Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-18
Ostrich Farming and Politics on the
Islands.
ENGLISH OPPOSITION TO ANNEXATION
Newspapers That Oppose the Pres
emit Government.
PRESIDENT DOLE'S BIRTHDAY
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
HONOLULU, May 2, 1895.
A curious incident occurred the other day
at the Island of Kauai. C. NJ. Cooke hav-
ing bought an ostrich farm, began moving
it to that island. He shipped a dozen of
the larger ones in big crates, by steamer.
On landing them, one of the largest sprang
off thirty-foot cliff into deep water, and
swan out to sea, its neck projecting like
sea serpent. 1t had got outside of the
| ship before boat could overtake it. On
counting the rest, another was found to be
| missing having evidently taken to the wa
| ter while attention was diverted to the first
| one. 1 once saw wether landed from
| be at refuse to join it's flock inland and run
along the beach, then plunge into the sea
and reach the schooner from which it
came, before being overtaken. Sheep and
| ostriches have earned much the same repu-
| tation for intelligence; but l have known
| bullock to perform like caper. Having
only the butcher in prospect on shore, the
| beef critter might be more eXcusable.
Good ostricheS are called worth from $3.50
| to $500 each. The above named ostrich
| farm was started by the late DR.. Geo.
Trousseau. Like most new enterprises, 1t
| lad been run at much loss. The birds had
| become healthy and multiplying. Cooke
| bought the concern for song, and being
a successful business man, will probably
| do we'll. His first crop of feathers must be
| worth all he paid. l had the privilege of
| observing the process of asserting them,
performed by an experienced party from
| South Africa. This should have been done
| In the cutting. A few of them were bleach
| ed and dressed, also an interesting process.
| A considerable market for these feathers
was noted a few days later, in watching a
procession of knights Templar in their
glory.
Hawaii possesses an abundance of arid
country, supposed to be suitable for ostrich
| farms One delusion is worth removing
1t Is commonly supposed that nails, glass
birds. The truth is that such diet is highly
| INJURIOUS to them. They pick up such
things through sheer stupidity, mistaking
them for food. Trousseau lost number of
| nne birds by their picking up lead bullets,
which poisoned them. Their paddock had
been an old rifle range at the base of Dia-
mond Head. Fodder had to be raised and
supplied to the ostriches like SO many colts.
Inc young, which looked like big geese,
had to be carefully fed. The eggs were
best Matched in an incubator. A fence of
hve feet high was ample to confine them,
Notwithstanding their massive legs and
| swift motion.
A Surprise to President Dole.
There was very jolly surprise party at
President Dole's a few nights ago. 1t was
our chiefs birthday, which he was too
| democratic to allow any fuss whatever to
| be made about. 1t was planned, however,
| by company of personal friends, descend
ants, in fact, like himself, Of the old mis-
| sionaries, to have a good time over him.
| About seventy-five got together in the
| evening, each armed in native fashion
| with a hookUpu, or tribute. One had a
root of tara, another chicken, another a
| stick OF sugar cane, a squash, a dozen eggs
| tied in cloth, basket of figs, mangoes, or
grapes. Two brought sucking pigs. There
were few native fans and fancy mats
| with an occasional bunch of rich carna :
| tons or roses.
1t was an immense surprise. The good
Doles did not know but it was a new in
| surrection come to capture the president.
| The crowd trooped into the palm avenue
| and up the long steps, some rolling out the
quavering native chant which goes with
hookupu to the chief. They pushed
| across the wide veranda and into the cen
| ter of the parlor where they pushed aside
| the furniture and deposited at the presi-
| dents feet their tributes, which speedily
| grew into portentous pile. There were
punches of bananas and clusters Of green
| cocoanuts, which swelled the formidable
| bulk. Last came a pair of immense sugar
| canes, bent into an arch, which inclosed
! the whole like rainbow.
The mirth was convulsive. Solicitations
were poured out in Hawaiian. "Alohamei,"
| welD, "Elemakule no oe" you are getting
| to be an old fellow, and so on. Half the
company were old school mates. The very
| comical chanting was kept up, not in many
| native accent of deep adulation, and often
with wailing emotion, all which is an in
| separable part of a hookupu. L. A. Thurs
| ton proved himself an adept in this and
| carried all the company away again and
again with his aduatory grimaces and con-
| tortions of emotion prasing the "Alir'
| (the chiefD 1t was roaring fun-partly, yet
not altogether, a travesty of scenes fire.
| quently witnessed when a native chief was
among his people. We have a strong SYM
| pathetic feeling for the fine old native
customs.
The ThurstOn Mystery Solved.
The mystery about Thurstons dismissal
| is at last solved. The original dispatch of
Mr.. Gresham and it's duplicate arrived
| almost simultaneously three days ago, the
former from Hong Kong, whittier it had
been missent with other mail matter by
| the San Francisco post office. Minister
Willis speedily presented it, and of course.
| it will be final as to the withdrawal of Min
| lister Thurston from Washington. At this
| writing the text of Mr.. Gresham's COM
| to specify an offense of rather more intelli-
| gible nature than that alleged in the
| papers, of having promulgated facts to the
| public prior to communicating them to the
State Department. The offense charged
appears to have been quite different-that
of showing to an interviewer Honolulu cor
respondence of a kind disparaging to the
President and Secretary. Comment on this
| subject would be premature.
The enemies of this government are con-
| stantly alleging that it's leaders are pri-
vately averse to annexation, preferrng
| continued independence for the islands.
Such things are often reported by cores
pondents sent here to write us down. Moth
| ing could be more untrue. 1t may be as
serted absolutely and unqualfiedly that
every prominent man in this government,
| and probably every official whatever, is
| thoroughly and anxiously DESTROYS of an
rexation to the United States, as our only
possible haven of political security and rest.
| This Is also true of nearly every American
resident in these islands. 1t is possible that
| some American sugar planter may exist
| who has serious misgivings to his future
| supply of labor when annexation shall have
| closed the door to Asiatic immigrants Such
| a man may dread annexation, and be in
| cined sometimes to oppose it. do not per-
| sonally know any American of such views.
All whom l know are ardently for annexa-
| ton, and heartily willing to take all the
| risks about obtaining laborers if they can
| only enjoy the public security that shelter
| under the stars and stripes will bring.
English Opposed to Annexation.
| Of course, the great majority of the Eng
| lish residents are opposed to annexation. A
| few of them have the good sense to recog-
l