
he married the girl of his choice he
would be an outcast from the home of
his parents and the woman he loved be
o;tracised by his former friends and
associates. One evening his parents
found him living on a couch. Upon his
breast lay his album with his right
hand between the pages where was the
picture of the woman he 10 ed. Here
he lay, dead by his own hand, dead
rather than live without her, or marry
ing her, subject her to the contumely
of parents and friends When too late
the parents realized their false position
They asked her, who but for their OPP
position would have been a happy
wife, to share their home and be as one
Of the family She accepted the offer
and for twenty years has devoted her
life to comforting the heart broken
parents and is today the almost con-
slant companion and stayof the father,
who is now a feeble old man. Five or
six years after the death of the son.
the mother, heart-broken and weary of
life, passed away and was buried beside
the son who she had helped to wrong.
Before the mother died, the parents
erected to the memory OF the son the
monument of which we spoke.
1T stands only few yards from the
public drive. and is the mecca sought
by many pilgrim. 1t is circular in
form, about forty-tive feet in circum-
ference at the base. Pedestal is formed
of four courses of stone, each about one
feotsin height, and each about two feet
less in diameter than the next below.
thus forming stair of four steps. Sur
mounding this celestial are four col
umns about nine feet in hight, upon
which rests the dome shaned roof Ra