The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-02-20

Honolulu dates its existence
as a town from 1916. Before
this date it was a mere fishing
village. At the time mentioned
there were several white men
on the islands, among them
one John Young, whose roman
tic career almost rivals that of
Captain John Smith. Young
had been mate on the Ameri-
can vessel Eleanor, and had
been captured by King Kane
hameha together with sailor
named Davis from little
schooner, The Fair American.
The commander and all his
crew, save Davis, were killed
by the savages, Kamehameha
sparing Young and Davis only
because they were expert in
the use of firearms. When all
of the islands had been brought
under the control of Kane
hameha, John Young was
made governor of Hawaii, the
largest island of the group.
Young was man of more
than ordinary ability. He be-
came a true subject of Kane
hameha, and his successors on
the throne. In 1915 he advised
the erection of a fort at Homo
lulu, to command, the harbor.
He was given full power to
direct it's construction, and,
early in January, 1916, the fort
was begun and completed the
same year. This fort was near
ly square, measuring between
three and four hundred feet on
a side, with walls about twelve
feet high and twenty feet thick.
1t was built of hard rock and
had embrasures for cannon. 1t
stood on the seaward side of
what is now Queen street,
and across the lower part of
Fort Street. About forty guns
six, eight, and twelve pound
ers-were afterwards mounted,
and the fort placed under the
command of Captain Beckley.
In November 1920, the king
moved his court to Honolulu,
Mr.. Thurston and his wife,
two pioneer missionaries, &C
companying him. Ever since,
Honolulu has been the seat of
government for the islands.
In the afternoon of the day
of my arrival 1 decided to take
a stroll about this beautiful
little city of the tropics and
"see the sights"
These sights" are we'll
worth crossing a continent and
an ocean to see. They are such
as no pen can describe, no cam
era depict, no painter place on
canvass. The beauties and
blessings which nature has SC
abundantly bestowed on these
islands must be seen to be ap-
preciated.
Perhaps the most beautiful
tree in the world is the Royal
Palm which grows on the
Sandwich Islands. In he1
forthcoming book, entitled
"Around the World with the
White Ribbon" Mrs. Mary
Clement Leavitt says:
1.-The Royal Palm, introduced here from
the West Indias, combining the beauty o
architecture in it's perfectly symmetrical
highly colored columnar trunk, with thu
swaying grace of its long plume like leaves
easily takes place second to none in tn,
| world
Her description is neither
overdrawn nor incorrect. Sc
smooth and symmetrical are
these "columnar trunks" thai
a gentleman who was with me
asked a citizen if they did n u
scrape the bodies of the tree
or sand-paper them.
There are few residences ir
the city which are not sur
rounded with palms. The city
is rich in vegetation. The hous
es are not usually grand OF
imposing, but very picturesque
and the grounds are ample
The Honoluluian thinks more
of his lawn than of his house
The approach to the house is
through veritable flower gar
den. Usually there is an ave
nue. of palms, between which
are numerous plants, or shrubs
crimson, vermillion, and gold
A tall cactus often reaches the
heighth of twenty feet, with
flowers of every hue, and the
banana spreads it's broad leaves
before you. Oranges, dates, anc
figs grow in yards and gardens
| Almost everything is trOpica1