The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-04-03
THE PATHFINDERS
Inside History of the Ed
wards CommonWea1erS.
How the Party Was Organized.
Secretary Greene Tells
the Story.

Of the American brig Percy Edwards
viii be remembered by many as being
an occasion upon which were recalled
TO mind the stories in the San Francis
co papers, and, in fact, of the press all
over the United States, regarding the
expedition TO the "Adamless Eden"
The Percy Edwards, with 100 men all
told aboard, called in at this port for
extra canvas which she had neglected
to bring upon leaving the port of San
Francisco on February 25th. She hove
TO off port, and Captain Peterson, to-
gether with several members OF the
crew, came ashore in a whalebOat.
After obtaining her necessary canvas,
she put to sea again, steering toward
the Fiji Islands. An interview, pub
lished in the Advertiser of March 16
was had with Captain Peterson. In
story OF the expedition of the men on
board the Percy Edwards TO the Solo
mon Group, in the South Pacific. Each
man owned an equal part in the vessel,
end of their journey a land where they
could settle, and to which they could
take their families. The story told by
the captain was straight from the
shoulder, and was marked throughout
by intense earnestness- great differ
ence from the tone of ridicule assumed
by the San Francisco papers.
Learning that Mr.. Greene, of the La
hon Ton mi q
in the successful starting out of the
expedition to the Solomon Islands, a
reporter for the Advertiser called upon
that gentleman at the Hawaiian Hotel
last evening and obtained from him the
following story
TT was some five months ago when
an interview with a sea captain. just
returned from the South Seas, was pub
lished in the San Francisco Examiner.
The headlines contained the words,
'Adamless Eden and a glowing ac-
count was given of the great POSSIBLE
ties down in certain of the islands of
the South Pacific.
There was at that time a very
great number of laboring men and
skilled mechanics applying for work,
and we of the Labor Commission had
from 800 to 500 to deal with every day.
Work was scarce and hands were
plenty.
Among the number of men out of
work was a skilled carpenter by the
name OF @. l. Reinhardt, who seemed
to take a great fancy to the project of
going to the South Seas. Reinhardt
called in at my office one day and asked
me what I thought of the matter. OF
course, nothing could be done by the
I Oh, cciOY, or
labor proposition that was being I'M
dertaken, but simply an expedition.
EReinhart set himself to work, and
one day called in at the Office with an
armful of letters, which he dumped on
the table, at the same saying: People
have just learned my address, and this
is the result. I expect in a few days
TO run a post Office of my own
Il saw at once that Mr. Reinhart and
the men who had interested them
selves in the project with him, meant
business. and determined that since
they had made up their minds to go,
they should start the best-equipped ex-
petition that had ever left any coun-
try. l prepared a paper, with a head
ing touching on the object of the expe-
and including in it the fact that
whenever an expedition of the kind
started out, it received not only the
moral and financial support Of the peo-
pie, but the backing of the whole ma
ton Copies of this were made. and
Reinhart and his men started out. 1t
was not long before they had succeeded |
in collecting sewing machines, agricul- |
turaI implements of all kinds. seeds |
and provisions enough to last several |
months.
I'm the meantime. the brig Percy |
Edwards had been negotiated for, and |
Capt. J. Peterson, a graduate of the |
School of Trades of San Francisco and |
an expert mechanic as we'll as a cap |
tain with undisputed ability, was put |
ia command. Over ! 800 communica- |
tons from men, each with the $50 re- |
luired of the men Joining the expedi- |
ton. and some with sums to SO 900 and |
$4,000 ready to be put into The |
were received. AS the num- |
Der of men accepted. who, by the way. |
we're required to pass a rigid physical |
examination before being considered, |
began to grow close upon 100 the |
money required was increased until |
when the limit was reached, some
lad paid 800 into the treasury.
There was no backing out now, nor
indeed did any of those who had Joined
the expedition care to do so. They
we're very enthusiastic and in favor of
starting out at once.
con Sunday, February p. just four
lays before sailing. a donation recep-
ion was held aboard the Percy Ed
wards. when the decks were cleared,
md the friends Of the adventures in
rited aboard with the understanding
hat each one bring something. When
he reception was over what was not
Ound aboard the vessel was hardly
worth mentioning.
with what the men purchased
themselves and stores donated by va
'ious people in San Francisco. there
vas enough for whole year. That
tself is good proposition if even at
he end failure is the portion, for there
re 100 men who We're all out of work