The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-01-07
TOPEKA BOY EATS POI.
Dan Case Writes Home From the
Sandwich Islands

Sandwich Islands.
Dan Case has been appointed official
court stenographer for the Hawaiian
islands. He is also a member of a firm
of lawyers at Honolulu. Mr.. Case went
70 the Sandwich islands about a year
ago.
In his letters to his parents, Mr.. and
Mrs. A. H Case, he tells some interesting
experiences of his life on the islands. The
latest letter was received a few days ago,
having been written on December 9. It
is as follows:
Lahaina. Maui, H. T., December g. 1897.
do not know that this will get to Hon
olulu in time to catch the steamer bound
for the coast tomorrow, but ] trust so. 1
came to Lahaina a week ago tomorrow
to report this term of court, and will
probably be here for a week or ten days
to follow. Quite a large calendar for this
circuit. Four murder cases-three Japs
and one native. Have tried two of the
Japs and convicted both of murder in the
first degree. penalty death. and the other
Jap pleaded guilty and got two years.
The native will surely hang. There seems
to be an epidemic among the Japs here
to clash and cut their women, and be
tween their killing their wives and the
government hanging the husbands the Jap
question in Hawaii may speedily be dis
posed of.
Had a new experience last Monday even
ing. Attended a genuine native luau
(feast). The president (Dole) stopped here
for a few hours and in his honor luau
was given at the native judges, and it
was a great turnout. All the lawyers
were there, and all the whites and
tives, and we had a gloriously good time.
Poi, raw fish and other deHcacies of that
nature were spread on tables just high
enough to allow your sitting on the mats
and reaching. No such things as chairs.
Judge Kalua, the only native judge of
the islands of a circuit court, is a genu-
inc gentleman and knows how to make
fellow at home. He announced that sup
per was ready after considerable Ea-
waiian music and gave each of US law
yers pretty Hawaiian lassie to escort
to the luau. I had a native girl each
side of me and two right across the way,
and you should have seen them laugh at
my awkwardness in eating poi, Mind you,
a large dish of poi was set before each
couple. and the way you eat is to use
your fingers, dipping into the same, dish
with your fingers and Shaping it into
your mouth My companion. as we'll
all the natives. could accomplish it with
the grace of a queen, but how 1 did work
it. 1 think I threw poi from one end of
the feast board to the other. 1 put in
few extra swings for the amusement of
the girls. Some of the boys ordered raw
fish for me, and between poi and raw
fish, after the luau, 1 felt very much like
a walking hshpond. Fun was name
for it.
Lahaina is a great place for oranges
and cocoanuts. Oranges appear on the
table three times a day, and I manage to
get away with three every meal. 1 know
how those are cooked. Other things that
reach the table I am somewhat doubtful
about. There is not hotel in the place,
and very few people live here-that is,
people of the better class. 1t is the old
native capital. and while there are plenty
of the poorer class of natives and plenty
of Japs and Cinnamon, there are few res
idents with good homes here. They live
in other portions of the island.
The climate is delightful, though, and
we are but a block, or about what would
amount to a block at home, from the
ocean. The breakers are coming in over
the reef sm day and all night, and, wax
ing up in the night, you can hear the
roar and rolling of the sea At present
the American gunboat Bennington is right
out beyond the landing Came in a few
hours ago, and is up here for target prac-
tice, so I understand. So you see, we
are as well fixed as Honolulu.
With aloha nut to you both, DAN.
Every household should have Ayers