The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-03-12
HAWAIIAN CARRIAGE MFG. co.
Manager Dillingham; Supplies
Much Local Trade.

Manager Dllnn2ndnl SuppliSS
Much Local Trade.
The oldest carriage and wagon fac
tory in the Republic is the Hawaiian
Carriage Manufacturing Company, on
Queen, Edinburgh and Halekauila
streets. Through the products of these
shops, Honolulu has long held honor
able mention wherever good carriage
work is appreciated. It is hardly neces-
sary to state that not single item of
the raw material used in this industry
is produced in this countryside iron,
the wood, the paint, the leather and
all the little incidentals of manufac
ture coming across the sea and involv-
ing more or less custom duties, freight
charges, etc. Carriage work carried on
.2100 miles from the base of supplies
necessarily has its difficulties, and peo-
pie not acquainted with the trade have
no idea of the labor and expense re-
quired to turn out a fashionable sur
rey OF phaeton in Honolulu. No other
class of industry in the Islands feels
so keenly the disadvantage of San
Francisco's magnificent distance from
Hawaii's seaports.
And yet, Honolulu-made vehicles are
proverbiaI for their excellence of work
manship. and are invariably preferred
by judges to the imported articles,
whose character has been sadly soiled
by INSCRIPTIONS manufacturers. When
the American carriage dealer says:
Anything is good enough for the
Sandwich Islands, he should go to a
night school. The average Honolulu
lady is as fastidious about the style and
comfort of her phaeton or surrey as
she is about the quality of an oratorio
and nothing but the best and safest will
win her acceptance.
The Hawaiian Carriage Manufacture
ing Company are now running at their
fullest capacity, employing &c men, and
have some substantial orders ahead.
In the blacksmith shop there are four
fires going, turning out heavy and light
iron work for drays, carriages and
Government wagons. General black
smithing, such as ship work, truss rods
and tie rods for builders, car work,
ETC., is done here.
In the woodworking department
there are four men engaged in body
and wheel making and general jobbing.
Here the nice details of constructing
the carriage body with mechanical
precision are attended to. An expert
selection of the ash, hickory and white
wood, which make up the basic parts
of a vehicle, often means the real
strength and durability of the fabric
Thoroughly seasoned, clear stuff is
used exclusively in these shops. In
the machinery department, which is
| equipped with all modern woodwork
| ing devices, the lumber is cut and
planned to sizes before its final fitting
to the carriage, wagon or truck frame
a powerful electric motor furnishes the
energy. In the trimming shop, where
the ornamental effects, wrought il
leather and cloth, give the lighter
graces to the carriage, there is the
same activity that prevails elsewher:
about the establishment. Every Gus
toner is privileged to choose the ma
terial for his trimmings from an ex
tensive assortment of American leath
ers and European cloths, which hav,
been purchased at places of manufac
ture. The paint shop and varnish room
witness the last stages of completion
/ The Job" as carriage artisans tern
the subject of their work, here under
goes thorough preparation of sand
papering and printing before color i
applied, and often several coats of var
nish are laid on the color and thel
rubbed down before the finishing var
nish is applied.
Painting means long, wearisome day
. to the customer, but this shop has
reputation of hurrying its painting an
vanishing for no one Work that i
rushed seldom gives satisfaction. Tw
of the Fire Department steamers hay
lately been painted in this shop, an,