Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1896-07-03
TO MAKE HONOLULU BOOM
LESSON FROM THE GRO WITH or
ST. LOUIS.
Suggestion TO the city Fathers and
Merchants of Honolulu Pleasure
Drives, Lights and Parade.

EDITOR BULLETIN: - l quote
from an article on "The New
Growth of st. Louis" which ap-
peared in Harper's New Monthly
Magazine of November, 1892.
When st. Louis failed to Sc
cure the Worlds Fair, instead of
sinking back discouraged, the
leading men concluded that one
fault of the city must be that its
merits were not as widely or as
clearly understood as was neces.
sary. Therefore, in the spring of
1891, meeting was called at the
Exposition Building to discuss
the advisability of forming an
organization which, for three
years at least, should devote itself
to celebrating there achievements
and adding to the attractions of
the city"
A leading merchant undertook
the raising of one million
dollars within the years, and
within five months 100000
had been subscribed. This, the
writer admits. was simply a meth
od of booming the city, but he is
careful to add that booming is a
word that is coupled with unwar-
ranted and disastrous imitation.
This construction does not apply
to the booming organizations"
of the Western States. "To boom,
then" (the writer statesl, is "to
put plan generally and favora-
bly, before the people, to put
scheme in motion with eclat, to
vaunt the merits of an undertak-
ing"
The result of this public spirit
of the citizens was the making of
their city attractive-a carnival
city-and the money thus OBJ
tanned was expended in adding
an infinite number of gas and
electric lights to the thorough
fares, and in preparations of
all kinds to entertain and please
the hundreds of thousands who
were invited and came to the an
nual carnival. The invitations
took the form of advertise
ments in all the leading papers of
the States, and in addition articles
were freely written up vaunting
the glories of st. Louis.
st. Louis, therefore, no longer
hides its light under bushel. A
myriad lights proclaim it, and
myriad newspapers are tuned to
sing its praises. Can the almighty
dollar do more then this ?
Amongst other schemes for
benefiting the city and preparing
for its guests was one offering
large bonus to anyone who would
build a million dollar hotel.
Is st. Louis the only city cap
able of being made attractive ?
We have attractions here in Ho-
nolulu, but they are not sufficient
to induce people to come here in
any number. The city could be
made infinitely more attractive,
and that, too, without the expen-
diture of large sum of money.
The government has already
wisely laid the foundation of the
future beautifying of Honolulu
by securing beach road four
miles in length. This is all it
could do with the resources at its
command 1t is now, for the
wealthy citizens, the sugar barons,
and others TO complete the work
OF the government by their sub
scriptions, in order to turn this
beach road into magnificent
marine parade. 1t is capable of
this, and when the work is done
the city will possess that which
comparatively few cities of the
Ola World can boast of.
The road should be well met
allied throughout, with a top
dressing of, say, some gray mater
ial, mixed with sand. The sand
alone is too glaring and distress
ing to the eyes. Due regard should
be given to the picturesque
in laying out the road, A land
scape gardener would be careful
to ensure a variety OF trees and
shrubs being planted all kinds
of palms, and shade trees inter
posed, under which could be
placed seats. He would be care