The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-03-02

institution which any
city four times the size of Honolulu
might we'll be proud of.
There were not many present at
that meeting, but those who did at
tend were good men and true.
Through the courtesy of +. A. Schaefer
Esq, the present secretary of the
Home, the writer was given access to
the old records of the society. That
they contain much interesting matter
goes without saying.
The first meeting of the Sailors
Home Association of Honolulu was
held on the 2lst of November, 1854.
The records do not show the names of
all who were present, but they do
show that Elijah H. Allen was elected
president; DR.. @. p. Judd Gather of
the present chief justice) vice-preSis
dent; Rev William Bingham, secre-
tary; and George NJ. Robertson, treas
urer. To DIR. Judd is credited the get
ting up Of the meeting and the future
success of the institution. OF those
present at the first election Of officers
only one remains with US, II. NJ
Whitney, until lately the hOnored
manager of the Gazette Company.
After the organization of the society
its promoters did not let the grass
grow under their feet. Subscription
lists were circulated, concerts were
given, and various other means of
raising money adopted. About the
first of July, 1855, those in charge
of the Home concluded they had
funds enough to commence the
erection of Sailors Home OF
sufficient dimensions to accOmmO-
date the large number of sailors
who then frequented the port of
Honolulu. II must be remembered
that at that time all the North Pa
cific whalers made this port their
winter rendezvous, and that it was
no uncommon sight to see hundred
or more vessels lying off port aud two
or three Thousand sailors ashore at q
time.
The site selected for the Sailors
Home was on Bethel street at the
corner of Merchant, now being the
vacant lot opposite the Police Station.
From the secTetary's ecOrts il appears
that the 3Ist day of July, 1875, the
of the new building was celebrated as
holiday; that the tru~tees and Off
GERS Of the society marched in body
to the residence of King Kameha-
meha w TO the music of the band OF
the old United States ship Mississippi
which was then in port. Every Ufficer
and member OF the society was pre-
sent with the exception OF w. l..
Lee, the Hawaiian Minister to the
United States, who wRs absent in
Washington. From the Kings resi-
dence the line Of march WAS taken up
To the site Of the proposed building.
Rev. s. G.. Damon, father OF Minister
Damon aud Frank Damon, opened
the exercises with prayer, the band
played appropriate music and His
Majesty took up the trOw-l provided
fer the occasion. A squad of sailors
frUm the Mississippi and other ves-
sells i'm port hoisted the corner stone
and lowered 1t In position to the
merry music Of a stirring sea song.
In the corner stone was placed gilt
edged Bible In the Hawaiian Ian
guage, n copy OF Jarvis History OF
Hawaii aud davuerTetypes OF Kane
hamPha !, II, III aud ", the three
first being small ones but the latter
large. After laying the mortar about
the stone His Majesty mounted u dats
prepared for him aud aid:
"The laying OF n corner stone OF an
ehificp destined in add io the welfare
and happiness oi ssRmer, Is Hn iu'er-
estiug occasion to every member ot
this community. The hnTd~hipI with
which the suilur cuuteuu' aud the
dangers which ht. bIRVeS bI:ut. us ease
ami security. Hgi h" uvv Strrr,d
his ships into our wRtvrs, linuoIulu
might simply have retained its posi-
tiou as n fishing village a. bs" me ny
this time dpz,rte beach. hope
the day has pasSei f"r a"y C'o~S oi
men Co he valued simply for their
strength aud adHrtahilIty To the pur-
poses uf others. The sailor. the mincr'
the pCamstrvR~, aud evru the slave Tor
generations To ConIr viii All nave
cause tu bless the uiuet'euth century
IL rRisruR this home, we vhd'aNnr IN
moi in accordance with the Ruirit of
ih, Rgp, by arrkiug Co RmeliurRte the