Western Wanderings

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. NIAGARA TO CHICAGO. The Cataract House?Proffers of assistance?A soliloquy?The Falls? Tolls?A want of caution?Curiosities?An elevator?Birds?Over the Falls ? A 'sleeping-car' ? Tobacco-chewing?Snoring?Lake Michigan. As it was late when we arrived at the ' Cataract House, ' where we had engaged...
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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. NIAGARA TO CHICAGO. The Cataract House?Proffers of assistance?A soliloquy?The Falls? Tolls?A want of caution?Curiosities?An elevator?Birds?Over the Falls ? A 'sleeping-car' ? Tobacco-chewing?Snoring?Lake Michigan. As it was late when we arrived at the ' Cataract House, ' where we had engaged rooms, we deferred taking our first view of the Great Falls until the following morning. The bedrooms at the above-named hotel are about the size of an ordinary ship's cabin, their numerousness probably making up for their diminutiveness; at all events, in the eyes of the proprietor. After an early ' current bath ' of the most intensely cold water I ever bathed in, we made our way to the chief of the natural ' wonders of the world.' Guides and touts of all descriptions pressed their services upon 'us; urged us to take carriages, though the distance was only a few hundred yards, and generally proffered assistance, which, having no need of, we resolutely declined. Then, conscious of having brought on ourselves the utter contempt of the crowd of would-be showmen, yet remaining firm in'our determination not to be ' done, ' ve were all the more prepared to enjoy the magnificent spectacle awaiting us. Most of us, probably, have mentally pictured to ourselves the famous Falls of Niagara; almost as soon, perhaps, as we were able to read or first heard with shuddering interest the numerous tales that are told of boats swept with their human freight down the rushing rapids, never again to be seen. Having always had a great love for bold natural scenery, the pleasure experienced from it being intensified when water forms its prominent feature, it had ever seemed to me that the Niagara Falls must be the culminating point of grandeur in nature. I had looked forward so much to the .