The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1896-09-04
Papers Read Before Members of
the Woman's Board.
Observation-Disclosures
Review of Mrs. Cookies Work in the Chiefs
Sehool-one of the First and Most Arduous
Christian Workers-She Was the Nations
Benefaetor-Early Life Among Hawaiians.

At the meeting of the Woman's
Board Tuesday afternoon, memorial
papers concerning the life of the late
Mrs. Juliette NJ Cooke were read by
Mrs. NJ. S. Rice, Miss NJ A. Chamber
lain and Mrs. L. B. Coan. The meet
ing was large one and deep inter
est was taken in the loving tributes
paid Mother Cooke who during her
days of active life labored early and
late to spread Christian truths among
the Hawaiian people and whose coun-
sells were sought by those who in later
years took up the work The papers
of Miss Chamberlain and Mrs. Rice
are given below. These with Mrs.
.Coan's Tribute in Memory" viii be-
published in the annual repor5 Of the
Woman's Board:
In order to more completely under
stand this period of Mother Cookies
life, let us imagine ourselves living in
the 40s of this century, as the years
from 1912 to 1S49. Honolulu is a small,
struggling town, most thickly settled
towards the sea coast, whose only street
OF any width is King street, and that
runs out into the wild, unsettled coun-
try at each end. On the east the Mis-
sion premises and on the west the I'M
bridgedt Nuuanu stream terminates any
appearance of regular town life. Nj
uanu Valley lies in its primitive love
illness of streams, woods and kalo
patches, some of the latter extending
quite far down into what is now busy
Fort street. A slender bride path wind
ing up to the Pail is the only indication
of what is now Nuuanu avenue. The
grass huts of the Hawaiians are thick
ly strewn on the ''kuleanas" reserved
among the kalo patches, and the only
sign of foreign inhabitants is an occa-
sional spot fenced in, with perhaps a
small lumber-built box of a cottage,
placed as an initiative on such spots of
land as have been purchased by DR..
Judd, Mr.. E. o. Hall and Mr. H Di-
mond. In the town the only buildings
of any pretension are the two-storied
coral-stone houses of the chiefs, which
seem like mansions in the midst of the
low adobe thatched-roofed houses or
all-grass huts. On the water front are
some wooden buildings, one or two sto-
ried, where the few foreign merchants
and ship chambers do business by the
two solitary wharves. The old adobe
built fort faces the water, with its
on which are mounted cannon, giving
an appearance of power to the place.
Near the fort stands one of the two
story stone buildings, the residence of
Governor Kehuanoa the father of four
of the royal children. A truly regal
looking specimen of man; but the
royal descent came to the children
from their mother, Kinau, once one of
the Queens of Kamehameha, the Con-
queror. She had been the Premier of
the Islands, but had passed away from
life in 1899, Christian convert, COM
paratively young, greatly desiring a
Christian education for her children,
one of whom, Alexander Liholiho, was
then the adopted child of Kamehameha
Ill, and heir to the throne
Two other large stone houses, with
many windows and broad verandas.
are on King street, and occupy the
square from near Punchbowl street to
Richard street, and are enclosed by
high. solid coral-stone walls laid up in
masonry. tThe last relic of these old
fashioned walls can still be seen around
the Kawaiahao Church, These houses,
whose grounds were separated by
stone dividing wall, were the palaces of
Kamehameha Ill, the reigning King,
and the Premier, Kekauluohi, and her
husband, C. Kanaina, the parents of
VIM. c. Lunalilo. Heavy wooden gates
on each side, constantly guarded by
armed sentinels, prevented any imper-
tinent gaze into the interior of the
yards. Just mauka of this square ran
a narrow street or lane, called Palace
Walk, and on the mauka of this lane
was the piece of ground selected for the
Young Chiefs School The situation is
the same now occupied by the stone
barracks OF the Hawaiian Government, |
with all the lawn in front added TO the /
enclosure. The building, which was
erected very near the lane, was in the |
form of large hollow square, low,
one-story adobe building, plastered and
whitewashed and closed in front by a |
large gate or portal, which was guarded
by a sentinel continually, day and /
and night. No door of exit was found |
on the back side of the buildings though
there were numerous windows there for
ventilation.
Here, then, we find the quaint, inter
esting family school where Mr.. and
Mrs. Amos S. Cooke reigned supreme in
love, and exerted for ten years an in
fiuence for the future of these Islands
they then had no idea of, and the full
results of which can only be revealed
in eternity.
Let us pay a visit to this unique
school. Approaching the portal, we
raise the knocker, and it is opened by
the sentinel, who stands within the
arched passage, and we pass into the
lovely grassy courtyard of soft mamie
ME turf The interior of the buildings