The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-10-25
ACROSS YHE WATER.
Walter A, Mestrezat Writes US
An Interesting Litter.
'irst Glimpse OF Honolulu Reminds
Him Of Heaven Favored BY Nature
Is The island Sights That he Has
Seen aad Impressions That Have
Been Gathered During the STAY.

Him Of Heaven FAVORED By Nature
Is The lsland-Sights That he Has
Seen aad Impressions That Have
Been Gathered During the Stay.
HONOLULU II. /.
October, 3, 1899.
FRIEND KUNKLE:-We arrived here
Saturday afternoon at O'Clock just
seven days from San Francisco. The
9th was here on the Tacoma and
Geo. w. Elder when we got in. The
Elder sailed Monday morning and the
Tacoma will not get away for some
days as she is laid up for repairs.
The hospital ship Relief came in yes
terday having made the run from
Frisco in five DAYS and fourteen hours
The Grant with the 10th regiment
arrived to-day. The Aztec loaded
with horses left for Manila this
morning. The City of Peking of
New York, from China for Frisco left
this morning Among the passengers
was A. j. Vanderbilt son of w. X.
Vanderbilt. He had been travelling
in Japan and Cnly recently learned Of
his fathers death. When the City of
Peking reaches Frisco it will go into
the transport service. ] wish could
describe Honolulu, but only a Dickens
could do it. My first view as we sail
ed in the harbor reminded me of my
idea of Heaven when | was a child.
Beautiful streets, lovely homes, trop-
ical foliage and magnificent scenery
make up a picture never to be forgot
ten.
There is no such thing as poverty 10
Honolulu; nature makes that impossi-
Bile. Butter is so cents per pound,
eggs 5 to cents each never under 5
cents, milk 25 cents per quart, beef
Is cents per pound, ham 20 cents.
Water is fifteen dollars per year for all
the faucets needed in home and lawn.
Electric light service is two dollars
per month provided not more than IA
lights are used There is an extra
charge for lights in excess of that
number. Telephone service is two
dollars and fifty cents per month.
The electric light plant is run with
the waste water from the reservoir.
The water used is pure and comes
from the other side of the mountain
in the interior, where the rain fall is
so inches per month the year round.
In the rainy season the rainfall is 6
inches per day in Honolulu. The
farmers sell bananas at so cents per
bunch, they raise 1,200 punches to
the acre. Soon as the bunch is cut
off the plant is cut down and its place
is Immediately taken by new shoot.
Two crops Of all kinds of fruit are
produced each year.
Painters and carpenters receive
IS. 90 per day. Carpenters who under
stand all the details of home building
like Charles Cox of South Morgantown
receive 800 per day. The coolies
who work on the sugar plantations
get 40 cents per day and board them
selves. Little rice is exported as it is
nearly all consumed here.
The natives were all anxious for
annexation till they got it and now
they don't want it. But annexation
will prove blessing to both them
and Uncle Sam. Sunday afternoon
our band gave a sacred concert in
Kapiolano Park To-day the Royal
Hawaiian band returned the compli-
ment by playing on board our ship.
| want to show you what one man
can do when he happens to be man.
Twenty-Five years ago the old King
here requested the German govern
ment to. furnish a man to take charge
of musical instruction in Honolulu.
Henry Berger was sent out from Ber-
kas has been something wonderful.
He has taken people who never saw
an instrument or knew what music
was, and built up one of the finest
bands in the world Their playing is
indeed remarkable. The members of
the band are paid from $35 to $75 per
month. Mr.. Berger receives 1926 per
month and all he can make teaching
violin, voice and pipe organ. In the
Kanaka church beautiful structure
made of coral, he has choir of 40
voices where each Sunday they sing
such music as 1.-THE Heavens are
Telling doubt if the choir has
its equal any place. / am under last
ing obligation to Mr. Berger and his
wife for their great kindness to me
since have been in the city. Mrs.
Berger is New Zealand lady and con-
sidered the most beautiful woman on
the Island. 1t is to them owe much
have learned about the country.
AS the islands are now owned 10y the
U. S. Mr. Berger will find his voca-
ton gone some day, for with all his
greatness Uncle Sam cares little for
music. have been thinking what a
God send it would be to the West Va.
University and to Morgantown if the
regents would start music school in
connection with the University and
put him at the head Of it. With his
wide reputation his worth as man
and musician the music school would
have at least a Thousand pupils in
three years.
He is one of the grandest men and
best musicians l have ever known.
He is not only fine director and per-
former on several instruments, but a
composer also. l have thought for
some years that the University was
one of the best places in the country
for school Of this kind. l appeal to
the regents to take the matter under
consideration. Should they decide to
start musical department it must
have a famous musician like Mr..
Berger at the helm. Otherwise it
will only be disgrace to what 1 con-
slider great institution. / am pleas
ed with the public schools here, even
the coolies have their kindergartens,
something that should have been in
troduced in Morgantown years ago
For young children the Morgantown
Free Schools with its examining sys-
TEN is hell on earth. l hope the
new principal has some get up about
him. II he has he will do away with
this crime, for he that sins against a
child sins against God. Just think
of teacher giving an eight year old
child thirty hard words to spell and if
it missed one word keeping it in after
school and forcing it to write the
word one hundred times. Great
heavens it makes my blood boil to
think of it. Such internal teachers
have not enough brains to carry swill
to hogs, hell itself will get seasick
and vomit them out when they get
there. But must get off the sub
ject or / will say something bad pres