The Hawaiian gazette., 1881-09-21


constantly exercising the mind of one of our
friends, and think with some reason. The work
of macadamizing has been done we'll enough, but
after that is done, the road authorities seem to
imagine that their duties have ceased large
quantity of dust and other rubbish accumulates
which, whenever We have good smart shower,
becomes a fine creamy mud; this dust should be
swept of the roads continually. Then again, the
water courses are not kept properly clear, and as
consequence when any quantity of water comes
l0y L, ii nds its way by the middle of the road, as
frequently by its proper channel, thereby caus-
ING damage TO and some times running the hard
crust which has been made. regular system of
street sweeping should be adopted; in some paris
of the town the work should be done daily, in 9TH
ers not SO frequently, it.might be done weekly.
The committee of Ladies who have in charge
the Fair in aid of the Chinese Church, propose to
hold the Fair in the vestry of Fort Street Church,
Thursday afternoon and evening" Oct. 18th. Con-
tributions of fancy articles are requested, which
may be left at the stores of Goo Kim, or II. q.
Hall & Son. The whole amount of Indebtedness is
now S. 16499. subscription book has been
opened and it is hoped that those who have not
yet given anything to this worthy object will con-
tribute Gberaily so that the whole debt may be
lifted with this effort. 1t may not be generally
known, butit is fact, that the Chinese Christians
in this city are not wealthy body, and the burden
of this building has fallen heavily a select few.
At the same time it may be well to mention that
few, not protesting Christianity, have literally
extended helping hand to their countrymen.
WE are authorized to state that no employee of
the Lielike is in the habit Of gambling in the sa
loon any other part of the ship. Since reading
the letter upon the matter, which was published III
these columns, Mr.. Wilder has enq1ired diligently
into the matter. He could find out nothing, save
that on one occasion at Mahukona, while the
sci was lying for 12hours at that landing, game OF
cards was played for counters. There is general
order against gambling in the cabin. OF course,
people who go to sea, must find some amusement,
and there is certainly objection to their passing
their time away in playing cards. In any vessel
cards allowed, and the ships officers engage IN
game when off duty, without causing any
ment. On board the Ltkelike, however, card play
ing is infrequent in the saloon and the officers of
the ship have never engaged in it there. Our cor
respondent who wrote upon this matter had better
forward more explicitly with his facts. else
own that he wrote upon insufficient information.
WE hear that opium now rules at quite reasona-
BILE rates. plantation it is to be obtained at
from S25 to $50 tin: it used to run high S75
tin; at present rates it can hardly be worth snug
Cling. 1t is very demoralizing to the men, some of
whom get through tin in a month, some in week,
and some especially old and determined hands in
a couple of days. To supply themselves with
funds for the drug the laborers Will steal all they
can lay their hands on, and we have heard of one
place, where it is found impossible to cultivate
gardens as the produce was invariably stolen and
sold to of the neighboring plantations or the
small Chinese stores. We have not heard of any
large seizure of opium lately so that we may pre-
sumo the importers have at last hit upon plan by
which the drug comes in in spite of the eagle eyes
of the Custom house officials Query, is it landed
on Oahu at all +?
We said last week that the native inhabi-
tants of Honolulu, are unhealt1ily housed and i'm
properly crowded The remark applies in
greater force to the Chinese. We lately visited
both by day and night number of the Chinese
houses and yards about Hotel street, and it is
hardly an exaggeration to say that an emigrant
ship could not well be more crowded. We entered
little rooms with closed windows crammed as full
as they could hold with celsstials playing at domi
noes; we saw the little hunks where they sleep,
mere shelves in small cupboards, and the places
where they store and prepare their food. The lat
ter for closeEess of building, absence Of ventila
ton, heat, and foulness of stencil, are unequaled
in our experience. But the most important Thought
these places suggested was, what conveniences for
FIRE? Houses built in long continuous rows, all of
wood-the cooking sheds piled up with fre-wood,
and generally lit with lamps with naked flames.
From some of these sheds we wandered up little
narrow, dark stairways into passages and rooms
above, all Of wood, we repeat and full of stores,
except for the sleeping cupboards. Had the whole
district been built for the express purpose of cele
brating some festival by grand Auto de te no bet
ter arrangements could have possibly been devised.
Some windy night, we may expect 70 be alarmed
by the frebeil and see wonderful blaze. In tne
morning, many acres will be covered by heaps of
smoking ashes. That will be- at least for the time,
efectual mode of cure Is there no other, less
wasteful and costly