The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-12-04
a FAMILIAR TALK. Il
General j. f. b. Marshall on " Hawaii
Fifty Years Ago"

Association in the building on the corner
OF Hotel and Alakea streets, was we'll
filled yesterday evening with an audi
ence of ladies and gentlemen, many of
whom are quite prominent members of
this community. The assemblage had
gathered together for the purpose of
being RECALLED with listening to a ''Fa-
miliar Talk" by GenI ]. F. B. Marshall,
an old former resident, and who pur-
posed giving a Renaissance of "Hawaii
Fifty Years Ago" The speaker for the
evening, was introduced by Hon. Henry
Warehouse, the President of the Y. NJ.
G. A. After the close of his "Talk,"
which was listened to throughout with
rapt interest, General Marshall was the
recipient at the hands of F. w. Lowrev,
chairman Of the entertainment commit
tee, OF hearty vote of thanks. Follow
ing is thu address of General Marshall:
HAWAII FIFTY YEARS AGO.
In these days of frequent and rapid
communication with all foreign coun-
tries, when the United States, once five
or six months away, is now brought
|
| the former isolation of this group from
the rest of the world. Fifty years ago [
arrived here, after six months passage,
from Boston no steam vessel had then
made its way into the Pacific, Prof.
/ Morse had not then reVolutiOnized the
! intercourse and commerce of the world
| with the electric telegraph. A yearly ship
from Boston, an occasional one from
European and Asiatic ports, small
| trade with the various ports on the
Pacific cOast-from Kamschatka to Val
paraiso-With the spring and fall visits
OF the whaling fleet, comprised our
| intercourse with the outside world At
intervals, vessel of war would look in
upon US, either for its own amusement or
to see how our little tempest in teapot,
of internal politics, was bubbling,
and sometimes taking a hand in
the particular discussion by giving
little more or less wholesome advice,
at the lannon's mouth, or that of the
. commander, and then sailing away
| again, leaving one party very jubilant,
and the other down in the mouth, which
conditions would perhaps be reversed
by the next warship that arrived. No
body then seemed to be in hurry.
Time was of little account. Items of
State news were to us as interesting are
now the latest cablegrams. In the deli
cIous climate of these islands in those
halcyon days we lived an easy "dolce
far niente' sort of existence which so
| far at least as mere physical enjoyment,
was infinitely preferable to the hurried,
busting, anxious life of the present day,
with its steambo boats, railroads, tele-
phones and it's sharp competition. While
! IF no
nationalities to secure preponderating
influence with the native government
but furnished the necessary food for that
social gossip so essential to the life of every
intelligent and we'll ordered community.
On my return in the spring of l849 from
visit to the United States, coming as
usual by the then rapid transit route of
five months voyage around Cape Horn,
| [ found that social and commercial
revolution had taken place at Honolulu
in my absence. The gold fever, excited
by successive reports. each more dazzl-
ing than the last, had rapidly risen to its
height and the wild mad rush to the Cali
fornia mines had begun. The easy going
indolent character of the place had gone
for ever, and feverish busting, hurry
skurry sort of life had taken it's place.
That revolution, like most revolutions,
did not go backward, and those days of
laziness and ease have never returned.
reached Honolulu IN 1884, boy in
search of health, following medical
prescription. [ had never been away
from home before, and was astonished
at many things. Perhaps at nothing
more than seeing as l landed from the
good ship Fama, portly lady sitting in
what looked like child's wagon, which
| I.o NV of
bipeds, whose only covering was girdle.
1 had not then heard of the jinrikisha of
the Japanese, but soon became accus-
toned to what found was the fashion
able equipage Of the place.
The Kuhina nui, or Premier of the
Kingdom, Kinau, a chiefess of high
rank and much force of character, had
died two days before my arrival. She
was the wife of Governor Kekuaunoa,
and mother of Moses, Lot and Alexander
and Victoria Her body lay in state two
months, during all of which time her
army of retainers were seated around the
building, keeping up an incessant and
most mournful wailing, without inter-
mission, night and day. Her funeral
which was attended by the whole popu-
lation, native and foreign, was strange
and most impressive mingling of bar
barrie and civilized pomp and ceremony,
which l have never seen equalled here or
elsewhere.
The first house l entered on my arrival
in Honolulu was then the residence of
Capt Domlnis, father of the ex-Govern-
or of Oahu. 1t is still standing on Fort
street, makai of the Catholic Church,
but to reach what now is the Fort street
entrance | followed my guide among
( kalo patches at much risk of muddy
fall. The streets of Honolulu were then
Just being laid out, and Fort street, above
5 Hotel street, was still all kalo patches.
D The Government was gradually just
emerging from barbarism and making
2 progress in the methods of civilization
The principal business of the group al
! that time, as you doubtless know, was
: with the fleet of whaleships which came
= to it's ports Spring and Fall to retit, and ,
! later, to ship their catch of oil and bone
to the United States. After going tc
= Lahaina, Hilo, or some other port where
they could get supplies to better advan
tage than in Honolulu, they would come
here and lay off and on outside the rec
/ to save harbor dues, while their captains
r would negotiate their bills OF exchange
4 and transact other business that coulC
Z not we'll be done at the other ports. L
: was beautiful sight, and not an uncom
+ mon one in the season, to see over ;
i hundred full-rigged ships passing anC
re-passing each other in the citing, thel