Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-06
The Retrospect Marks the Progress
Now Attained.
HAWAl'S LANGUAGE Is ANGLICIZED
How the Chiefs and Kings Re-
formed Their Government.
GEN ROUS CIV ERS|
pecial Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
HONOLULU. November 20. 1895.
This island city has long since fairly
earned for itself a name for an exceptional
degree of generosity in contributing for
benevolent and public objects. Two fresh
instances occur. The Y. NJ. c. A. have had
a $4,000 building for many years. This
year they have about doubled it's space, in
Guiding a commodous gymnasium. bath
rooms. etc, at a cost of about $4,000 There
was $1,000 debt on it last week, but half
the amount was raised three days ago. and
the rest is certain soon to follow. Our con-
tributing population Is small, but includes a
number of persons of considerable wealth
and far more than average liberality
The second case is that of our famous old
''stone church." which has just been reno
waited at cost Of over $4,000. 1t Is a
church for natives. The funds were chiefly
contributed by benevolent whites Every
cent was paid up and balance over before
the editice was reopened. Two-thirds of the
money was in sums ranging from $1,000 to
$40. There was on the 18th a special service
OF rededication, attended by large numbers
of natives and many whites. The preacher
of the day was Rev. Stephen Desha of Hilo,
a man possessing unusual degree both
OF ptety and eloquence. He Is pastor of
native church. and accustomed to some
thing of the customary poverty and SIM
plicity of native life, although three-fourths
white His mental ability he inherits from
distinguished grandfather, Governor
Desha Of Kentucky. Governor Desha had a
wild though talented son, who was tried for
the crime of murder and sentenced to
death at the time when the father was gov
ernor of the state The governor issued
pardon for his criminal boy, at the same
moment resigning his high office. The son
came to Honolulu, where we all knew him
under the name of Langhorne, the purveyor
for many years of the Queens Hospital
He married a half white. by whom he had
two sons At his death his real name be-
able young business man. Stephen also has
fine business ability. but chose conse-
Grated life of pastoral labor for the native
people.
Perhaps year ago your brilliant Wash
1ngton pastor, DR.. Talmaee, passed through
mere ON his way to Sydney and favored us
with display of his pulpit eloquence.
There being at shat time GATHERINGS of
leading natives, his talk was Interpreted,
and Mr. DeSha was selected to give 1t in
Hawaiian, which he cid in splendid style.
When his knowledge of English failed to
follow all our visitors grand corusca tons
he made it up in good shape from his own
native eloQuence, so that the audience was
fam to applaud, if 1t was in church!
stephen gave us noble sermon in Ha-
waiian the other morning, telling how the
latter glory of this house shall be greater
tnan the former. Another preacher, q
pure native, made prayer of rare impress
SiveneSS.
Two white men made brief addresses,
both of whom had seen laid the massive
corner stone OF the old church in 1899. One
was man of sixty-four. son and name
sake of the former missionary pastor
Hiram Bingham. who founded the great
stone ediffce. and himself distinguished
pioneer missionary in the Gilbert Islands
1880 miles southwest of us, where he labored
twenty years until privations ruined Ills
health. The 10000 very wild and wretched
savages of that group are now somewhat
tanned and peaceable. The other speaker was
a mis- sionary named Bailey. aged e:ghty-two
: no Is the last male survivor of the old
mission before 1910 He came here In 1887
seventeen years after bingham and Thurs
ton. but is still quite vigorous. Besides Mr.
Bailey, two aged >men of the old mission
still survive, and three women, one of
whom went from here to cannibal Nuku-
hiva in 1855. Another one still lingering in
great feebleness is the venerable Mother
Cooke, who taught the Royal School of
young chiefs from 1897 to 1S47. Five of her
pupils afterward came successfully to the
throne of Hawaii.
The Old Grass Church.
These older people we'll remembered the
old grass-thatcked church in the same in
closure where stands the stone church OF
Kawaiahao. 1t was 100 feet by 50, built
wholly In native style, save few glass
windows. On mats squatted the great
throng of half naked Kanakas. Near the
HiSli, Olu-ldSulOueu pulpit sat IN state a
group of high chiefs, with their attendants
holding fans, fly brushes and spittoons
Near them sat also a group of mission
aries. DR.. and Mrs. Judd, then young peo-
pie, led the singing of the rude voices of
native choir. setting the pitch with tun-
ing fork. No "ungodly klst of whistles"
had then reached Honolulu, not even a
harmonium. The tall missionary Bingham
then in his prime held forth to his half
Christianized audience at great length and
power. while the people coughed and
haWked and spat, or went to sleep. But
Bingham was great power with the
chiefs and people, as well among his
brother missionaries 1 may here say that
these "reminiscences are from a reliable
source.
In 1878 there was a tremendous reli-
gious revival, and the two huge native
churches here became overwhelmingly
crowded. Besides the old grass church
was getting dilapidated, and evidencing
a disreputable condition of holeyness where
the thatch was off, while the side posts in
scoted In the ground were beginning to de-
cay Except In very dry sections. native
houses seldom lasted ten years. Moreover
both chiefs and people were worthily am
bilious to have grand church edifice be-
fitting the capital. In fact, some of the
country districts had already erected stone
and adobe churches. which put Honolulu
to shame. Mr.. Bingham presented plans
for stone church IA feet by rs The
king subscribed $1,000, other chiefs 81 800
more, and the people raised 1t to $4,000. BY
the middle OF 1879 basement of twelve feet
high and three feet thick had been carried
up from the coral substratum of the city
In another year the massive walls were
completed. and in 1912 the building was
dedicated, having cost some 100000 The
walls We're built Of heavy blocks of coral
stone, cut with axes, while soft on the
reef.
This immense structure, though some
what barn like in architecture, after the
ancient New England pattern, remains a
grand and noble monument of the old days
of royal power and missionary activity
Whatever decay may befall it, the solid
walls might well defy the ages. The in
terror had undergone occasional alterations
and improvements. After fifty-two years
OF service, last year an electrician entered
the roof to wire the ceiling for lights He
soon retreated in dismay finding every
stringer and rafter absolutely riddled by
white ants. When that roof was taken
down all wondered that 1t had not long be-
fore tumbled in on the heads of the congre-
cation. Every great timber of Maine pine
brought around Cape Horn in 1910, had
been as thoroughly honeycombed by the
little vermin as were ever old ship timbers
in the sea by tereda.
Nearly every particle of woodwork in the
building was removed save doors and win
dow t11~,,~