The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-01-01
A E A

AFTER reading the final number of The Islander
some time since, l went to bed, thinking of the
suggestion made, that a Curator be appointed for
each department of the Hawaiian National Mu-
seuEl, and l dreamed this dream.
A large number of our citizens and citzenesses
interested in botany, geology, mineralogy, zool-
Ogy, technology, ornithOlogy, conchology, meteor
ology, chemistry, astronomy, etc, etc, had met
in one of the large rooms of Aliiolani House, and
when | entered, they had been called to order
as far as practIcable-by a Chairman, and the
original Vice President Hawaiian investigation
Society had the floor.
lie began by saying, Z. Ladies and Gentlemen"
here he was interrupted by a rather capuous and
sufficiently self-important individual. who. rising
hastily, said, Mr.. Chairman. [ rise to a point
of order. 1 hold that the form of address used
by L. o. V. P. Ii. l. 5. is irregular. We who
are assembled here may be ladies and gentlemen
to the matter-of-fact world, but gathered together
in the interest of the Museum, we should be ad-
dressed as Fellow Scientists and Disseminators
of knowledge"
The Chairman ruled the point as well taken,
and L. o. Y. Z. Ii. /. s.. resumed bis remarks as
follows
Fellow Scientists and Disseminators of KnOwl-
edge This meeting has been called for the pur-
pose of considering a proposition lately made to the
effect that a Curator for each branch of natural
science, men or women, be appointed for our
Museum. 1 therefore suggest that some F. 5.
and D.. of X. make a motion that the suggestion
be adopted by this Association"
Accordingly the motion was made, seconded,
put to vote and carried. Then arose a thin little
man whO spoke as follows
Mr.. Chairman: 1t is with a large degree OF
satisfaction that l behold, in this assemblage,
gathered within this noble building this evening,
such an enthusiastic appreciation of the para
mount necessity that evidently exists for an eff
cient, selcsacrifcing, and indefatigable corps of
assistants in the arduous task of collecting, clas-
styling, properly labelling, and appropriately ar
ranging-withIn the allotted space gratuitously
appropriated by our benefcent government-the
interesting relics and diversified productions of
nature, found on these islands. Now that we
look forward confidently to the
of happy reciprocal relations with our nearest
and most powerful friends, the People of the
United States, it behooves us to be prepared to
show them what the Hawaiian ecas, and what the
islands are. Though often absent from the king
dom, l will gladly undertake to act as Curator of
legal curiosities, such as obsolete statutes, laws
that are dead letters, reversed decisions, etc, and
1 have now a few interesting relics that l will lay
on the Secretary's table for future examination"
No sooner had he sat down than Mr.. -,
member Ii. l. S., arose and blandly inquired
whether it would not be possible for the last
speaker to place in the Museum that interesting
relic of by-gone times, a g full BENCH and in
-
whether he, the proposed keeper of legal relics,
would act as Curator of that, and hold himself
responsible for its always being IN place?
The reply was that it would be impossible,
owing to the peculiar composition of said
s. BENCH The speaker did not know but that,
before he left the islands again, he might procure
a photograph of the interesting object, and that
if, in the future, some alteration was made in the
construction of this piece of judicial furniture, it
might be permanently fixed in the building
This suggestion so charmed the assembled F.
SIS. and DIS. of K, that they Immediately elected
the speaker = Member II. L. S. and - Curator
of Legal Matters"
The new NJ. Ii. |. s. and c. of L. NJ. bowed
his Acknowledgements, and named quite a tall
gentleman near him as custodian of the Bench
The gentleman was " gratifed at the honor, = at
least, so he said, and called the little man my
friend, :" while his smile and altitude conveyed
the impression that he looked down on him. He
promised to take good care of the Bench; declar-
ing, in fact, that he would occupy it most of the
time himself, and thus ensure its safety.
Botany was then considered, and a gentleman
whose name, as near as | remember, was Chaw-
les, was elected as Curator Botanical Department,
and made q neat speech. He said, in substance,
that in the theatre of life he had taken several
parts. That he had seen many scenes shift be-
fore him, and though but a humble actor on the
stage of existence, still he had filed his part with
satisfaction-to himselfa at any rate. His forte he
imagined lay in the culture-and sale-Of trees.
He had vegetated a long time amongst shrubs and
vines of curious growth. and as he fattered him
self that be knew more of the Latin names of
plants than any one else now on the islands, he
would accept the position offered him and as a
token of his regard towards the Society, he would
present to the Museum a fine specimen of the
Musa sapient,Dm now growing in the yard of the
Royal Hawaiian Theatre.
Much applause followed the announcement of
this valuable gift, and the Secretary of the
II. [. 5. was directed to communicate to other
scientific associations, the important intelligence
that the II. l. 5. had received a specimen of the
MuSa sapientum.
1t was then suggested that a Well known mer-
chant, doing business on the corner of King
street and Nuuanu ave, should be appJsnted
Curator of Moses. This honor was declined,
however, by the gentleman named, as he said
that he could not afford to neglect crockery for
cryptogams, lamps for lichens, or fixtures for
fungus.
and arrange ferns-they were 80 sweet; but it
was finally decided to give the position of Cura-
tor of Ferns to the one who would display the