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The iSliagara Falls Trip 



It seemed impossible in I'onsiilerinK in advance the trip to Niagara 

 Falls planned by the Buffalo Lumber Exchange for the visitors to 

 the National Hardwood Lumber Association convention, that such 

 an immense project involving the handling of 500 or 600 people could 

 be successfully carried out over a route which at the same time was 

 open to the public and the arrangements for which had been so 

 elaborate. It turned out, however, that the well-oiled machinery 

 organized for the occasion ran smoothly with the entirely unfore- 

 seen and almost inconceivable happening that in the midst of the 

 tremendous power of the rapids and the falls, a delay of three- 

 quarters of an hour was effected by a shortage of power which would 

 not take the cars up the two comparatively slight inclines which 

 they had to climb. Except for this, however, everything went off 

 smoothly and with the utmost enjoyment on the part of everyone. 



The slight shower which occurred at Brook's Monument did not 

 mar the occasion, but rather lent a little additional interest and 

 amusement, especially to those who were fortunate enough to gain 

 the slielter of the cars before the real force of the downpour arrived. 



The excursion started from the Hotel Statler, Buffalo, promptly at 

 2 o'clock on Thursday afternoon, the weather being promising at 

 that time. The cars lined up before the Statler hotel and started out 

 as filled, there being twelve cars in all. The trip through Buffalo, 

 past the beautiful residence sections and the imposing manufacturing 

 districts, was made interesting by the ' ' captains ' ' of the various 

 cars who explained the different points of interest as they were 

 reached. Each captain was backed up by a lieutenant whose chief 

 business it was to assist the conductor in seeing that no one got by 



without biting off the proper portion of the transcontinental ticket 

 each was required to carry, and also took it upon himself to zeal- 

 ously and jealously guard the supply of cigars which had l«?en pro- 

 vided by the Buffalo lumbermen for him to carry ostentatiously 

 around under his arm. It is true that in most of the cars the attend- 

 ing lieutenant condescended to open up the first box, but whether or 

 not the second box was but a bluff or whether the lieutenant consid- 

 ered it legitimate plunder could not be learned. 



Eventually, after turning an unusual series of corners, I'limliing 

 inclines, seeminglj- for the mere purpose of enjoying the coa.st down 

 the other side, the party arrived at the city of Niagara Falls, where 

 a stop of three minutes was made before the first bar sighted. It 

 can readily bo appreciated that after a warm ride lasting an hour 

 and a half a considerable number of the excursionists were anxious 

 for the capture of this stronghold by immediate attack, but as each 

 car got up to the spot, and the besiegers were ready for attack, 

 the conductor gave the signal to go ahead again, and the attacking 

 parties dropped back in their seats exhausted from the nervous strain 

 of their anticipated enjoyment of the prospective spoils. 



The cars then started on a slow trip across the international 

 bridge, where a great many of the visiting lumbermen were given 

 their first sight of the grandeur of Niagara. The light struck the 

 deep waters of the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side at just the 

 right angle to bring out the intense and beautiful greenness which 

 characterizes that section of the Falls. In contrast with this the 

 shallower waters of the .\morican Falls were one foaming mass of 

 white. Tl.ere was ju-t enough daze tn -iv,. to t).e ^ .i,.' the vague- 



LOOKIXG .\T BETTY I.NGERS.VLI.S MONUMENT AT BROCKS 



LOOKING THE WRONG WAY TO SEE THE GORGE AT DEVILS HOLE 



