Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-11-16
A Trip Is Buffals and Niagara
Falls.

On October 9TH in company with
quite a number of delegates we board
ed train on one of the suburban cleo
trio lines. and started for Niagara Falls
twenty-five miles away. This was de-
lightful ride. through an open country
of nice farms and fine orchards; but
were somewhat surprised at the lack of
up-to-datc improvements on the farms
any western state through which we
have travelled can show better farm
buildings, better fences, better cultiva-
ton, and i'll fact more evidences of push
and prosre siveness, than we saw any
where east of Chicago; and this fact
brings up train of thoughts of which
we will write at some future time
The journey to Niagara City consum-
ed about an hour, at the end of which
we found ourselves N city of some
Is or2O thousand, del ghtfully situated
upon the banks OF the Niagara river,
and under the continuous roar of the
cataract. Our first visit was to ,nu-
scum where was kept for sale all kinds
of curios and souveniers: these brought
to mind the Native Indians, whom
Mark Twain found making trinkets,
and who spoke the English language,
with an Irish accint
Having stocked up on mementos
nothing stronger,) we boarded another
car for the trip across the high bridge
which spans the river just below the
falls. About the center of the bridge
the car stopped for a short time to af-
ford the tourists a good view of the
Falls: but we did not take snapshot,
for some twenty reasons that the Ger.
man mayor of the town had for not
firing cannon salute when his town
was visited by a government official.
My first reason was had no kodak,
and the second was, that we had one
we would not have known how to OPP
retc it. We do not deem it necessary
to give the other eighteen reasons.
Our view was fine, being able from our
position tosee at one glance the entire
falls and churning river below Reach
ing the Canadian side, went at once to
tunnel House" where we registered
for trip behind the waterfall. EN-
changing half dollar for complete
rainsuit. including cloye-titting
hood and rubbers. and, resemble
ing a party of Esquimos more than hui
man beings, we entered the elevator
and descended 100 feet to the mouth of
tunnel. wide enough to admit of
about four persons walking abreast,
and about eight feet high. This TUNE!
is about five or six hundred feet long,
and dug through soft stone: it was
made by the Canadian government and
and cost, SO we were told. one million
dollars We supposed this was in Ca
madam money at 20 per cent discount,
and so we discounted the story 20 per
cent. This with all respect for the ac-
Movement. We traversed this passage
for about one-third is length, and
came to where a side passage led off to-
ward the face Of the cliff. which is one
hundred and siNty-five feet, and per-
pendicular We soon found ourselves
standing in the mouth of tn, opening
in the face of the cliff, one hundred feet
from the top and sixty-6ve feet down,
almost below us, was the seething,
churning. boiling waters after their
leap, 1865 feet, to the bottom of the
gorge. About two hundred feet to our
right was the edge Of the sheet of fall
ling water, and the spray fell, or rather
eddied in great drops around us; and
we appreciated the value Of our UNI
couth habilaments The sight was
grand srd the 1oar almost deafening,
while the earth seems to tremblc con-
stantly from the force exerted by the
fall of such volumn of water from so
great a heighth. Below on the river
was that doughty little excursion
steamer. The Maid of the Mist her
decks crowded with throng who like
ourselves were protected againgt the
perpetual rainfall by oiled suits This
little steamer as it nosed around among
the whirling currents, almost to the
foot of the fall, reminded us of those
grey water-bugs, one sees in small
ponds. Going back to the main tunnel
and continuing our journey we soon
emerged through second side passage
This time SO close to the falling water
as to be almost able to touch it with
the hand: in fact we were about asclose
we wanted to be. Here the scene was
much the same as at the last stopping
place, only the moving currents of air
were much stornger and the rain drops
larger. and beat upon us with all the
violence of hard rain storm. only in
stead of coming down they moved in
every direction. Here our charitable
ness was awakened and had we been
wearing hat, instead of close hood.
we would certainly have contributed it
to the cause. Again we sought the
main passage to emerge for the third
time, this time directly behind the fall