The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-02-28
KING DANCED THE HuLA-HuLA
How KsiAkaua Put Aside Dig nifty and
Entertained Americans

How KsiAkaua Put Aside Dig nifty and
Entertained Americans
From the Cincinnati Enquirer: "I
witnessed most extraordinary thing
In 1889. and one that / never expect
to see egain should live 100 years
crowned head, king, dancing on a
billiard table," remarked Paul from
mlitz OF San Francisco to the En-
quirer man at the Emery yesterday.
and there were several Americans
present who will testify TO the truth
fulness OF my statement. There was
party of us from the Pacific coast
stopping at the hotel in Honolulu in
the year l mentioned King Kalakaua
was then on the throne, little dream
ing that his dyansty was fading away
forever TO be merged into the American
government. The old man, for he then
appeared to be nearing CO. was wont
to come down to the hotel every even
Ing from the royal palace and mingle
with the guests. He was attired in or
binary citizens garb, with no insignia
CT royalty about him. On the evening
| refer to Kalakaua came to the hotel
attended by several Of his best must
clans and most accomplished dancers.
We all went to the wineroom below.
which was also the billiard room,
where we were entertained at length.
Later. along midnight or after, when
the wine, song and dance had warmed
his blood to the boiling point King
Kelakaua leaped upon the billiard table
with the agility of a cat and COM
menced to give us the 'hula-hula, or
native muscle dance in great shape,
while we applauded him TO his most
effective efforts. When he had run
the gamut of the exciting dance some
one bet him that he could not kick the
chandelier. He attempted it several
times. but failed, owing, perhaps, to
his exhaustion from the dance Then
one of our party jumped upon the
table and kicked the chandelier from
its fastening to the gas Jet. The flow
OF gas was quickly shut off with bot
tie stopper. All damages were prompt
ly settled by cash on the spot, and the
king and his retinue retired from the
scene. King Kalakaua died in San
Francisco during the Knights Templar
conclave a few years ago. He was a
Knight Templar, and after attending
the banquet returned to the hotel an6
died. During our stay in Honolulu q
prominent native half-breed invited
our party, which included two Amer
lean ladies, 70 his handsome home to
he entertained which included the
nj hulo 10
clad only in the close-ftting, light tan
walking suits that Dame Nature had
made for them. The American ladies
stood 1t little bit and then blushingly
retired. The native half-breed women
guests of the party remained through
out the performance, for they did not
regard 1t as anything out OF the way,
for the 'hula-hula' is part of the an
cient religious rites of those barbaric
people. AS an evidence that the ma
tive do not regard the 'hula-hula' as
lascivious the day after the perform
ance l have just related an Italian
count, who had been one of the guests
with us, and myself were in a wine
warehouse attending to some matters
of business and in the course OF our
conversation, which was going on in
German. commented upon the dance of
the night before in a facetious manner.
\ native half-breed clerk. who was en-
ployed as q clerk in the warehouse,
spoke up in German to our amazement,
and after begging our pardon. pro-
ceeded to explain to us that the dance
had no vulgar significance or sugges-
ton to the native mind. When he had
finished 1 asked him how on earth he
got to speak such good German. He
replied that he ought to be able to
speak some German, as he had attend
ed Heidelberg as a student for nine
years"