"You remind me of Miss Porter," said the lumber king.

"Miss Porter! Who is she?"

"When Miss Porter visited England and saw Mr. Gladstone, he asked her if
she had ever seen the Niagara Falls. 'Seen them?' she answered. 'Why, I
_own_ them!'"

"What did she mean by that? I confess I don't see the point, or perhaps
it isn't a joke."

"Oh yes, it is. You mustn't slight my good stories in that way. She
meant just what she said. I believe the Porter family own, or did
own, Goat Island, and, I suppose, the other bank, and, therefore,
the American Fall. The joke--I do dislike to have to explain
jokes, especially to you cool, unsympathising Bostonians--is the
ridiculousness of any mere human person claiming to own such a thing as
the Niagara Falls. I believe, though, that you are quite equal to it--I
do indeed."

"Thank you, Mr. Mason."

"I knew you would be grateful when I made myself clearly understood.
Now, what I was going to propose is this. You should apply to the
Canadian Government for possession of the Shawenegan. I think they would
let it go at a reasonable figure. They look on it merely as an annoying
impediment to the navigation of the river, and an obstruction which
has caused them to spend some thousands of dollars in building a slide
by the side of it, so that the logs may come down safely."