The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1898-05-20
Plantation on The Ranch Estate
Has Been Started.
AN ARTESIAH WATER SUPPLY
First Well is a Success-Not Deep.
A Million Gallons Day.
More Wells.

Jas. S. (Kimo) McCandless, the pres
ent field man of the well boring firm
of McCandless Brothers, says he can
not presume or undertake to make any
statements for the Molokai Ranch
Company as to its plantation pros
poets or plans. Mr.. McCandless, who
is over from Kaunakakai, to return to-
day, tells willingly enough something
of his work there three-qIarters of a
mile from the beach. From what Mr.
McCandless says it is more than rea-
sonable to believe that the Molokai
Ranch Company, on the Island giving
the corporation its name, is to have
one of the largest sugar enterprises
Of the country. Water is available.
That was the only question The prob
lem was surprisingly easy of solution.
II took but fortnight of time and
what may be called only a small
amount of money to settle definitely
and most satisfactorily what has been
guessed at for from thirty of forty
years. A plantation on Molokai is
practicable and is being established.
The experimental we'll that has in
sured cane fields and a sugar mill for
Molokai is an insignificant affair when
compared to the plantation wells on
Oahu. 1t is only seventy-five feet deep
and is referred to by the contractors
as "post-hole." But the reservoir
at the bottom of the "post-hole" has
sustained drain of one million gal
Ions of water a day without showing
or exhibiting any diminution of sup
ply. The supply was brought through
a siX-inch pipe with a centrifugal
pump. The fluid is all right for do
nestle use J. S. McCandless returns
TO Kaunakakai today by the Mauna
Loa, of the Inter-Island steamer line.
A good many more wells are to be
bored. Plans for pumping stations
have been under way for some time.
These will of course now be completed
at once, and orders will be placed for
pumps and engines as well as an en-
tire mill plant.
So swiftly have events moved with
the Molokai Ranch Company that
there is already growing cane on the
estate. Two acres have been planted
and the green spears came above the
ground in nine days. Ploughing is I'M
der way. There was shipped to the
new plantation from here yesterday
300 bags of seed cane. More will fol-
low. With this company there is am
pie capital and aggressive management
and the business will be pushed from
the very first. The property went to
a syndicate with General Hartwell and
Judge Carter at the head locally. For
many years the land has produced only
beef. There are large herds of cat
tie and flocks of sheep and bands of
horses upon.it. The stock will be got
ten rid of gradually and the cane area,
to be large from the first, will be eX-
tended as time goes on. The trade
between Molokai and Oahu will become
a considerable business factor.
Mr.. Jas. McCandless, who has been
in the we'll making business all over
the group, says the Molokai Ranch
Company soil is sure to be quite pro-
ductive. In sinking the first well there
was found about twenty feet of soil.
There is no coral at all at the distance
from shore of the first well. After
the twenty feet the drill passed
through hard and soft volcanic forma-
ton.