The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-01-16
TO MAKE A KINGDOM.
THIS is WHAT THE BARON HARDEN
HICKEY PROPOSES TO DO.

The Baron James A. Harden-l Hickey, the |
son-in-law Of John II. Flagler |
Oil millionaire, has a new |
that will stir the imaginations |
of all men who have dreamed dreams; one |
that, if successful, will put him in the most
envable of all positions-an independent
sovereign (monarch of all he surveys, with
out the Crusoe curse of lack of human So
ciety.
lie proposes to take an uninhabited is
land in the south Atlantic, to people it, to
found small but ideal kingdom and to
make It not the least among the nations of
the earth The Baron Harden-Hickey has
done good many unusual and interesting
things in the course of his life. He has EN-
barked upon many novel enterprises. But
this is by far the most unusual, the most
attractive, the most difficult and the most
profitable to his reputation, If it does not
share the fate Of others of his chivalric or
Utopian projects.
The baron has found the place for his
kingdom and seems to be free to pursue his
plans without fear of interference Many
men have tried to get kingdoms for them
selves, and while some have succeeded most
have failed. The Baron Harden-Hickey is
going to avoid one of the chief sources of
towhich some one else already has a claim.
He Is going to begin with an unclaimed
part of the eartn's surface and build from
the ground up" He will import his sub
jects after the kingdom is founded and ev-
erything is in good working order
One would think that in these days of
great nations mad with land greed it would
be impossible to find any bit Of soil outside
of regions arctic and antarctic where some
nation had not already put in claim.
But the Baron Harden-Hickey has found
such place, not merely fit, but graciously
favorable to human habitation-an island
in the tropics, with excellent natural re-
sources, with the means of sustaining a
considerable population and of making
some of them rich. This place is an unin-
habited but often visited island called
Trinidad situated In the south Atlantic
ocean, 100 miles-three days sailing, with
a favorable wind-frOm the nearest main
land.
There is an island called Trinidad near
the mouth of the Orinoco rivera good, big
place, with the British flag over it, with u
prosperous population and a claim to some
Importance in history, aside from the fact
that Robinson Crusoe used to wonder how
faraway it was from his little prison. But
the Trinidad of Queen Victoria and the
Trinidad of the Baron Harden-Hickey are
not the same If you look on a map of the
south Atlantic straight out from the coast
of Brazil, you will light upon mere speck
with Trinidad l." written against it, On
a chart you will find that it is in south lati-
tude 20 degrees 30 minutes, west longitude
20 degrees % minutes.
You would look through good many
libraries before you found any sort of de-
scription of it. The few who have taken
the trouble to describe it tell that it is
about % miles long and miles wide, and
that it is probably of volcanic origin. 1t
has been often seen, but seldom visited.
Nearly every ship that goes around the
Horn sights Trinidad to correct its chro-
nometer But only distressed ship ever
stops there, and not a few of these have
stopped there only to break in pieces on its
reefs. 1t is covered with a luxuriant trop-
ical vegetation, but has very few trees.
This has led to the supposition that there
has been within a century or so a violent
CONFUSION of nature, volcanic or cyclonic.
A glance from the deck of passing yes.
sci would convince an experienced eye that
Trinidad is one of those islands which have
been heaved up suddenly from the bottom
of the sea within a few centuries Its coasts
are steep and rocky and forbidding, and
everywhere are lava and other traces OF
volcanic action. The winds and the waves
brought life from the mainland, and now
it is covered with green and filled with the
sounds of tropical birds. Like most OF
these islands, it is a great breeding plact
for birds, and therefore rich in guano
There is no harbor. Safe landing is posi-
BILE only in quiet weather, with the wind
blowing from the northwest.
1t was on one of the days it was thus &C
cessible that the Baron Harden Hickey dis
covered it. He had taken passage from
France in the sailing vessel Astoria, bound
westward around the Horn. She met NASTY
weather and was driven near Trinidad. AS
she had been long delayed and needed fresh
water, they waited for a calm day and put
into the difficult harbor. Baron Harden.
Hickey made some eXplorations-enough tC
set the present project to work in his mind
He found on the highland, which forms tn,
center of the island traces of two attempt,
that had been made to colonize there. Boil
were over a century ago, the first being
English and the second a Portuguese pena
settlement.
Since the failure of the second settlement
no one has tried TO live on the island, anC
no nation has included it in the list of it,
possessions. The baron found it almost il
its natural state, with hocks of wild fow
and myriads of turtles, both having com,
there for breeding purposes.
The Astoria went on her way, and tn
baron took up other affairs. 1t has BEEF
five years since he visited the island, but h
has never lost sight of the idea that cam
to him and was confirmed when he foun,
no nation had any claim to the place. Nov
matters are in such "A shape that with tn
coming of spring the baron hopes to Sc
about the founding of his kingdom, ant
this time year he expects to see it in full
blast.
1t is interesting to listen to his explana
ton of his project, as did a reporter for Tn
World yesterday. The baron is living witt
his father-in-law at Is West Fifty-seconC
street He is tall and slender, with tn
manners and speech of man of the world
He is a Frenchman and wears a small blont
mustache and goatee. He looks even young
err than he is, and he was born in 1854 II,
has a clear, rudy complexion, an agreea
BILE smile and handsome face He speak.
English with so slight an accent that one
would not discover it were he not looking
for IL.
II am citizen of France" said he, ''but
that has nothing to do with my establish
ing myself in complete independence
There is no danger that France will claim
the island because | may settle IL.
There are few difficulties so far as get
ting the land is concerned No nation want.
Trinidad, and none has any claim to it. Ac
cording to the principles of internationa
law can go there and by actually settling
establish my right to it. The next thing il
10 get other nations to recognize your indie
pendence. have already got the approva
of several nations | have not said any
thing to the United States authorities a
yet"
What form of government do you in
tend establishing"
"Oh, all that Is far in the future. / an
not prepared to say. This enterprise can
not be completed in a day. 1t will take'
great deal of time before it really comes u
ANYTHING"