The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-02-28
NEWS FROM MOLOKAI.
The superintendent of the Water
Works Reports Progress.

His Excellency L. A. Thurston, Min
lister of Interior-Sir: have the honor
to present to Your Excellency the fol-
lowing facts relative to my movements
up to this date.
Myself and party arrived at Kalau-
papa per Mokolii at 6 a. m. on the DIST
instant. As there was considerable
freight to be landed there, had the Chi
nese landed and they walked over to our
present location, Waikolu.
l endeavored to see Mr. Hutchinson,
as [ learned that Mr.. Myers was in Ho-
nolulu, but failed to obtain the desired
meeting, although l sent messengers to
find him and had heard that he was in
the neighborhood of the boat landing.
I left Kalaupapa at s 80 a. m. and
came direct to Waikolu to await the ar
rival of the Mokolii with our stores, bag
gage, pipes, etc The Mokolii arrived
off Waikolu at u 80 p. NJ. and immed
lately began to discharge; and although
there was considerable wind, and con-
all the stores and baggage were landed
without damage, all hands being en-
ployed until 80 o'clock. Work was re-
sumed early this morning getting the
pipe to the shore. The impossibility of
making boat landings compelled the I'M
loading of the pipes into about seven
feet of water on a sandy bottom and
consequent diving, at which both Capt.
McGregor and myself were compelled to
assist.
Your Excellency will undoubtedly per-
ceive that this manner of transit was
both laborious and tedious, but I am
happy to state that l have succeeded in
landing all the pipe with but little dam
age, and without any assistance except
that of Captain McGregor of the steamer
Mokolii and his crew. With regard to
assistance, have to say to Your Excel
lency that 1 was led to believe that
members of the settlement would have
been only too happy to have been en-
ployed at a reasonable rate of wages.
On the afternoon of the Dist, after
nearly one-half of the stores, etc, had
been landed, some twenty-five natives
rode into Waikolu from the settlement
and offered their services as laborers. |
asked them the rate per day ruling in
the settlement; / was answered fifty
cents per day. [ asked them what they
expected to get if employed, and they
7 4o1 Il.
at this proposal and recalled the offer of
services made by their representatives
in my presence at the time of my former
visit, and asked them If this high rate
required for labor such as they would be
expected to do was a sample of their de
sire to assist the Government in further
ing the project to benefit them | offered
them 81 per day, and told them if they
did not wish to accept that amount and
still adhered to their proposed price, to
get on their horses and leave the camp.
This they did, and 1 have not heard
from or seen them since.
The men under my charge are all well
encamped, but the weather here is quite |
cold at nights and especially early morn
ings, and heavy rain showers are preva-
lent at the latter time.
1 will issue rules and regulations
which will prevent any contact what
ever with the inhabitants of the Leper
Settlement and my party. Ground is
now being rapidly cleared, and 1 will
have the honor in my next letter to give !
you account of my future pros ress.
Hoping that Your Excellency may
spare the time, and that l may have
visit from yon, have the honor to be
your obedient servant,
CHAS. B. WILSON,
superintendent Water Works.
XVo;I-0I,, LTobr,,orv % 1909