West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1896-01-23
The Second OF Series or Letters by
John X. Musick.
Author Of "Ths Columbian Histcri.
cal Novels" Brother Against
Brother" etc, etc.
The City Of Eonclulu.-A Bit Of Its Kis.
tory. and climb up to the Punch
Bowl"
Copyright, iSOo, by FUNK & wAsSAus Cox
PANY. New York;

Special Contribution for TnE ARous.
Honolulu dates its existance as a
town from 1916. Before this date
1T was mere fishing village. At
the time mentioned there were sew
eral white men on the islands.
among them one John Young,
whose romantic career almost rivals
tn at of Captain John Smith.
Young had been mate on the
American vessel Eleanor. and had
been captured by King Kamehame
ha together with a sailor named
Davis from little schooner, The
Fair American. The commander
and all his crew, save Davis, were
killed by the savages, Kamehameba
sparing Young and Davis only be-
cause they were expert in the use Of
firearms. When all of the ialaads
had been brought under the con-
troll OF kamehameha, John Young
was made Governor of Hawaii, the
largest island of the group.
Young Was man of more than
ordinary ability. He became a
true subject OF Kamehameha, and
his successor on the throne. In
1918 he advised the erection OF a
fort at Honolulu, to command the
harboT. He was given full power
to direct it's construction, and, early
IN January, 1916, the fort was be-
gun and completed the same year.
This fort was nearly square, meas
uring between three and four hun
dred feet on q side, with walls
about twelve feet high. and twenty
feet thick. 1t was built of hard
rock ana had embrasures for can
non. 1t stood on the seward side
Of what is now Queen street, and
across the lower part of Fort street.
About forty guns-six, eight. and
twelve pounders-were afterward
mounted. and the fort placed uu-
der command of Captain Beckley.
In November 1920. the king
moved his court to Honolulu. Mr..
Thurston and his wife, two pioneer
missionaries, accompanying him.
Ever since, Honolulu has been the
seat Of government for the islands.
Ia the afternoon of the day of my
arrival decided to take a stroll
about this beautiful little city of
the tropics and "see tho sights"
These "sights" are well worth
crossing continent and an ocean
TO see. They are such as no pen
can describe, no camera depict, no
painter place OH canvass. The
beauties and blessings which nature
has so abundantly bestowed on
these islands must be seen to be
appreciated.
Perhaps the most beautiful tree
IN the world is the Royal Palm
which grows on the Sandwich
Islands. In her forthcoming book
entitled "Around the World with
the White Ribbon" Mrs. Mary
Clement Leavitt says
"The Royal Pain, introduced
here from the West Indies. com
blning the beauty and architecture
in its perfectly symmetrical. highly
polished and beautifully colored
cOlumnar trunk, with the swayinp
grace Of its long plume like leaves,
easily takes place second to none
in the world"
Her description is neither over
drawn nor incorrect. so smooth
and symmetrical are these "colum-
mar trunks that a gentleman who
was with me, asked a citizen il they
did not scrape the bodies of the
trees, or sand paper them.
There are few residences in The
city which are not surrounded with
palms. The city is rich in vegeta.
ton. The houses are rot usually
grand or imposing, bat very pic.
turesque, and the grounds are am.
pie. The Honolulan thinks more
Of his lawns than Of his house.
The approach to the house Is gen.
orally through q veritable flower
garden. Usually there is an avenu,
Of palms, between which are nu.
merous plants, o. shrubs, crimson,