The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-06-01
TOAD. and Road Making.

country. and that i tie making u good ROADS,
whereby communication i facilitated with re
mote -~--tiJns. and their prcduec can - brought
. market without the cost Of transportation
eating Up the profits. The ancients thoroughly
understood this subject. and none more - than
the Romans. who Taid particular attention 70
the public road II the Empire. though doubtless
IN many instances more - a military Ire'anti0n
than for the purpose Of henehrting the countries
whittier they led. They however did their work
ia a remarAaLly thorough manner. many Of their
roads Icing still extanJ and in a. good condition
today a. they were Two thousand years ago.
The task Of making good road- in these Islands
l. otentimes 4 very hari one. especially through
the rugged volcanic districts. like Hamakua and
South kona. Hawaii, where i. l. next 10 i'm
possible o. make more than q bridle-Iath down
and up the steep ~gulches, and over the finty
lava flows But by yearly repeated e~xertI5ns.
the general condition Of the public roads. esIe-
cially on this island, has been greatly improved
since fifteen OF twenty years ago. Some OF our
readers can well remember when there were no
roads In OF around Honolulu. Then there was
no getting 70 the pali in a carriage. and the
Lridle-rath was knee deep with mud Now,
not ONLY i there a good road to the precipice.
but carriages have in a number Of instances gone
down the Iali % KOOlau. Once down. the rUads
wind smoothly over the alluvial plain. and the
whole circuit Of the island can be traver-ed-
Ten years ago. it was considered quite a feat 10
make the tour round Oahu. and a week of more
was occupied in IerfIrming it. Now a. was
stated last week, the mail carrier can make the
circuit in only twcnty-four hours. while teams
frequently perform Il in two or three days.
II was recently stated in the Government
Gl-.iie, that the Road Supervisor had purchased
the contracts Of twelve ecolies. for the purpose
Of employing them on the roads. This strikes
u A. 4 very judiciou= move. With this gang
Of workmen constantly employed, a great deal
can De accomplished in the course Of a year in
repairing and constructing roads. These laborers
will in tie eour-c Of time become familiar with
their work, and with proper superintendence.
their labor viii be far more valuable than the
chili's play Of kanakas nominally working out
the road tax. or the grudsinsly-p erforned labor
Of prisoners. Capt. Luce certainly deserves no
small degree Of credit for his energy and Ierse-
yerance in keeping the roads in the neishborhoOd
Of the city in a tDlenble state of repair, consid-
ering the amount and kind of labor he Las had
at his disposal.
But We need more extended avenues out Of
the city, not only for the increasing travel and
traffic. but where the tired citizens may obtain
fresh air and a change of scene after the iatigues
and heat Of the day. The road to Eva, or IIa-
lava, if continued in the same style a. that
portion running rs far as Kalihi. would make a
fine drive. IL would be better, TO doubt. could
the highway be Strengthened in many places. and
l. -L--al--1N H.. III. :
ample material near at hand, ON the makai side
Of the Kalihi rad. in the -lape Of the decayel
coral reef, which has. ages gone by. risen out
Of the sea, and now lies really for the use Of the
road maker. No better material could be sought
than what nature has provided. The black vol
canic sand which 80 generally underlies the PLAIN
around cur extinct PunchbOwl crater. when
mixed with the proper proportion of earth,
makes an excellent hard road, and the coral con-
crete, Of which such large deposits are found
10 the westward of the city Is nearly if not quite
a. gO5d for roadmaking.
Another public road which should he laid out
and vigorously prosecuted, is that leading TO
Coco Head, by the way of the Telegraph station,
and returning around Diamond Head. King
street extended on beyond Capt. Luce's, nearly
straight, would PASS near the Waikiki Church
and cross the telegraph ridge near the present
road. From that point on 10 Coco Head, its
construction is perfectly feasible, and the whole
cost would be but a few thousand dollars. The
lands near by viii be greatly enhanced in
value. whenever this Improvement Is made. The
Bay of Waialae, between Diamond and Coco
Heads, affords some very pretty sitcs for country
cottages, and good facilities for sea bathing.
W. -. 49,. -. D..1 S,,---;-.- - -
been at work on the Waikiki road, which Is
being put in good condition, and viii make the
best drive around Honolulu, though it is mar
rover than such an avenue should be. 1t should
be continued, as soon as possible. through Mr.. l..
McCully's land, directly past the telegraph sta
ton, thence on the route we have indicated
around Diamond Head. and 20 back to town.
1t Is somewhat surprising that Liiha street.
which was laid out some ten or twelve years
since, should have remained 50 long without
improvement. SO far as can be Judged from
observation, not a shovelful of dirt has been
added or taken from it during that time, and
for vehicles ii l. next TO imIassable. That street
properly drained and raised in the center with
coral or lava stones and black sand, could be
easily made into a fine road, which would greatly
enhance the value of the real estate contiguous,
aud bring into market several hundred building
lots which are now practically shut out. Still
more would such be the case if cross streets were
cut through from Nuuanu to Liliha. by the
extension Of Kukui and School streets. and the
opening of a third near the upper bridge. De
building lots are exceedingly scarce in
Honolulu. and the opening of these new streets
would tend to draw out capital now IDLY locked
up. a. natives and foreigners will improve their
lands by erecting larger and better dwellings.
And this would inrIart activity to other branches
Of trade, as carpenters will be kept busy. lum-
and lumber vessels find increased trade.
In this way every improvement made by Gov