The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1898-07-12
A SISAL GROWER
Visit of a Man Who
Knows Fibre Business.
Chas. Wide From the West Indies Bound for
Fijl-Said Sisal Enterprise Would
Succeed Here.

During the hurry burly times of last
week there was in town for a couple
OF days a gentleman who had the no.
ton OF engaging in an enterprise here
and who would have been a most val
liable acquisition. He spent most Of
his time with A. II. Turner. OF the
new fibre company that is undertaking
to go into business in Eva district
and met B. +. Dillingham; and a few
other prominent men. The visitor
was Chas. Wilde, who has for a num-
Der OF years been in the fibre business
in the West Indies and who has gone
on to Fiji, where he intends to grow
sisal and ship the product to the mar
ket. Mr.. Wilde had no idea that there
was a good field here for him, but had
he been offered sufficient inducement
he would have remained. He goes to
a definite arrangement in Fiji. Mr..
Turner will be in correspondence with
Mr.. Wilde and the Englishman may
come back here later.
Sisal, perhaps the best of all fibre
plants, made itself at home in Hawaii
from its first introduction some years
ago. 1t has grown well wherever
planted and the analyses and small re-
auctions have been most satisfactory.
After months Of effort and in the face
OF many and heavy discouragements,
Mr.. Turner lately completed the Or
ganization OF a good company in Ho-
nolulu. There has been, and still Is
some "hltch" about the land, but it
is hoped to soon straighten out this
matter. A statement now made Is that
one OF the Island corporations entire
cultivation of sisal very soon on its
own account.
Mr.. Wilde said that Mr.. Turner had
been altogether too conservative in
presenting the project to the gentle
men who have taken stock in the local
company. Mr.. Turner figured on 1000
pounds OF fibre to the acre. Mr..
Wilde, on looking over carefully both
the plants and the ground had no
hesitation in declaring that there
could be produced here yield Of from
$500 to $500 pounds OF fibre to the
acre. When Mr.. Turner entered on
the work Of interesting Honolulu cap
ital the price Of the fibre was 81
cents a pound. The quotation now Is
from 10h to II cents a pound and on
account of this advance those in bus
mess have made enormous profits. It
Is the conviction that the price will
remain good for many years, even af-
ter the war ends, that has caused Mr..
into business for himself. He says
that he can sell to fine advantage once
his crop is in the ground. e.
Mr.. Wilde Is practical man OF eX-
perience OF many years. He under
stands all about the business. from
the planting to the marketing. The
machinery for the treatment OF the
plants, the removal OF the fibre from
the 30 per cent OF trash. is manufac-
tured in the United States. There
comes all the time from India the
complaint that machinery for the
treatment OF the fibre plants grown
there has not yet been invented. There
can be no question whatever concern
ing the American machinery used on
sisal in the West Indies. It Is doing
the work today and has been doing It
for some time.
Amongst the products OF the fibre
taken to the factory are rope, brushes,
mats. carpets. etc. Mr.. Turner is now
Of the belief that after the visit OF Mr..
Wilde something in the line OF estab-
fishing here a new and important in
dustry can be carried out.