The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-08-27
GOOD KONA ROADS
v. A. Wall Returns From Sur
TBTiIg Trip.
GOOD PROGRESS BEING MADE
II i
Some History of Road
Building in District.
Has Surveyed Coffee Land.
VIII Soon Be Occupied
BY Settlers.

Il. A. Wall, the surveyor, returned
on the Mauna Loa yesterday, after haY-
ing completed certain work in the cot
fee lands of Kona He has been on the
new Government road, now being built
in the district and such work as is be-
ing carried on by Superintendent Bru-
ner and those associated with him, he
is perfectly competent TO speak about.
In regard to this work, Mr.. Wall said:
1T will be a very fine thing when
people can drive around the whole ISL
and of Hawaii in a carriage. Think
what an immense advantage it will be,
particularly to those people who want
10 see, at their leisure, the various
parts Of the Island.
Before talking about the present
road being built from Kailua to Pa
hoehoe, ] might say something about
the first roads built in the District of
Kona. When L. A. Thurston was Min
lister of the Interior he caused to be
built the road from Hookena, south,
OF from the landing TO Pahoehoe That
was the first graded road in Kona.
Then he started on another from a
point about a mile above Kailua, to-
wards Maguire's ranch, but this was
never finished. People could not get
from the landing to the beginning of
the road.
Two years ago Superintendent Bru-
ner built a road from Paris place, Ke-
alakekua to Napoopoo. Before that he
built a graded road from Kailua to Ho-
Iualoa.
Now, as 10 the present road. This
runs along from Kailua to Pahoehoe,
about on an average of one mile from
the coast line. It follows the Govern
ment road for a great part of the way,
but deviates, notably from Paris place
to Morgan's coffee plantation, above
Hookena, so that part Of the road is
two miles from the sea.
In regard TO the new road follow
ing the other one, might say that it
was Burners first intention to follow
another line altogether-a line off the
old road. OF course, there was imme-
diately a vigorous kick on the part of
the people whose land was on the old
road, and whose business would have
been seriously impaired had the new
course been followed. The kick was
vigorous enough, and the road was
made to follow the old one for the
greater part of the way.
While we are along the road, l
might as well tell you a bit of history
in connection with the Hookena road.
Nahinu was the man put in charge of
this. The Government appropriated
certain sum Of money to build this, and
Nahinu exhausted it all building the
road TO his land. There the road stop
ped, and Nahinu was the only one
benefited Then Kuaimoku undertook
to build a road from Hookena. and he
followed Nahinu's tactics, building the
road to his land, no further. Of course.
there was a kick, but the road was
built and the money spent.
As to the deviation in the new road
from Paris to Morgan's, I have some
thing to say. The limit of the Keel
coffee lands. which | have Just finished
surveying and dividing OFF, is just a
little above the deviation. In all there
are some 1000 acres of the finest land
which win undoubtedly be all occupied
al the beginning of the year. Now.
when the planters have settled on
their places they will, to be able to get
to the landing at Napoopoo, have to
go up hill to Paris place and then
down on the old Government road. a
distance of seven miles. This might
not have been So had the old road
been followed, as in the case of the
greater part of the way AS it is now,
the only remedy is to build a road from
the deviation to the present Napoopoo
road, distance of about two miles and
half, or a saving of about five miles.
The people who settle on the land will
be taxpayers and will very likely de-
mand such a road as / speak about.
The new road was staked off about
two years ago, but actual work was not
begun until within the last year. and
now 1t is being pushed along rapidly.
The japanese, who have the greater
part of the work, are making a fine
job of it. White men, Hawaiians and
Portuguese are also employed. A great
part has been completed, and gangs
of men may be seen at various points.
Gangs are now working from Kuaimo-
ku's toward Hoopuloa, from Kilai to-
wards Keel and from Keel towards XII
Iai. These parts will all be connected
by the end of September, and the whole
road, from Kailua to Pahoehoe, South
Kina, finished. Possibly by the end Of
the year, Kahuku will be reached.
From there to Waiohinu, Honuapo and
Punaluu, in the District of Kau. there
IS already road, this running to the
Volcano, and then on to Hilo through
the Olaa woods. Then the road will be
continued the other way and by the end
of the year, it will have reached Ma
guira's ranch -