The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-03-02

To The Editor Of he Pacific Commercial Advertiser +;
DEAR Sn.-I trust you will allow me through
your columns to give public expression to a few ideas
that recent labors in public improvements have
brought up, and ia connection Herewith 70 offer a
few suggestions.
To a returned resident, Honolulu as n city shows
marked Improvement in the past ten or twelve years
in its buildings, streets, wharyes, &c, oil denoting
the onward march Of progress in both q commercial
and social point OF view I; and when one secs any
branch Of trade or business not in keeping with the
progressive spirit Of the age, 1t not only attracts
notice from its conspicuousness, but is an offered
insult to good sense and taste. and the higher the
degree Of improvement in other things the greater
will be the contrast.
These ideas have suggested themselves by such
sign-work as has been done lately in our midst,
showing that that branch Of trade, instead Of keep
ing pace with the others, has deteriornted. This was
very perceptible in the sign-work painted on A. w.
PIERCE & Co.'S. building q short time since, where tho
large letters, unproportional and unshapely, meeting
one from all sides, harrass the feelings and disturb
the mind-totally the reverse Of the lettering on the
doors and shutters Of the same building. Prominent
as is this atrocious work, still more 30 Ia the front
work done on the building just erected by C. u.
Williams, which, as a building, is an ornament 10
the city. but the sign-work thereon is a burning
shame.
Grant me space, Mr.. Editor, while / note n few Of
the eye-sores, for the verihcation Of my statement
We will take ia the first place. HAYsELDES Bios. in
tended handsome gilt lettered sign. The letters are
what are known as block, with rounding corners ;
but whoever saw an n made with a shoulder at It's
foot2 Don't take this for an Irish Bull, Mr.. Editor,
/ am quite correctly That is, for a shoulder 10 run
out below as il does above. which 10 illustrate fully
I all ,,oIa tI,o. NJ ug fHaro - M fyr. rr.Ha tIak
will exactly show it as il is. The X is Of two differ
ent styles, the upper part belonging 10 the general
style of the letters, while the lower or tail part be-
longs to the beveled corner style.
The same fault Of an n occurs in FURNITURE On
the front Of the building, while proportion Of letters
and space is wholly ignored in the whole work. The
n and NJ in PIANOS and MACHINES, in Roman letters,
are Of styles never known or seen, and 50 different
from what they should be that type cannot shog the
error. Were the whole words carried out in the same
style this would not be q fault, though IL would
be quaint and peculiar, still uniformity would give
il a name and place. 1872 10 crown all, il not
straight, nor are the figures Of the same height. Be
sides all this, the "artist'' appears to have had n very
slight conception Of the proper use Of points-apostro-
Plies, commas or periods.
All sign work, done as it is for attraction and to
last, should be executed to please instead Of 10 annoy,
and however plain or cheap the work may be done,
proportion and uniformity must be observed, without
which the most expensive work is ruined, and per-
ID anent insult offered to the public taste.
In this connection, it may not be amiss 10 call at
tention to the lettering Of the majority Of the Fire
Buckets about the city that have been marked with
anything for & brush and anything from blacking TO
paint for a material. 1t is a matter Of wonder that
the human trait Of claiming all we own, and owning
all we claim, has been lost sight Of. because IL was a
law-required duty. Should n fire occur that would
call into use these commodities FOR say two hours, or
even one, where would be the Distinguishing heiro-
glyphics that would enable one 20 prove his property
among galvanized iron buckets that are all alike 7
They would be totally obliterated, and an outraged
community's sense Of sight, would be reyengcd,
though we would have to pity many once fortunate
owners Of a pair Of Fire buckets. &c.