The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-10-08
Letter from Puma, Hawaii.

Letter from Puma, Hawaii.
Mr.. EDITOR Having just re-
turned from San Francisco. l was,
l must say, very much disappointed
to hear that the bill to the Legis-
lature petitioning Tor a wagon road
through Puma had fallen through,
from the committee being unable to
obtain information on the matter
and their lack of knowledge of the
district, its wants and capabilities.
In the course of number of
years during which l have resided
in Puma, l have shown different
parties the country and land here
abouts, who were interested in the
subject of coffee culture some of
them were experts, and their unani-
nous opinion has been that for
soil, climate and rainfall, Puma pre-
sents every natural requirement for
the successful cultivation of the
article that must in the near future
be one of our leading exports.
Puma coffee is admitted to be sur
passed by none, and the raising of
it is beyond an experiment, as
there are trees all over the district,
and some are known to be forty
seven years old, growing wild, as
healthy as could be wished. Mr..
Forsyth admitted that he never
saw healthier in any part of the
world, and their yield has been,
to my certain knowledge, amaz-
ingly heavy for uncultivated trees.
When 1 take note of the amount
of money SO literally appropriated
for many objects not nearly 80 i'm
portant to the country at large
Just at this stage, l cannot think
that if this matter was properly
investigated and reported on, there
is not man in the Legislature who
would vote against the bill. There
are enough Government lands IN
the district to pay for the road
I twice over.
Five thousand dollars have been
recommended by the committee, L
understand, for survey and cutting
bush line; but $500 would be all
sufficient, as one can see for miles
right straight ahead on the pro-
posed line of road. Twill guarantee
to take any practical man over the
line and do 1T in day, from the
Volcano road at Kukula to the
head of my road, three and half
miles up from the beach at Po-
hoiki, distance of twenty-seven
and half miles from Hilo by the
Government road, and from about
fourteen to sixteen miles on the
proposed new line of road.
A company of natives have
planted about thirty acres on the
Catholic Mission lands, and Capt.
Elderts about fifteen acres of coffee
on this proposed line of road, which
when grown cannot be got away
short Of ten mile pack. l myself
am about putting in fifty acres in
, the vicinity, but am perfectly in
dependent of getting my coffee
away, as / have fine wagon road
of my own from my place to my
landing, so in this matter l have nc
. axe to grind further than any ma
tive in the district would be inter
ested in having good and shorter
route of travel.
/ feel pretty certain myself thai
coffee-plantations would follow uT
}. this road right straight from Hllo
= and you know what that means tt
the country, Mr. Editor, as well al
I 1. Twenty-Five thousand people
&. could easily be employed in The
cultivation of coffee in Puma, and
not be overcrowded. The district
I is large, and in many parts (uT
from the beach, very rich. AL
could not be reached, ct course, tn
L first two years, but sixteen mile
of road would open up vas
amount of good country now lyin.
, useless, and the next stretch OF roa'
!, would lead into even richer am
better parts, down below towar'
Kalapana. The best kind OF bount.
to the coffee industry, in my opin
ion, would be good roads in tn
:: coffee districts.
Mr.. O'Dowda, a gentleman VIII
thoroughly understands coffee Gu
ture, and has had extensive exper
ence in Ceylon, has lately visite
Puma for the purpose of looking 6
I'd coffee lands. l have not met th
cd gentleman since, or learned h
i'd opinion, but would like to hear
through the columns of your vail
able paper, that all may share.