The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-01-29
THE HAWAIIAN EXHIBIT.

What is Being Packed for Paris
Specimens of Ancient Sknl-Private
Enterprise Laggfng-The Educational
Trophy.
Mr.. J. A. Hasisnger, Chief Clerk in
the Interior Office, being asked how the
exhibit for Paris was coming on, invited
the reporter over to the Kapuaiwa build
ing TO see the progress made in the Gov
eminent exhibit. He stated IN walking
along that private exhibitors were rather
slow in coming forward, while some took
the unnecessary trouble OF writing for
information that is plainly conveyed in
the advertisement. As the exhibit has
to beshipped on February 18th, intending
exhibitors or contributors cannot afford
further delay. 1t will not do to pile
articles upon the managers in the last
day or two, for they must have time to
arrange, catalogue and pack the exhibits
"a work that will be no mean task for
such distant transportation.
A peep at long range into the Tax
Collectors Office, where the exhibits are
being prepared, returns the impression
of a dry goods store with few notions
scattered about. The heaps of what APP
pear to be calicoes and silks ranged along
the counter prove, however, to be 6peci-
mems Of ancient tapa cloth. They are
very ancient most of them, too, in gem
nine age as we'll as style of manufacture,
and number forty distinct varieties
While all are remarkably interesting III
showing the great skill OF the HaWallans
before the advent of civilization, a large
proportion OF them possess rare intrinsic
beauties OF both texture and decorative
pattern. Archaeological and ethnOlOgl-
cal savants of the Old World can hardly
fail to find material for study in these
rich tapas Besides the cloths there will
be forwarded to Paris the beaters and
pattern stamps used in their manufac-
ture, many of them handed down from
remote times. Ancient stone axes, a
stone lamp of Grecian pattern-Mr. Has
singer said that at all events it had held
grease-a necklace with foreign beads
from the time of Vancouver, are among
the curiOs selected. One precious relic
is the scarlet feather helmet worn by
Kaumualii, the last King Of Kauai, who
died in 1923. The credItable oil painting
of the Volcano OF Kilauea, by the young
native artist, Joseph Nawahi, goes for
ward. Paper money tokens engraved in
1874 by native pupils at Lahalnaluna,
under charge OF Rev. Lorrin Andrews,
grandfather and patronymic of the pre-
sent Minister of the InteriOr), are not
the least interesting articles in the col
lection. OF commercial value are the
samples of Diana fibre, raw and made up
in Irvine, cord and nets. This fibre Is
allied to that OF ramie and is OF great
tenacity. A fishing line of it is attached
to an ancient hook shaped out of the
bone of departed chief. The articles of
Hawaiian antiquity mentioned above,
with many other curiOsities not referred
to, would of themselves form an attrac-
tive national exhibit to place before the
whole world at Paris. Something else
is, however, required, to illustrate the
progress Of civilized enterprise IN these
Islands. Our plantations and workshops
and stores should spur up some enthuSi-
asm over this opportunity for advertising
the country abroad. Photographs OF the
principal business blocks even would tell
a great deal of the commercial impor-
lance of Honolulu.
Leaving the general Government ex-
hibit, a visit is paid to the Education
office. Here the Secretary, Mr.. w. J.
Smith, and the spectOr-General, Mr..
A. i. Atkinson, have had their heads
together the past ten days over an ex-
hibit by the Board of Education. 1t
promises to make an excellent showing
for the status of education in this King
dom. Besides school books and appar
atus used in our schools, there will be
specimens Of work done by pupils in
school hours, under both foreign and
native teachers, such as exercises in
arithmetic, algebra, composition, etc,
all showing incidentally the quality OF
penmanship, which in many cases is
very superior. There are also special
samples of writing done by pupils which
it would stagger professional masters OF
penmanship to surpass. Specimens OF
carpentry from the kamehameha School
will be sent. The photographer art is
enlisted for an instructive part OF the
collection. Several frames containing
pictures of school houses and groups OF
foreign and native teachers and of pupils
will be filled. One frame will contain
portraits of the King and Queen, officers
and members OF the Board OF Education,
with other pictures. As there are ten
nationaities on the rolls of Fort Street
School, representative group OF its
pupils is study in itself. A pamphlet
in English and French, giving general
and special information in connection
with the exhibit, is in preparation under
the supervision OF the Inspector Gen
oral