The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-18
He Writes an Interesting Letter to His
Daughter From Honolulu.
WARM DECEMBER WEATHER
A Description of Customs and
Dress of the Natives-Resi-
dents There Who Are
Well Known In Butte.

Honolulu, engaged in keeping off the
mosquitoes. In a breezy letter to his
daughter. Miss Mary Irwin, Mr. Irwin
| says of his trip:
Honolulu, II. l., Dec. &c, 1896
This is the day after Christmas and
| the thermometer stands at exactly
summer heat, rs degrees. The mos
| quitos are pretty bad but by dint of
| bars 1t is just possible to keep them
out. 1t is early in the day, but 1t is
| already growing hot, so I will make
this letter pretty brief.
I'VE left San Francisco on Friday.
| the 18th, and made the passage in
| seven days, arriving on Friday, the
| goth. We had a rough introduction to
| the trip. Just outside of the San
Francisco harbor we encountered
| gale so severe that it carried away
several of the important sails and
/ flooded the ship in fine style. This con-
| tinued more or less for three days and
| nights. The first meal served was din
ner and / was afraid / could not sit it
through. but 1 was agreeably surprised
to find a good appetite and good di-
gestion. 1 felt especially good when
/ found / was one of six out of 40 first
cabin passengers. All of the others
appearing were old sailors except a
Miss Miller from Oakland and myself.
She, like me, had not known how she
was going to be affected For 9 or 10
meals the number was never up to
half in attendance upon the table and
1t was almost impossible to keep any
thing on the tables. Several times
everything went on the floor and in
the laps of guests. o-n
THE natives here are said to be
very musical and fond of poetry and
rythmical amusementts. They are a
-
as any people l ever saw. The men
touch their hats to white gentlemen
as we'll as white ladies. They con-
stantly remind me of great well-taught
children. The white quarter of this
city, which includes the business CEN
ter and the fine residence portion, in
conjunction with the public squares
and parks, seems as If brought to view
by a touch of Aladdins wonderful
lamp. Sitting on the hotel porch. con-
fronted with the queens palace and
the public buildings, each empowered
in Its own particular park, the trees
and shrubbery filled with incandescent
lights. and a marine band of 80 pieces
under first-class leadership, playing
beneath our feet, il did not take
great stretch of imagination to make
out of IL fairy land. 1t all seemed like
beautiful dream. 1 never saw pic
ture, panorama or imaginative descrip-
ton so beautiful. The disillusiono Is
perfect when you step out of the few
streets devoted to the business tran
sacted by the whites and natives and
into those roads and lanes occupied by
the Chinese and japanese. Or IL you
wander from the avenues and boule-
wards upon which are the residences of
Honolulu's rich merchants and plant
ers, f1anked with the splendid parks
of tropical righteousness, and in your
lettering fall into the squalor and
Indebtedness of Oriental misery, from
transported bliss you are in the midst
of monstrous human degradation, sick
ening with its sights and smells and
depressing surroundings. The transi-
tion is tremendous. Honolulu is a city
OF 10000. with only about $500 whites,
who own the property, others being
laborers and artisans incident to pro-
ducing and manufacturing sugar, the
great commercial product of these ISL
ands.
"A striking feature of a visit to the
country on this island is the absence
of the farmer. Almost the only in
habitant met is the ubiquitous China
man or frequently a Jap, rarely a
Portuguese, and scarcely aver q white
European or American. In short, in
this beautiful tropical country, enjoy
ing its unvarying, equable climate, you
can see, outside of the city. no home
Ire. dit tic 6ACtil Pidil1dllOIlSs
sometimes with a mansion suitable to
the great landed possessions. sur
rounded with squalid huts of Chinese
and other laborers, peopled by
throng of all ages and both sexes. who
are delightfully."- oblivious to the neces-
sity of and great amount of raiment.
and look as cool and as dirty as IL is
we'll possible to be.
THE native ladies and the ladies of
half and quarter cast are rather good
looking and range from almost white
in color to a dark red or copper COM
plexion. They affect the Mother Hub
bard dress as the correct costume and
l must say IL doesn't look bad and is
not at all vulgar so far as they are
concerned. Everyone. natives and
whites, men and women, dress in white
and the costumes all look beautiful;
they contrast so beautifully with the
dark green of the foliage. The women,
after % years of age, run to obesity
and by 80 they have become pretty
gross. The natives are very interest
ing. They are impressionable and of a
religious turn of mind. but withal
given TO light gayety and may be seen
in groups OF boys and girls, wearing
abundant flowers, doing more laugh
ing than any similar gathering in the
world.
THE great volcano is inactive and is
now no attraction, so 1 will not go
over TO the big island and will thereby
probably miss seeing Mr.. Goodale's
father and brother, who live there.
which l very much regret. / will call
on the president, who is cousin to John
and w. w. Adams of Butte, and on
Mr.. Thurston, who Is of the same re-
lationship to Mr.. Goodale. My stay
here is rendered especially agreeable
by courtesies extended by DR.. Cooper,
whom you will remember as the part
ner of DIR. Witherspoon in Butte. The
doctor was compelled to leave Butte
to escape death from debility. induced
by pneumonia, and has found perfect
health, an honored name and a lucra-
tive practice. / am very much in
debted TO him and all of the members
of the club 10 which he belongs In
this club, like the Silver Bow, conere-