The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-09-08

Hoxorulu AnusEnEHrss-It has been said that the
civilization Of q nation is expressed in the character
Of its amusements. If this saying is true. and Il the
games Of marbles. flying kite. &C.. are emblematic OF
a high state Of civilization, we think there must De
little further room for the advancement of the native
race. Bat and ball is Il being introduced among the
natives and bids fair. to become q favorite game. 1t
is but a few months since flying kites was all the
rage. The natives, taking lessons from the emma
men, soon learned to equal their teachers in the art
Of making kites; and one could not go into the street
without seeing half a dozen curious specimens oil
Hawaiian ingenuity soaring and sailing in the upper
air. OF late, the fashion has taken another turn.
Kites have disappeared from the town, and marbles
are all the go-much to the annoyance OF nervous
pedestrians. Upon every sidewalk which has a toler-
ably hard and smooth surface, are distributed, at ir-
regular intervals, groups of boys-in some instances
men-deeply. absorbed in the fascinating game. ia
merchant misses one of his native assistants from the
store, the chances are ten to one that he is in the
next street playing marbles; and if he sends him to
the farther end of the town on an errand, the boys
greatest ambition is to find a companion who Will
snap marbles with him all the way. fla man PUSHES
round a corner, in a hurry, he is sure to tumble over
a group of marble players; and ifa wild bullock should
conceive the brilliant thought of pitching into them,
we think the chances-are about seven to four that
they would wait and finish the game before they ran
away. "
PLANT TREEs.-It is really refreshing to notice
year by year the rapid growth of trees in Honolulu.
The old residents tell us that forty years ago, scarcely
a tree was to be seen where this city now stands, except
ing a few cocoanuts along the beach, and some
pandanus trees along the Nuuanu stream. From
Mauna Xea street out towards the Stone Church was
as barren as the Waikiki race course. How changed
Among the finest of our trees is the Pride of India.
As an ornamental tree it has few equals, and the ra-
pidity of it's growth and the durability of it's wood,
make it especially valuable for many uses. In favor
able localities four years only are necessary to pro-
duce from the seed, a tree fifty feet in height. with q
straight stem tall enough for several lengths of posts.
Few trees are better adapted than the Pride of India
for planting around a house, where it is desired to
secure O pleasant shade as soon as possible; and
farmers will in many cases find it to their Interest TO
plant it for the sake of the wood. A fine grove of
them can be seen at Judge Kapena's, nearly opposite
the Methodist Church. Again we say, plant trees,
and in a few years, Honolulu will be a perfect grove
from one end to the other.
BIBLE AND TRACT SocIETY.-Rev. E. G. Beckwith
delivered on Saturday evening last. in the Fort Street
hhS ohAooA
Bible and Tract Society,-one of the most able. and
interesting discourses ever preached in Honolulu.
The church was we'll filled. At the close Of the SER
vices n collection, amounting to about 500, was
taken up for the benefit of the association. This
Society formed by a union of the Bible Society and
the Tract Society in May last, has since that period.
published and distributed three tracts-fve thousand
copies each-in the native language, besides distrihu-
ting many bibles, tracts and good books among
foreigners of various nations. 1t is the design of the
association to print, for the future, at least one tract
a month in the native language.
PRAIsEwoRTHY.-It is not often that we have OPP
portunity to notice conduct deserving of more praise
than an instance which occurred last week. The
friends of Mrs. L.. L. Torbert, of Makawao, hearing
that she lay at the point of death, desired DIR. S. P.
Ford, their family physician, to proceed thither and
endeavor to save her life. The Doctor cheerfully
yielded to their solicitations, and with only five hours
notice took passage in the .Moikeiki, a craft of some
thirty or forty tons. Immediately on reaching Laha-
ina. he took n horse and rode p~osthaste over the
mountain road some forty miles to the plantation.
Whether the Doctors valuable advice will save the
life of his patient, remains to be seen; but such disin-
terested conduct is worthy of public notice. DIR.
Ford's friends will regret to learn that he intends
leaving soon for the United States.
QUEENS HospITAL-The official report of the ply
sician of the hospital, states that during the month
of August, 1856 sick persons applied for relief at the
dispensary. The number of consultations given them
during that period was about 800. Fourteen patients
were received into the hospital, of whom four had been
discharged, leaving ten in the house on the last day
of the month. There are accommodations for only
ten, under the present management. During the
month upward of 400 prescriptions were made up.
There seems to be no difficulty, as many apprehended
there would be in the want of confidence of the natives
in the hospital; and we trust this is but the beginning
Of a long career of usefulness.
CHINESE PHYsICIAYs-In another column is a
communication referring to the refusal of the Medi-
cal Board to grant a licens0sto Chinese Physicians
to practice in Honolulu. On what specific grounds
the refusal is made, we do not know. But it Will ap-
pear to most persons o. unreasonable that a per-
NIT should be withheld from a competent physician,
because his theory and practice do not square with
our antiquated notions. AS we'll might the Minister
of the Interior refuse to license Chinese store keepers,
because they choose to conduct their business on a
different mode from foreigners. We trust THAI the
medical board will reconsider their decision, and
grant the licenses asked without further appeal to the
public. -
OLD REsnDEsTs--We notice with pleasure the re-
turn Of two of our former residents, Mr.. s. Peck,
in the ship c~handlery business at Lahaina.
Mr.. Chas. E. Hitchcock, formerly editor of tue
Poiynesian, and at present Hawaiian Consul for the
port of San Francisco. Both these gentlemen notice
great changes since their residence here and think
Honolulu gives every evidence Of going ahead
insteads of backwards, as some will have it, that We
IRE going. -
Police CoURT.-No less than twenty native women
were brought up before the Police Court on Monday
morning last. Five of them, occupants of q house in
Hotel Street, we're for d~isordery conduct and va
grancy, and in default Of $25 security for Ature
good behavior, sentenced to one week imprisonment
and c-osts-amounting to SO 60 each. Fourteen,
charged with blocking up the sidewalks, and being