Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-15

Niagara, N. Y. June 12.-Going over
Niagara Falls in barrel Is one OF the
oldest stunts in America. The news.
paper story about someone who did
it is, sort OF national chestnut. And
yet II someone were to announce his
intention of going over Niagara in a
barrel tomorrow, there would be q
large crowd ON hand to see him do II
and everyone who couldn't be there
would read about it In the papers the
next day. %
1t is the same way with everything
about the great falls. They have been
visited and exploited and written
about ever since the first white men
laid eyes upon it. yet the interest in
them never dims. 1t Is a fact amply at
tested by the registers of Niagara
hotels that he who looks upon the
falls once nearly always comes back
to look again.
Speaking of going over the falls in
barrel, there Ia an old lady here
engaged in selling post cards to tour
lists who did the trick successfully
some forty years ago. Her story
deserves to rank as one Of the hard
est hard luck yarns in all the world
At the time she made the famous
leap she was beautiful youne
woman, who had come to Niagara te
earn living She fell .verv much in
; love with young man. who was as
penniless as herself. They put Their
heads together to devise a method Of
getting enough money to set up house
keeping. The young woman, full Of the
courage of her devotion. proposed tc
go over the falls in barrel while hel
lover was to collect admissions from
the people who came to see the event
She leaped the falls and was towed
ashore. unhurt and triumphant. But
, alas for loves young dream! Hell
fiance had left for parts unknown
with the gate receipts.
Most of the lovers who came to
Niagara. however, are happy newly
married ones. First-class honeymoons
for couples from the country are
Niagara's most important and remun
erative product. OF course, the citi
zens will tell you that they really
make their money out of a tremendous
commercial development. But you
have only to observe the respectful
consideration with which the newly
weds are treated, to realize that
Niagara knows a good thing when II
sees it.
Why people Jump over Niagara
Falls Is a question often threshed out
, in hotel Hobbies here. It appears that
only three have done so and come out
alive. Some Of the victims, OF course
obviously intended to commit suicide
while in other, cases the reason fol
the desperate leap was not at al
clear. Psychologists claim that not on
ly the cataract itself, but the foamine
rapids below. in. which SO many have
gone to their deaths, exercise an ir
resistible fascination over some per
sons. so that they leap in spite o.
themselve
Every precaution is now taken t.
prevent such occurrences. In order tt
end your troubles by the romantic
method Of leaping into the foaminl
torrent nowadays. you must over
come a large and healthy policeman
and then climb high iron railing
Everyone does exactly the same
things at Niagara, and that no doubt
i Is one Of its charms to the mass o.
tourists who pour through the towI
every summer. They do not have
to think where to 60, or how. The
first thing. Of course, Is to peer ovel
the railing at the great falls, to- ex
perience the appropriate sensations
and utter the appropriate scream
gasp or sigh Of delight. Everyone, o.
course, Is deeply and properly i'm
pressed. The comments Of the fem
mime visitors assay about SO pei
cent staccato superlatives. while The
masculine comment, though more re