The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-09-24
AMONG
Visitor at Kdnehameha TELLS Of
Life in the Schools.
AIM is T0WARDsHIGHER LIVING
instruction Given in all
Branches.
Principles of Hygiene Considered
of Highest Importance
to the Young.

The Kamehameha School opened in
1887 with room for 125 boys, to be in
creased to accommodations for 200, II
necessary. These to be taught common
school branches, useful knowledge and
manual training. Since then there
have been opened two other schools,
one for Hawaiian boys of to IL and
another for Hawaiian girls. All OF
these schools were endowed by the
Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, who
left 100000 for this purpose, to which
sum her philanthropic husband has ad-
ded $50. 900, besides erecting four eX-
pensive buildings = Museum, Bishop
Hall, Preparatory and the new chapel
the latter to hold 500 people. 1t is to
be with stained glass windows, to have
a church organ, ETC., and to be ready
for next Founders Day, December 18th.
All pupils are medically examined by
the school physician, DR.. Day, and
pronounced free from disease before
they can be admitted to these schools.
At the Preparatory School are 60 lit
tie boys, who receive careful home
training, together with common
school education, to which has been
added music, drawing, knife-work and
modelling in clay A Kamehameha Pre-
paratory School boy has his daily bath,
plain, wholesome food, plenty of clean
clothing and is tenderly cared for when
sick He is obliged to work every day,
to weed in the early morning, to make
his bed, to set table, to clean and wash
dishes, and to even sew a little.
The teaching at the Preparatory
School is not only excellent in quality,
but employs the best-known methods
for developing the mind. A visit to a
school room will enable one to see the
interest a Hawaiian child takes in
studying the habits of insects, which
may be seen spinning their webs on
bottles, caterpillars taking huge bites
from a green leaf, etc. In all these
schools you will find tables spread with
white cloths and silver in use, which is
of itself an education, an uplift from
sitting on the floor eating poi with the
fingers. Hawaiian children are not
only initiative, but show real ingenuity.
They build charming little grass huts,
make violins, guitars, ETC., of bamboo;
also. little caps covered with white
cloth. The study of the Bible is care
fully taught, while practical Christi
anity is illustrated by the kindness
and unselfishness of the teachers.
The Preparatory School boys enter
ing school at 6, often speaking but lit
tie English, and that of a poor sort,
are ready at the age of II to enter the
Manual School, where they encounter
a new atmosphere of independence
governed by military discipline. Honor
and respect follow boy comparatively
perfect in conduct and lessons. Cor
poral punishment does not exist here.
He begins on second honor and may go
up or down, up to first honor and be
decorated with a ribbon, still higher
to silver pin, which he will wear with
much joy upon his coat flap and which
gains for him many privileges, not the
least of these being the use of little
parlor called the silver-pin room.
Third honor is in disgrace; third honor
on parole means Imprisonment in the
boys room.
To begin a day at Kamehameha one
must arise bright and early, $50 a. M,
when the work gangs start out with
picks and shoVels on their shoulders.
They work on the farm, milk the COWS,
feed cattle, take charge of vegetable
and flower gardens, cut down trees,
saw wood, while others prepare break
fast, set tables, clean dormitory cot
tages and other buildings. At o'clock
the boys return to their rooms, which
they put in order, ready for inspection
Of the teachers, which comes immedi-
ately after their breakfast, which is
served by Kamehameha boys. The
meals are all very simple, but of good
quality. Now comes washing of dishes
and putting in order of dining hall and
pantry At O'Clock Kamehameha
Hospital is open for the care of sores,
wounds, ETC. There are always the
superintendent and three Hawaiian
boys on duty at this time. The boys
sew, one week at time, in regular
rotation, these being members of the
sixth grade, or graduating class.
At $40 the bugle sounds for roll-call,
when the boys stand in line to be in
spected as to personal neatness in
dress, ETC., before marching to chapel
for opening exercises. Recitations be-
gin at 9 and continue until 1915. The
subjects taught are reading and phonic
spelling, the latter of great use to Ha-
waiianS: elementary algebra and ge-
ometry, history, geography, drawing,
in which all Hawaiians excel: litera-
ture and science, which includes bot
any. zoology physiology and chemistry;
science is taught through object les
sons. There is also a POSTGRADUATE
course of methods for normal class,
Preparatory School being a good prac-
tice department. At 1890 comes din
ner. At 1:3O D. m. a whistle sounds.
which is Obeyed by crowds of bows
grOtesquely dressed in old clothes.
with blue blouses and sometimes old
felt hats, when you would scarcely rec
ognize the well-dressed students of the
morning. From this time until 4:3O
the boys will work in carpenter. me-
chanic and turning Gorge and pattern
making) shops, in tailor and printing
shops. They will learn the use and