The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-01-13
LETTER FROM COL. SPALDlNG.
Hawaii at the observation-disclosures
of the Old Country.
Chinese and the Mechanics - Some
Wholesome Advice.
SAN RENO, ITALY, Dec. 10, 1889.

paper office was the terror OF the sane
tum, with his cry for 'more copy" and
that nowadays your valuable space"
is filed with more important matter than
foreign correspondence. Stilla few lines
of "filling'' may come in handy, some
day when there is a dearth OF revolu-
tons and other excitements, and give
you leave to cut, curtai', and eliminate
to suit yourself.
AS all your readers know, the great
Exposition Universelle' has closed;
but perhaps they do not all know that
little Hawaii came out with credit to
herself, and received praise from those
most competent to judge. One OF the
very first, among foreign countries, to be
ready with her exhibit and open her
doors to the public, she attracted an
amount of interest quite unparalleled,
considering her dimensions and small
financial outlay. This was due to the
energy, good taste, and wise selection
made by our friend Mr.. Hassinger, OF
the Interior Department, when he
formed the "exhibit" out Of the chaos OF
articles submitted and "picked up" in
the few days allowed him to perform
work of months. Ii any credit or honor
is due from the people to any one con-
cerned in the exhibition, beg to ask
that it be given to Mr.. Hassinger.
But 1 also ask the privilege and
pleasure of introducing gentleman
whose exertions in Paris were the means
of our attaining that success which was
only possible through our exceptionally
favored circumstances. l refer to Mon
sieur Alfre,. Houle, H. H. MS Charge
d'Affaires ard Consul General, at Paris,
who made and perfected the arrange
ments by which the Hawaiian exhibit
was shown to the greatest possible adj
vantage. M. Houle is a gentleman IN
every sense of the word, and naturally
does everything in gentlemanly way.
When | arrived in Paris with my work
ing clothes, expecting to have to pitch
i'm Gas we say on the plantation and
"put things to rights" l was agreeably
surprised by finding everything done,
and we'll done. The pretty little paw
lion, with it's matched roof and Ha-
waiian streamers, looked like grass
house that had been "evoluted' by
Partisan architects until it would answer
for any country, and the interior was
arranged in such pleasing style, with
the many familiar portraits and objects
of interest, that one instinctively entered
the door with "aloha" on the lips. The
room was flanked on either side by
large black wood exhibition cases, glass
fronts, containing the feather cloak,
helmet, and other valuable articles,
while the Kings wardrobe furnished a
"piece de resistance" Gas the French
natives say and served to display, on
the back, the photographs OF Brother
Dillingham's fat cows.
The visitors eye, on entering. was at
once attracted by the excellent photo
graphs of the King and Queen, on either
side of the large end window, while the
top and center was handsomely set off
bv the silken banner of the Honolulu
w. C. T. U. In the center of the room
His Majesty's large table OF native
woods, and Commissioner Cummln's
handsome kahili attracted much atten-
ton. 1t was hard to make people be-
lieve that such work could be done in a
country they looked upon as still the
home of savages, and many insisted that
the articles had been made by Partisan
workmen.
AS one went out of the door, he could
not fail to notice TIE large frame con,
tanning the Photographic ikenesses Of
our excellent school board with their
handsome secretary.
On the sides of the main building
were glass and covered galleries, where
the large photographs were displayed
These were much admired especially the
volcano views, and books of island
scenery and duplicates, at reasonable
prices, would have found ready sale.
The schools exhibit was also here dis
played to good advantage.
The sugar and coffee display was no
large, as it was not intended to compete
for prizes in articles of trade or consump
| ton. The bottle of native 'okolehao'
| was put in as curiosity, and not as :
sample of Hawaiian productions; bu
some member of the jury probably had :
corkscrew in his pocket and the tiavo
was unique enough to warrant priz'
being given!
When l tell you that the whole ex
pense of the exhibit has been only abou
| sc. 600. and that 1t has been thought val
liable enough to keep for exhibition il
| Germany next year, you will, l think
agree that the money might have beef
worse spent. To people accustomed t.
seeing the articles exhibited, and &C
quainted with the resources of the isl
ands. the exhibit might not have seemed
of any great value or interest. But t
the thousands who learned for the frs
| time that Hawaii was a civilized cOun
try, with an independent government
the display was interesting and import
ant.
Now, as few if any of your reader
have ever been in Europe, and as n
one ever thinks of writing letters to tn
papers, or giving publicity to thei
| iourneyings, you may perhaps expeC
that | am going to favor you with
detailed list of the time tables of Euro
pean railways, and a description of a
the old ruins in the guide books. But
am not. The information is too valU
able to "give away"
But / will give you piece OF advice
as that is always acceptable and cheap
If you or any of your friends think c
visiting Europe in the hope or expects
ton OF lettering your condition, N
advice is Don't" You have the fines
climate in the world; one OF the hes
governments the sun ever shone upon
plenty to eat and not always bad cook
to prepare it money or credit to secur
passage to Kauai and back when yo
want "a pleasant change; and plent
of Solons to instruct you, throug
the medium of the daily an
weekly press, upon all possible and in
possible subjects. What more woul
you have?
Still, if you insist upon knowing wher
we have been, and what we have see
that was not as good as at home,
| ..;.L4 Los q ,,nffar OF nrecantinnl fe