The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-10-26
A Meeting of Mission Children's
Society Held on Saturday.
HAWAII'S EARLY DEVELOPMENT.
Large Gathering Present Saturday Night.
New Maile Wreath Commirtee-Visitors
View House-Mrs. Turner Sings Home.
Sweet Home"-BuiIding May be Restored.

The Hawaiian Mission Children's So
ciety, more generally known as the
| Cousins Society,"" met last Saturday
evening at the old Cooke residence in
| Kawaiahao. 1t was called there in view
of the probable speedy removal of the
has gone.
| Among those present were President
| Dole, Hon. S. NJ. Damon, Revs. Bing-
ham, Bishop, Gulick, Brine, w. D. AL
| eXander and a number of the descend
ants of that large family; Messrs. c. M.
| Cooke, A. F. Cooke, J. B. Atherton,
Mrs. Turner and several others of that
we'll known family, in the second and
| third generations; W. R. Castle, w. w.
| Hall, the Hon. Chief Justice Judd, R.
w. Andrews, DR.. Emerson and many
others directly connected with the old
| missionary families; Captain Appleton,
| as we'll as a larger representation of
| the more recent elements of Honolulu
life and society. Mr.. F. w. Damon
brought several missionaries passing
| through. The rooms were not sufficient
to contain them all.
The house was thrown open and well
lit from garnet to cellar, for there is a
cellar, as was usual with houses erected
in those early days. For half an hour
the rooms were thronged with people,
anxious to see what an 1921 house was
like.
In the cellar was a dilapidated frame
of sewing machine, the most promi
nent part of which was a large cog
wheel attachment. One of the previous
occupants said that whenever this ma
chine was used, the noise of it's running
could be heard many blocks away.
Aside, from this curio, many old mis-
sion utensils were discovered slowed
away in various hooks and recesses.
The old piano. in the main assembly
room was probably the most interesting
relic of the evening, not alone on &C
count of it's ancient appearance, but on
account of the weird, Midway Plais-
ance-like" sounds that emanated from
it upon the keys being struck. Some of
these had lost their cunning with age,
and failed totally to respond.
The building as a whole, and especi-
ally the timberS, were observed to be
in good condition, and one of the mem
bers of the Cabinet remarked that he
would like very much to transfer it to
Moanalua, to keep intact as relic of
old times.
The observation of the good con-
dition of the building led several mem
bers of the society to remark that it
would be a shame to tear down struc-
ture around which was clustered asso-
Citations of the first advancement of the
JIox oil L. -
ilization-a structure whose doors had
admitted daily the kings and chiefs of
olden times. By it's preservation a
boon would be conferred on the Islands
at large.
At the appointed hour Rev. o. H. GU
lick called the meeting to order, after
which came the singing of the hymn,
'Blest be the tie that binds" A prayer
by the chairman was followed by the
report of the Board of Managers, who
the following members of
the Male Wreath committee to serve
during the next four months: Rev. S.
e. Bishop, chairman; Rev. o. P. Elmer
son, Mrs. j. NJ. Whitney and Miss
Brooke of Kawaiahao Seminary.
Miss Brooke agreed to take one of the
four evenings in her own charge, fur
nishing material from various institu-
of the society.
The collection for the evening am
ounted to S27.15.
Mrs. Montague-Turner, who was born |
in the building, was called upon for a
song, and responded with Home,
Sweet Home rendered most fe elingly. |
Miss Nellie Judd struck a Few notes
on the old piano as start to 'Oft in The |
Silly night" sung by all.
Then the Rev. Mr.. Bingham told the
story of the hOuse--how it was fra med !
and fitted in Boston, sent around Cape |
Horn, and after landing had to wait for
the suspicious of the chiefs to die away
before it could be put uD. Mean time |
the missionaries, the Binghams, Cham |
berlains mot the present fanily) and |
others of the early band of mission
aries were located in little matched |
houses erected a short distance makai |
Of the site of the present building. At |
last the suspicious OF the King were |
allayed and the work was begun. The |
digging of the cellar excited new sus-
picIOnS, which were famed by the ma |
liciOus statements OF some jealous Eng |
fish, that the real intention was to
capture the country, and the cellar as
10 be used for storing arms and ammu-
milton. To be prepared for this, guns
were taken to the top Of Punchbowl |
hill, and on being put in place were
trained on the suspicious excavation.
But at last the house was finished and
the families all moved in. AL" for
here was no other place for them; and
Tor many years it was the home of the
mission. AS the rooms on the first and
second floors were al occupied by the
7arious families, there being only one
'oom in common, which was used for
general prayers, it was necessary &c
Use the cellar for living purposes, and
he main room there was for a long
ime the only living or dining room.
Much Of the time it was spread three
lines day for about fifty people.