The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-03-09
CURIOUS KANAKA CHARACTER.
Bill Ragsdale, the Hawaiian Parlia-
mentary Interpreter.

4
ksua's reign and for some years pre-
ceding a half white called "Bill"
Ragsdale was the official interpreter
In the elective branch of the Hawai-
ian Parliament says the New York
Sun. Ragsdale had great natural
aptitude for acquiring languages, and
1t was told of him that when he visit
ed French man of-war the officers
would not believe he had not been
educated in Paris, and that the
German navy officers wanted to bet
| that he had been educated from
infancy in Berlin. He was quick
witted, eloquent, fop in dress, and
as citizen a good for naught. His
official duties required him to inter
pref the speeches of the natives into
English and the speeches of the
foreigners into Hawaiian. The latter
was necessary, as many of the native
members from districts remote from
Honolulu and Hilo had little know
ledge of any language but their own.
The former duty, turning the natives
speeches into English, was seldom
necessary, as the foreign members
were, naturally, men who had been
on the islands long enough to master
the simple and easily acquired native
language. But it was a duty Rags
dale loved, and its performance was
source of constant delight to the.
foreign members and spectators
His method was to interpret every
two or three sentences, and he would
sometimes suavely interrupt native
struggling in an impossible laby-
rinth of gutturals and leave him
there, in speechless amazement,
while he launched into au eloquent
on the beauties Of moonlight rain
bow or some other equally unrelated
subject. Or gray haired member
from Wsikapu might arise in his
place and explode a few gutturals
which were to the effect that one of
his oxen had been drowned in the
Ulupalakua ford and he wanted to
know when the government proposed
to bridge that creek. Ragsdale
would rise, bow to the members, and
proceed dramatically in some such
manner as this.
The distinguished and eloquent
member from Waikapu desires TO
direct the attention of the honorable
members to what he aptly character
ICES as their lamentable lapse from
that high sense of duty which most
distinguishes the patriot from the
politician. Not since the regretted
days of Kamehameha 1. of glorious
memory, whose war club was as the
thunderbolt, and whose canoes
shimmered DER the waters like the
mysterious lights which beacon the
spray as it dashes across the coral
reef; not since the taboo was by royal
edict placed on the religion of our
forefathers and we all became
Christians by ukase; not since the
enemies of the great Kamehameha
fled in alright, up the valley of
Nuuanu and-fearing death less
than the wrath of their pursuer-
flung themselves over the Pail, where
their bones in fantastic disarray
strew the cruel rocks even now; not
since the juice of the ava first made
the sailors of Capt. Cook delirious
with Joy; not since then has there
been ON all these islands Kanaka
so mad as was the honorable gentle
man from Waikapu when his off OK
sank in the treacherous sands where
purl the waters of the Ulupalakus.
Then the member, delighted to
hear that so little Hawaiian would
make 80 much English, would utter
a few more sentences.
Ragsdsle, in pretend 'ng to inter
pref this, would attribute to the
member the latest good story the in
terpreter had probable heard on
board some man of-war When he
had finished his story he would in
form the member that he was out of
order, as the river and harbor i'm
provement bill was not before the
House; that the only bill before the
House was Bill Ragsdale. He had
many foppish eccentricities in dress,
so no particular notice was taken
when Rsgsdale began wearing one
glove constantly, even when inter
preting.
He furnished an explanation of
that when he gave himself up to the
authorities as leper and asked to
be transported to Molokai. The
fatal disease was manifest only on
that hand he had kept gloved.
that hand a knife might
have been run without Rsgsdale
feeling it.
He went to Molokai, where he
lived several years, dying before
Father Damien. That good priest
gave testimony that Ragsdale's ex-
ample in voluntarily going to
Molokai did much to allay the dis
content of others there and that he
was cheerful, intelligent, and in
dustrious aid to the priest in govern
ing and caring for their unfortunate
Three DAYS Is A very short time in