The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-10-15
Old Fishmarket Transformed Into q
Gold Mine.
PRECIOUS COIN OF THE REALM.
Real Gold Fever Struck the Natives.
Pickaxes and shovels Unearth Wealth
from Five Dollars to Five Cents-The
Man Didn't put Candle under n BusheI

Although the island of Oahu did
originate from volcanic sources her
capital city can boast of a gold
mine which, peculiarly enough,
contains silver as we'll. The old
fshmarket did not stand for moth
ing. A native walking recently
over the ground where the shanty,
dignified with the name of fish
market, used to stand came upon
twenty fve-cent piece buried in
the hard earth. AS is usual upon
such occasions, a kind of fever
seized hold of him and he thought
to himself if the surface contained
money already made what multi
tudes of untold wealth the place
must contain. He thought of
bagful of gold and silver coins, and
built for himself castles in the air
which were unfortunately destined
to remain in the same hazy state.
Losing himself in a paroxysm of
JOY he sat down upon a coral rock
and surveyed the fields of "vast
wealth"
But, then, a beginning must be
made" thought the man, and drop
ping upon his hands and knees be
began to pick away at the dirt with
a blunt iron bar which he found in
the vicinity. Had he waited until
the dead of night and then gone
forth with a candle under a bushel
he might have kept the secret to
himself. But as it was out in the
light of day, the wrapt expression
of the natives face attracted others
of his kin, first by curiosity and
then by the fever which he himself
had developed. One by one, and
then two by two, and then in squads
of tens, came men, women and chill
dren, each carrying a receptacle
which could have easily held thou
sands of dollars and armed with
shovels, picks, knives and other
instruments calculated to be of use
in mining operations.
When the place was visited yes
terday morning these people were
at work digging earnestly at the
hard earth, ever and anon giving
vent to an expression of JOY at find
ing various pieces of money from a
nickel to a SIS piece. AS soon as a
coin was unearthed by some one
the other miners would work with
increased energy.
1t was very amusing to watch
these toilers out IN the hot sun,
with the perspiration flowing from
their faces and waddling along to
unexplored spots like 80 many
geese. When asked what they
were doing, they gave the answer
" Gula." This was evidently
adopted by all the toilers, for they
invariably gave the same answer.
1t was short, concise, and calcu-
lated to put stop to all further
Interrogation.
A Portuguese with flowing beard
and dilapidated appearance came
along, but was Immediately made
to feel very uncomfortable by the
cutting remarks of the natives.
After finding few pieces Of scrap
iron he sought other fields, followed
by the most aggravating taunts,
such as natives alone know how to
offer. None but natives are sup
posed to belong to the Fishmarket
miners.
1t is safe to say that the site OF the
old fishmarket will be occupied by
" "squatters and others for many
weeks to come since there are among
the natives, as among other nation
alities, a few who are never satisfied
with the work of others, and will,
consequently, want to 90 over the
ground already dug up. 1t has
been offered as a suggestion that
the men now hunting for coins be
given work at levelling off the
ground 1t is thought they will be
willing to work for small wages.
-%.s- s-.-&.,--
The Benninpton is exuected from