The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-02-07
Sans SOuci and the Government
Buildings, with "reminiscences
of Jules Verne and Robert Stew.
enSOn.

The most celebrated hotel and bathin,
place in the islands is Sans SOuci. which
near the famous Diamond Head. Sans Soue
has had for ITS guests some OF the most la
nous literary men OF the age, Mark IWall
spent good deal of his time while on tn
islands at this place. Jules Verne ant
Robert Louis Stevenson made 1t their home
The latter, in writing of this cool retreat
said:
s'If any one desires such oldfashiOnet
things as lovely scenery, quiet, pure ar
clear sea water, good food, and heavenl!
sunsets hung, out before MS eyes ever EYER!
evening over the Pacific and the distant hill
of Waianae, recommend him cordially tt
the Sans SOuci.'
found several gentlemen at San Souc
who had very vivid recollectons of Steven
son. He is described by all as small maj
weighing, perhaps, less than a hundred
pounds, and an inveterate cigarette smoker
1t is barely possible that nicotine poison
fastened the end of this strange, mysterious
gifted man.
"He smoked from morning until night, >
said the manager of the hotel. 81 am Ger
tain he would consume sixty cigarettes a
day. He was very pleasant, unless irritat
ed, and then he was like mailman. Those
who disturbed while writing or medltatlng
were sure to hear from him.
Mr.. Timm0ns, city editor of The Hawaii
an Star, Saiu:
and was very strangely impressed by him
from the hrSt. | learned that he was at
Sans >Ouci, and went to call upon him.
Reaching the quiet place, | crossed the Ian
ma and entered the house proper. No one
was in sight but a small. ordinary looking
man, who sat at table writing.
''Where is the landord"' L asked.
Gle is out" answered the small man, and
he went on with his writing.
"Well, perhaps you can answer my ques-
ton; came to see Mr.. Stevenson"
The small man dropped his pen, arose,
and, extending his hand, said:
81 am Mr.. Stevenson"
"This was my introduction to this re-
markable man."
Then Mr. Timmons told me how Mr..
Stevenson came to write his famous story,
CDR. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde"
"The novel was written on this island
and in this town. The DR.. Jekyll and Mr..
Hyde live in Honolulu, and you will per-
haps meet him before you go. That novel
was the offspring of bitter religious war
Rev. DR.. Hyde, ID. d., who has charge of
the mission school in this city for the train
ing of preachers. The controversy between
the priest and DR.. Hyde waxed warm, and
Mr.. Stevenson eSpoused the cause of the
Catholic priest. He threw his whole soul
into the conflict, and tor while 1t seemed
as if we were likely to have arellgious war.
Or. Hyde, able, sharp and cutting, answer
ed him from the pulpit and through the
press until the contest became personally
bitter.
"Mr. Stevenson had up to the time of this
controversy, is seems, entertained high re-
gard for DR.. Hyde, but as the wOrdy war
grew bitter, .he fancied he discovered In him
a dual nature. At times he thought the
doctor the very perfection of gentleman,
a scholar, and Christian; at others he
seemed very demon. This idea seemed to
GROW with his morbid fancy and he con-
ceived from it his wonderful novel"
was anxious to meet DR., Hyde, the man
who so strangely inspired the wonderful
novel. and when did meet him | was i'm
pressed that he was more Jekyll than Hyde:
He is tall, fnely-formed, highly cultured
gentleman, with fine scholarly appearance.
He is secretary of the Social Science Club, a
meeting of which | had the pleasure of at
tending, and at which place met him..
The club by the way, is composed of the
most scholarly men on the island. PreSl-
dent Dole is member, and attends the
meetings regularly. In addition to myself
there were other American guests present.
the most prominent of whom were United
States Minister Willis. and the captain OF
the warship Bennington. At this meeting
DR.. Rogers, secretary of the Labor Bureau,
read an able paper on the labor problem.
which was thoroughly discussed and COM
mented upon. One cannot but realize the
force of Americansm in the club. Chief
Justice Judd, of the Supreme Court, and
Professor Alexander the historian, are
members of the club and were born on the
Islands, yet they, with the others, argued
the question from an American standpoint.
The meeting was at the residence of DIR.
Hyde, and, altho l studied him closely all
the evening, discovered meme of the ''incar-
nate fend," which Stevenson represents
Mr.. Hyde to be in his novel.
1t was while at Sans SOuci that Robert
Louis Stevenson conceived and wrought
out his wonderful book, and | decided to
visit the famous resort. To reach Sans
Souci had only to take the Waikiki street
car go to the end of the line, and walk the
rest OF the way. The ride is pleasant one
and well worth the time and ten cents It
costs to make it. 1t was about two O'Clock
in the afternoon when L boarded the car
driven by native and went rolling along
the street past the government grounds and
buildings, past pretty houses half hidden by
graceful swaying palms, ferns, and the rich
tropical foliage, past banana plantation
and groves of tall cOcOaRuts. for long
stretches with the sea beach on one side and
q delightful grove on the other.
The manager of the famous resort showed
me the room which had been occupied by
Jules Verne and Robert Louis Stevenson,
also the tables at which they wrote, and
narrated some anecdotes about then. Their
rooms fronted on the beach. After sea
bath, returned to the cool lama, and was
man who is stopping at Sans Souci. MIR.
Evans, who is ROyalist of the most pro-
nounced type, is a Canadian by birth. He
was prominent in pushing the lottery
scheme to which the missionaries objected
so strongly. Mr.. Evans claims that 1t was
no worse to have lottery on the Island
than for thousands of dollars to go out of
the country every year 10 lotteries in other
countries. At the time OF the overthrow
of the Queen, he was in Chicago closing up
the contract with company of capitalists
for the lottery. He says that the Chicago
people were to pay the government i've
hundred thousand dollars year for twenty
five years for the franchise. or this sum
one hundred thousand a year was to be ex-
pended for cable to San Francisco, one
hundred thousand a year for the Oahu
Railroad, twenty-five thousand for the en-
couragement of tourists travel, seventy-hve
thousand for improvement OF roads ana
bridges, and one hundred and twenty-five
thousand for the opening of Pearl Hsr6or.
Mr.. Evans did not state what was 10 De
done with the other seyenty-tNe ihosuand
dollars, though it was probably to be used
as pin money for the Queen. The rosy
hued visions OF Mr.. Evans with Other Roy
AZ ~ kwTe kn %