The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-02-14
A STRANGE OCCUPATION.
Bones for Shipment to
China.
A House I'm Nuuanu Stream Where This
Is Done-A Gruesome Trade
Carried On.

Situated just at the foot of Hotel
street and a little back OF the buildings
fronting on the land now being built
up by the dredger mud, silt and sand,
is u very rough Sxl2 structure OF most
unpromising appearance. 1t stands
on four posts about four feet from the
ground and looks for all the world
like q top-heavy pigeon coop. To
look at its exterior would mean 10th
ing to the observer, but to know of its
inside workings would make every
thing about it interesting at once.
1t is known as the Chinese club
house Whenever Gilman an has
tag of human bones to prepare for
transportation to China 1t is inside
the very narrow limits o' this srruc-
rure that the work of scrapiDg away
dried-up skin, rgsn-nts AMI other
unn. ces,ary matter is d IRE.
A peep in at the widow close on TO
the hour OF midnight in the dark of
the moon is perhaps the best mode of
receiving a lasting impression on see
ing couple of Chinameu seated on
the floor, each with pile of bones in
front of him and working by the dim
rays of peanut oil lamp. A broken
sickle in the hands OF Que serves to
cut away the unnecessary dried skin
aud ligaments, white q cocoanut
crater in the hands OF the other, does
good work toward removing VIII 1t the
sickle has failed TO do A couple of
black oil cloth valises constitute the
receptacles for the bones which are
done up, some in cloth aud others
IN brown paper. Such pOrtiOus as
the skull are always wrapped in
cloth while the legs and arms
suffer the indienity Of brown paper.
A pile of scrapings here anu
there furnish the only decorations
that the room affords. Cracks in the
walls serve, on a windy night, to
make peculiar noises, which seem
fitting accompaniment for the work
OF the industrious cues inside.
Ever since the Chinese first came
into the country has this custom been
observed, and as long rs they remain
here will the same thing go on. No
matter IL the law says they shall not
Zig up the dead from places of burial,
they will continue to do it some way
Dr other. IL the present club houses
is removed they will have recourse to
another place.
The former position of the club
house was where the dredger pipes
are now emptying their mud. 1t will
D. remembered that Nuuanu stream
was in very decidedly marshy cou-
iition at that point before the intro
iuctiOn OF improvements.
Then, as now, Cinnamon made
tightly visits to the place and scraped
tie bones of their relatives prepara-
,"ry 10 transportation, but instead Of
carrying all waste material as they
lave to do now, they simply dumped
his into the stream to be carried out
o sea Or to settle among the bull
ushes.
The work of the preparation of
zones for transportation is done OPEN
y and any one who wishes may
atisfy his curiosity by paying a visit
o the place on most any night of the
week. or course at the present time
he Chinese are too much taken up
With their new year to even think of
he bones of their relatives, but il is
cry probable there will be num-
er OF skeletons ready to be exhumed
lext week. The sight is well worth
eeing and should be taken advantage
I by people interested in unusual
Genes. To visit the place during the
ay would be folly for nothing is done
hen. All that can be seen at that
me is couple Of oil cloth bags,
Dcoanuf CRATER, a sickle and q pile of
'aste material.