The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-10-31
IN MEMORIAM.
The Centennial Celebration at Kawaia-
haO Church.


AgTeeably to notice given in the
papers, the Kawaiahao Church was filed
with large audience of foreigners and
natives, convened to participate in the
memorial services. The front OF the
choir gallery was lastly decorated with
floral wreaths surrounding the dates
1889 and 1899, worked in flowers, and
between the dates was portrait of the
elder Hiram Bingham. Below the gal
lery were pictures of the two grass build
lngs used as churches. The first, erected
IN 1921 and destroyed by fire in 1924,
was quite small, and held only 200 per-
sons. That erected in 1929 was 1876 feet
long by IS feet wide, and would accom-
| MEDIATE 1000. This was also thatch
building, and both stood on or near the
site of the present stone church. There
were then no fences or walks surround
ing the church, but it was all an open
| common.
On the platform yesterday we've seated
Drs. Hyde and Smith, and Rev. Messrs.
H. II. Parker and Joseph, who delivered
the address in the church. The address
| and exercises were in Hawaiian. The
singing was excellent, by a full choir,
with Mr.. Berger presiding at the organ.
At the close of the exercises in the
church, the audience adjourned to the
| front OF the edifice, where platform had
| been erected near the memorial slab at
| the north corner, the slab being yelled
with Hawaiian flag His Majesty the
| King and II. Il. II. the Princess Liluo-
kalani were present and appeared much
! interested in the proceedings.
| Rev. Mr.. Parker opened the outdoor
! exercises, with a few remarks introduce
| ing Rev. IL. Bingham, who made short
address relative to the work of his father.
| At the close of his remarks, Mr.. Parker
introduced General James F. B. Mar
shall, who is one of the oldest pioneers,
having arrived here about the year 1880,
when quite a young man, and who was
here off and on, for some twenty years.
He spoke in English, Mr.. Parker inter-
| preting his remarks into Hawaiian.
| General Marshall said: cit is a great
privilege after thirty-one years absence
from these Islands, to be present on
such an occasion as this, and to greet
you all with that most beautiful word OF
salutation OF any language-Aloha
" When first came to Honolulu half
century ago, the Kuhina Nui Kinau
was lying in State in the palace, and l
heard Mr.. Bingham preach her fun
eral sermon In the large grass church
which then stood within this enclosure
| knew and esteemed all the early mis-
| siOnaries that were here at that time. |
heard Mr.. Bingham preach here, and
also after his return to his native land.
The last time | met him was in Boston
at the funeral of James Hunnewell, the
Honolulu merchant who founded the
firm with which | was connected, and
who was always a warm friend of the
missionaries and the Hawaiian people.
But though l have been absent over
thirty years | have not lost my interest
or my love for Hawaii.
''For twenty years l have been associ-
ated with General Armstrong, a son of
Hawaii, whose father succeeded Mr..
Bingham as pastor of the church, whose
school in Virginia for Negroes and In
dams has worldwide fame. Every
Hawaiian may well be proud of this mis-
sionary's son who has just received a
high honor from Harvard University,
said: Il think General Armstrong is
doing more good than any other man in
the country To look upon this gath
ering of Hawaiians, the largest [ have
seen since my arrival, makes me feel as
if | were renewing my youth. L say
again, aloha oukOu."
Mr.. David Kua was the next speaker,
and we give his address in full, 1t having
been delivered in English:
zone hundred years ago to-day was
born the man who. laid the foundations
of this house. Fifty years ago he, with
his faithful workers, laid the corner
} stone. He and his colleagues brought
to our people the greatest gilt that heaven
) has bestowed upon mankind, Christian
faith and a Christian civilization. Hiram
Bingham and his colleagues have passed
from human vision; the places that once
knew them, know them no more. But
the work they began here will never
cease. That work takes hold on the
things that are lastiHg. They preached
not themselves, but Jesus Christ the
E Lord of all. They came not to set up a
material kingdom. They came to plant
the seed of a spiritual kingdom that
should give life to us all. They looked
not at the things which are seen; for the
e things which are seen are temporal; but
the things which are not seen are
, eternal. The seed which they planted
will grow on continuously because ii
u takes hold on the things that are unseen
:. and eternal.
Gothic three pioneers in the great work
which was begun here in 1920, Mr.. Whit
= new went to his rest at Lahainaluna, Mr.
Thurston was laid away in the beautiful
Nuuanu Valley, while Mr.. Bingham dice
+ far away from here in his native land
II Had he been permitted to choose where
he should close this mortal life, doubt
: less he would have said, "Let me lie
- down among the loved people with whom
- | have labored."
cit is fitting therefore, that we should
place here by the side of the corner stone
) of the church which he with his people
1t laid more than fifty years ago this table
in memory of Hiram Bingham. Let u
d never forget the first message that h'
delivered to the people of this land
i. Fear not, for, behold [ bring you gooC
tidings of great joy, which shall be 10
all people,
q ''Let us also ever cherish the memOr.
of these good Aliis and their people
III whose name has come down to US from
20 a former generation, like sweet SAVIOR