Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1893-03-10

, contemporaneous history is concerned,
with the reign of King Kalakula, who
died in 1891 at the age of fifty-fivc
years. 1t was he who visited this
country, us did his Queen, Kapiolaui.
Kalakaua was good sort of King in
his way, but the Government bus iuess
was not exactly in his line. The civiIi-
cation that was brought to his domain
was little ton much for him. He was
very fond of entertaining the'European
aud American visitors and residents on
his islands in kingly style. The result
of it was that his royal Treasury became
depleted, and during the last years of
his reign he was probably the most i'm
pccunious King on earth.
His poverty resulted in no small de.
gree from his love for the gam, called
poker, which, it seems needless to say,
he learned from Americans. He would
sit up and play poker all night. II he
won the money of his guests he would
invite them to stay at his palace aud
would kill the fatted calf for them. II
he lost, he would give the winners
royal note, provided they were not so
influential that lie felt he must pny them.
In that event he would drain the money
of the pockets of some cue of his wealthy
and obedient subjects.
Old Kalallaun did not hesitate to re.
sort tricks to raise funds to have good
time with. One of his victims in this
regard was venerable Chinaman, who,
by sharp methods, had accumulated
$50, 600 or more. The selling OF opium
on the islands was illegal. King Kala-
kaua summoned the old Chinaman, and
told him that if ne would drop $50, 900
into the royal Treasury he could have
the sole right to sell opium in the king
dom. The Chinaman brought the $780,
600. Kalakaua's debts had increased
in the meantime, however, so he told
the Chinaman that it would call for $780,
600 more to fix the deal.
The Chinaman brought the other $780,
600. Kalakaua put it in his royal
pocket end then cooliy announced that
the laws of his land would not permit the
selling of opium and that his conscience
would not allow him to change the laws.
He told the Chinaman that he would
give him buck the $50, 900 with rate
of interest that would be truly kiugly,
but the old Chinaman died of broken
heart just the same.
King Kalakaua died of too much fun,
and nothing else. His widow is living
in Honolulu aud lives on pension. The
Queen who succeeded Kaakaua and whp
has just been overthrow is his
daughter, Lydie Kamakacha Lill-
uokalani: more generality referred to as
Princess Lydia OF Mrs. DomIn,s. Seated
beside her on the throne had been his
Royal Highness John o. Dominis, the
Prince Consort, an American clerk in
Honolulu shipping house, whom she
married thirty years ago and vino died
year ago.
The Queen that was is fifty years old
and is n good. natured, fat old lady with
n dusky skin and heap ct "horso
sense" She speaks English auently and
is fairly we'll educated. AS heir pre-
sumptive she got salary of $4,000
year and as Queen her salary was $780,.
900 q year. She and his Royal Highne.s
Dominis lived in the royal palace at
Honolulu, which Kalakaua built. Be.
tween them they had an income OF about
SIS 900 year aud they saved most of it.
The next in line OF succession to the
Hawaiian throne is Princess Kaaluani,
daughter of Colonel A. G. Cleshorn, Col
lector of the Port of Honolulu, who
married the Princess Like-Like, now dc.
ceased. The Princess, who is about
twenty years old, has been at school in
England for several years, and he's been
purposely brought under English in.
huence.
In 1887 the monarchy was practically
,vcrthro wn. King Kalakaua had been