The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-09-05
Printed First Bibles for the Gil
bert islanders.
WAS CAST UP BY THE SEA.
But Missionaries Looked on His Arrival as
ProvidentiaI-Many Years in Offices of
Honolulu-Aged Printer Dies After Linger-
ing IlIness-ReV. Mr. Bingham 0fficiates.

Charles Hotchkiss, whose name will
always be associated with the pioneer
days of the art preservative in the ISL
ands of the Pacific, died Friday morning
| at the Queens Hospital, after lin
gering illness. While Mr.. Hotchkiss
country, his career was a most remark
able one, and among the missionary
circles of the South Sea Islands his
name will always be kindly remem-
bered. Of his early history, compare
lively little is known. He was born In
Vermont and has relatives in st. Louis,
Mo-, and Toledo, Ohio. He first came
to the Pacific as a sailor on merchant
ship, which was wrecked. Hotchkiss
with several sailors took to a small
boat and found haven of rest at Api-
ang, where Rev. Hiram Bingham was
stationed as a missionary worker. The
story of his arrival at that place and
the work performed in giving the Gill
bert Islands copies of the Bible is told
as follows by Mr.. Bingham in his "Sto-
ries of the Morning Star"
Among other worthy deeds" of the
Morning Star, she had carried printing
presses to Micronesia. The story of our
press. at Apaiang think will please
you.
Nearly five after we landed there, we
sent copy of the Gospel of Matthew
in the Gilbert Island language to Homo
lulu, by the hands of Kanoa, to be print
ed there, as also a small hymn-book.
Thirteen months later, Kanoa returned
in the Morning Star, bringing back an
edition of the hymn-book, but no print
ed copy of Matthew. We were very
sorry, for we had often told our pupils
that they would soon have an entire
Gospel.
1t happened that printing-press had
just been sent to us in the Morning
Star: and so we said, 1--WE can print
Matthew for ourselves" The box which
was supposed to contain the press was
landed, and soon opened. We found in
it small box of types, cases, and other
things used in printing, but no press!
The captain felt sure that all had been
landed; but [ could not rest until | had
boarded the vessel and inquired of the
mate. He assured me that there was
nothing more. AS padded home that
evening, my heart was doubIy heavy,
from this second disappointment.
Next morning the examination of one
of our schools was held; and while this
was going on, the captain came to in
form me that another search for the
missing press was to be made; and, in
case it should be found the Stars and
Stripes would be hoisted. How great
was our joy, upon leaving the school
house, to see the old flag at the mast
head
The Morning Star soon left us. We
had a press, but no printer. A book,
however, telling us how to print had
been sent, and we hoped soon to under
stand the business. Only two days after
Captain James's departure boat en-
tered our lagoon, which had gone adrift
with several sailors, when trying to
reach a small guanO island, some forty
miles from the place where they had
been wrecked. For ten days they were
upon the ocean, and after voyage of
six hundred miles they reached Maiana
They rested one night, and then set
out for Apaiang, in the hope of finding
the Morning, Star, and going in her to
Honolulu. The current was too strong,
and the wind too much ahead so they
put back, and remained five days long
er. They then set out again for Apai-
ang, and reached us just too late! A
few weeks later they had an opportu-
nifty of leaving for Sydney in a cocoa
nut oil trader.
One of the men was a printer, and he
was willing to remain, and set our little