Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-06-09
Life on Hawaiian Sugar Plantation,

An American who OWLS a smear n1onta.
tion IN the Sandwich Islands writes to fine
San francisco Bulletin an interesting ac.
count OF the rapid growth and profit of the
enterprise. We quote:
''There is method in the growth Of the
cane. The same root once planted will
put forth three or four successive stalks
that Is, cutting the cane this season. Won
burn the dry leaves on the field, and i'm
medlately after the new ratoons on. spro77ts
spring up of their own accord from fhe ola
root, and are ready for cutting in two wears
from now; and this is repeated three or fon1
times before the old root is worn ont and >
new one demanded. Hands are necessary.
great many of them for wedding ont
the young sprouts, thinning the leaves of
the thriving cane and letting in the sun
upon 1t, for cutting, hauling, and the thou
sand little duties that keep US in running
order. Q
"The hands will marry; over and over
again, some of them. Children multiply.
and now we find over 300 souls occupying
% houses IN our little kingdom. There
are houses OF all descriptions. Many dwell
hngs, two schools, the mill and adjacent
sheds, shops for the cooper, blacksmith,
carpenter and butcher, storehouses. stores
V,
and bowling alley, for one needs some re-
creation here. Moreover, guests are both
frequent and numerous; the homestead.
with superfiuous room, is not enough; one
or two cottages arc built and await the
friend or stranger who looks in upon us.
cat daybreak the steam whistle at the
mill shrieks out its alarm, and The drowsv
Kanakers hurry to the front Various Ian
guages may be heard chiefly the Hawai-
ian. Here are Kanakers in abundance,
South Sea Islanders, Portuguese, Coolies.
Japanese, and perhaps Spaniard or two,
with some lew white men. All talking, all
having something to say, each one trying
to overcome his neighbor with a greater
volume OF voice. It reminds one of the
confusion Of tongues.
''Ihe IS yoEes of oxen are worked onjv
week at time, watered, and fed with
cane tops while in, and then turned ont tC
Craze. Fresh stock is necessary: the plant.
er must keep at least 130 yoke on hand, and
replenish when needful. A hundred horses
and mules are here also, many of them in
use daily; 600 head of cattle roam these
hills to supply our table and keep no the
stock Flocks of sheep and goats whitel
the meadows; /, 800 acres are allotted tc
these running herd; they are not crowded
Our market is we'll furnished with fresh
meats; vegetable gardens, orange, lime
and banana trees, pineapples in their sea
son, plenty of wild honey I have not seer
any locusts YETI and delicious wild ohid
supply our table. -......-
''fhree white men oversee the vital parts
Of the mlllwork. Four boilers furnish the
| juice, and strangely enough, the very cane
that has yielded it under the crushing roE
lers, gives its pith to be dried in the sun
and there is sufficient in quantity to keer
| the mill in motion. In other words. the
| mill runs to crush the cane and boil the
juice, and the cane it crashes is all that is
| requisite to keep it running Does not that
como pretty near to showing the myste. Y
Of perptual motion? It is very interesting
to see the little rivulet of sap flowing con
| stantly into It's receptacle, when, having
been boiled an hour and half, it is spread
IN the coolers and takes five days to get
| over 1t. And what a. sight this COOLING
| room is, with its great pans spread oye1
the toor. Just think Of halt an acre O.
molasses candy--thnt'a nhnnf iti ,Fhe,
when the whole has setted into u mass O
clayey mud, it is shuffled into those LITTLE
miracles, cent1fugals, where in two minu
tes and q half the muddy mass is whirle(
| into Al sugar.
cit is done so rapidly and so neatly yol
can see the brown fade out and the whit
come in. There is nothing prettier, no
| thing more poetical in the whole range O
mechanical invention. These centrifugal
are regular little poems any way. Yol
know the centrifugal is ike tub with
solid bottom and wire cloth sides, slipped
! into larger tub, which hitter is solid IN,
| stationary little Of the cold soft cau57
| is put into the inner tub and set in motion
the terrific rapidity with which tho macllin
spins round on it's axis throws out the mat
| ter in the bowl of it against the wire clotl
sides It throws it, moreover, with sucl
force that the molasses is literally squeezed
| through the wire cloth against The cute
| tub, which directs it into a receiver below
while the dry sugar remains firmly packe;
on the inside of the inner tub. Is ther
anything neater than that? The molasses
though of good quality, barely pays it
barreling, and one season it was allowed t.
flow off into the meadow below. Ther
was a small river OF molasses sweetenin,
the valley for seven months in the year.
''The sugar, when ready for it's kegs, ha
not long to wait, for the coopers are no
backward. At the beach, three miles fror
the mill, storehouse receives the kegs q
fast as they are filed, and thither a schoon
er COMES regularly to take them to Homo
, lulu, where they are reshipped, for Sa
Francisco and put into the market AS tn
day closes the employees take their las
meal of poi It is dealt out to them fro1
the Office, with proportions of hard brea
and California salmon. Sugar cane is a
ways allowed those who choose to eat it;
: is the universal choice, apparently, to eG
as much Of it as possible without explot
ing. For conscience sake the poi is brougt
I from neighboring district, and SOC
pounds of it are consumed every week.
is real satisfaction to watch the poi di
. appearing under the vigorous attack of 81
or eight hungry fellows gathered roun
one calahash. Having eaten their ALLOW
ance of poi and fish, and the days lab(
being completed, the evening is left
their diversions. -...