Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-12-08
PRESS.
'DAY ... DECEMBER 8, r8s,


The most striking thing in connection with
the social life Of Honolulu land the Hawaiian
Islands in general is the manner in which-if
! may use the expression without being under
stood to soof-the "sheep" are sorted out
from the goats" We we're told that the
missionary" element was strong here, but we
never expected what We found 10 be the case.
few people imbibe here, but every glass
costs IS cents ifsl and whether that ha, any
thing TO do with ii or the average man,
woman or child ,huddcrs q, he or she passes
the door of one of those hated dcns-ihe
saloons tin Paramatta lingo, the pubs }
There being no play houses tnor SHOWS" Of
any kind, "church" is INDUCED in to great
extent by heterogeneous crowds Prayer
mecting' and gospel Temperance meeting, are
ircqucnted by citizens whose appearance thcreat
certainly looks strange to US, after being
used TO see such matters relocated in New
South Wales 10 the same chosen few day. after
day and year after year Il is only lately that
the law has allowed drink to be sold to the
natives; and the heads Of families Europeans
or "forcignen' meanD apparently associate,
and not altogether unwiscly. drink, de.
hatchery, disease, and all other the evils
which flesh is heir to, together in one chain,
with which they bind on society books any IN.
wary resident who does not closely heed the
order Of his going. When VIC tell you that
1000 dollars (I7ool is the license fee for pub.
4 Int ,ttI. -. II
timents Of society here ,e drink" And,
stfangest thing Of all, there is not that outcry
from the poor crushed yictualers" that arises
50 often in communities where Bonifacc has
comparatively speaking nothing but plain sail
ing before him, People do drink, and some
Of them get on what they call here, and else
where, too, suppose you know, "the bust :"
but its not considered the correct thing. Let
any young stranger arrive and seek a standing
on the rungs Of the social ladder the white
folks in a few days make themselves aequaint-
ed with his pedigree, etc, his habits and his
tastes; and II they are not strictly proper he is
instantly "tabooed" And being in Coventry
here appears rather a serious matter Judging
from the manner in which the good folk don't
seem to want TO experience it.
And, speaking Of social matters, one cannot
help mentioning the feeling Of security that
appears TO prevail universally so far as
property in residences is concerned One
never thinks OF locking doors and windows at
night and you 60 out OF the house without
ever shuttingitup. Nothing seems ever to 20 /:
and this is to US somewhat marvellous because
there are so many different races and different
classes OF each nation represented here. Old
hands say that little in the way OF larceny is ever
attempted as it is impossible for thief to get
away and his crime is certain to be brought
home to him For a similar reason prisoners
50 10 work tnot chainedl in gangs like ordinary
workmen in the streets and about the public
buildings. You see squad Of men (mostly
all natives and coolest marching along with
buckets and tools, and clad in a piebald parb
half brown, half blue, and you surmise that
the queer "tog" is the distinguishing mark of
the Corporation laborer-or perhaps palace
attache Of gardening instincts think no
more about it for the time. Yet as YOU see
them marching of again in the evening with
no sergeant OF warder at the side of the de
'achmcnt, mark YOU y you are perhaps led by
idle curiosity 10 endeavor to confirm your pre-.
vously formed idea. andask "Who are they ?"
When you are informed " Prisoners you stare
and probably Try TO make your Honolulu
informant understand that he is making an
error The thing embraces about tt acme Of
humanity in the goal systems; and that's dis
missing the subject in satisfactory manner. |
consider cumberland llGf,tnyy.