UNITED STATES AND CANADA 113 



commercial union, whose leading organ the next 

 day virtually threw its child overboard. 



Shortly after noon on Saturday, December 31, 

 Sir David Macpherson and his son came to see us 

 off at the Union depot, where we once more got 

 on board " The Cumberland " and took our de- 

 parture for Niagara. Just as we were starting 

 a Birmingham man rushed up and insisted 

 on shaking hands with Mr. Chamberlain, who 

 was always delighted to meet his old townsmen. 

 " You ain't much changed, sir, since I saw you 

 fifteen years ago," said the man ; " still the same 

 old Joe " — a sally which much amused the Chief. 

 We made a short halt at Hamilton, where a crowd 

 of the leading citizens visited Mr. Chamberlain, 

 including the Mayor of that town, who intro- 

 duced twenty-two of the " faculty " of the Univer- 

 sity. We reached Niagara between three and four, 

 and put up at a new hotel called the Prospect House, 

 which was specially opened for us, the only visitors, 

 almost before it was quite finished or the walls dry. 

 This hotel was on the American side. Before dinner 

 we went and had a look at the Horseshoe Falls. So 

 many far abler pens than mine have placed on record 

 their first impressions on seeing this vast flow of water 

 and hearing the roar it causes, that there is no need 



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