Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-04-16
Laying of the Corner Stone Of the Lunalilo
Home

Masonic monies in the presence of II. X. III.
the Princess Regent, II. X. II. the Princess Like
like, the Nj isters, Judges, Foreign Representa-
tives, and a large gathering of residents and
visitors who wished to be present at the ceremony.
stand viii raised seats covered IN by an awning,
provided for spectators official or other, at
one corner of which was the stone tn be laid.
Adjoining this on the mauka side was q lanai occu-
pied by the Masonic Fraternity and the Band. and
outside. facing the stand. the troops drawn
mp in single rank. The royal party drove mp at
twenty minutes to 1 p. NJ and the troops presented
arms and their Royal Highnesses were escorted to
seats in front of the stone. The proceedings were
opened by the following address delivered by Mr..
$. b. Dole one Of the Irustees
Yow Royat Hi1tnsss, Ladies aud Gentlemen -
The late King Lunalilo provided by his
last will that after his aged fathers death, his
estate should be used to 6nild and endow an insti,
tuition on this island to be devoted TO the care of
such aboriginal Hlwniians as sdould need main
tenance by reason of poverty, age or sickness.
Various causes have DELAYED the beginning of
this work chief among which were doubts rs to
the meaning of the Will. These we're however ut
length removed by decision of the Supreme
Court last year that the whole estate excepting
bequest t, friend, vested in his trustees and
their successors perpetually for the purposes OF
this charity
building The instructions of the Will arc not to
build hospital but a home rather, where those
Hawaans who might become by their helpless
ness, wards of the public, as it were, should he
comfortably sheltered and cared for by loving
hands in the spirit with which this noble gift was
made.
Perhaps few have realized the whole sou!ed
earnestness of the man III providing this charity.
1t was not the impulsive act of dying man who
gives at last what he can keep no longer. 1t was
the deliberate yell digested plan OF years In his
days of health he made this provision, and adhered
to it as his chosen purpose, to the last 1t IL
broad lands, mountain and plain lying on almost
every Island i'll the group, princely estate which
he had hardly begun to enjoy, he gladly devoted
to the people he loved and who loved him trust
fully, to be held always for their helpless ones
In the spirit of this bequest his trustees have
tried to carry out his purpose. An enterprise Of
this character is an experiment in this country;
There is no exact precedent to follow. II seemed
to us that n low building with broad verandahs
would more nearly suit the Hawaiian traditional
manner Of life than high dormitory, story upon
story, and at the same time be favorable to the
development of the social and family life OF the
inmates. The superintendent will live in the
central part and have easy access to the rooms of
both wings. If the trustees find that they have
fitted the manner of the building to the demand
for assistance and care, there is more money with
which to add new buildings.
And 50 have come, many of us the friends
and associates of the late King to assist in carry
| ing out his phianthropic purposes by laying the
foundation stone to building which shall be, let
us hope, the happy home of many of his country
| men and women and Mt the same time his own
most fitting monument
Mr.. Dole's address was followed by anthem
a. God is our hope and strength" sung by Mrs.
Handford, Miss Jones, Prof. Jones, and Mr.. W..
| w. Hail. very exceently rendered. The Hon. A.
| +. Judd then read an address in the native Ian
guag1 OF winch we append the following transla-
| ton
May IL please Your Royal Highness the Ali and
| HunriiaH friends,
have the honorable part assigned me of de-
| livering an address to-day.
| The chief who made this loving gift to his peo-
! pie made his will in wisdom in the year lo7l,
while he had no official station. On the death of
! Knmehameha w. the unanimous voice of this peo.
| Dlp called lIuunlllO to be King, and after lie
| had reigned one year he died, but he did not
abandon his thought of love, and the will he had
| previously written remained.
Lunalilo was Il chief of nigh rank. His mother
was Kekauluohi daughter of Kalaimamahu and
Kaheiheimalie. Kalainamahu was son of heoua
| and Kamakeheikuli. This Keoua by Kekupoiwa
| had kamehameha /. Kamehamcha I. by kahei-
| hemalie had Kinau, the mother of kameh anne
has ~ and ". so Lu alilo was connected in two
ways with the two brother Sovereigns, on the
mothers and grand fathers side. Lunalilo was
! educated ut the school of Mr.. Cooke and John Ii.
| He was an apt scholar and very quickly learned
the English language and was taught all that was
possible in that school, However, when he left
school he was idle there work for him to
do. He had seat in the Legislature but he had
many lands which he inherited from his mother
and all his wants supplied there was no urgent
necessity to call forth his energies. And as is the
case with the majority of those who have no oc-
cupation. he occasionally indulged in dissipation.
This is much to be regretted, for we feel hopeful
that if he mad been placed in some Government
position while young, perhaps he would have be-
| come an ltuusJrlOuS ludu anu celeDTateu lOr MS
skill. We cannot certainly say that this would
have been the case, for he was never tried In any
work.
| When Kamehameha " died. he began to leave
off his boyish follies. and tried hard to bear his
government with mildness, prudence and all the
wisdom he had, but 1t was not long ere his weak
ness of body began and he became i'll and finally
died on the I'd of February, 1874, aged SO years
and days. The Hawaiian race mourned sincerely
for him for they had great love for their chief
! who loved them and their land He died child
less He left Dl DESCENDANTS to bear his Dl
he was not without heirs, for he made by his Will
the Hawaiian race his heirs.
The principal characteristics of this chief were
as follows First, he had no sympathy with tbs
ignorant folies of ancient times, its superstltons
or its decelving practice of medicine. Second, he
was n gracious CHER, he was accessible to the low
est nature, he cared not for pomp and vanlties oi
royalty. Third, but hts greatest work was this
which will preserve his name for ever, his last
will and testament.
There many persons these days who boast
much of their love for this land and their exceed
ing jealousy for Hawaii. Who is the true Ha
waiian! My answer is, the true Hawaiian IS he
who constantly shows his heart of love by acts OF
love to his country. -r
Lunalilo did not talk much of his love for his
native soil, but on .e 7th of June 1871 he wrote
his testament leaving all his lands after the death
of his father as the capital to build a home where
could be cared for the destitute poor and feeble OF
Hawaiian BLOOD preference to be given to the
aged
There have been many monuments erected in
the ancient Kingdoms of this earth. In Egypt
we're raised lotty obellsks cut OF single STONES
but these shafts have not remained in that land
some have been taken TO Rome, and to Paris ont
to London and this year one to New York. 1t IL
over three thousand years since these obelisks
were cut They were not erected to perpetuait
some good deed, but merely to preserve the nant
of the King who put them up and as we see are
going strangers to foreign lands. But this house
whose cornerstone is to be laid to-day, Is gift
of love, good work, and it will perpetuate tn,
name of its founder. 1t is well for us to thinh
much of this gift. No other Hawaiian chief OF
commoner has done deed like this. Lunalilt
alone up to this day has left his property for the
Hawaiian race. His name should forever bt
cherished.
To-day is laid the foundation stone Of this
home Tor the poor old men and women of Hawaii
This home is their city of refuge, sheltered har
Dor for their last days of weakness here they viii
have peace and quiet after their battling with the
stormy seas Of life.
This great home is to be built of stone quarried
from Punchbowl, and thus Hawaiian stone is to
protect Hawaiian bones
This is not a hospital for the SICK this is Ii
home for the aged who have no homes, for the
remnant of those Hawaiian families in which
mons remain who are strong and able to provide
the means of living. This is not a home for the
young and vigorous, nor for those who are pool
on account of their laziness. This home Is fol
those who are unable, account of feebleness
frou age other similar causes to prov de theii
own homes. l hope, and such is my wish, thai
there will bs but few who will seek the benefits o