Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1899-08-18
RACE Up A MOUNTAIN
AkAMAxA RUNNER olsrANcED HALF
4 cozEA HORSES.
~ was . Tevrtnc Test Of Endurance.
sad the ssaray Subject Of seHsakaua
Won Essily. Thcvxs 1--WE "s che
MeBses Dropped Dead.

$50 the St0rGS HNBJ&et OF 0Rta 81 u
Won Easiiy. Thcvxh rive "s th
Nsvses Dropped Dead.
ibid any Of you ever hear Of 8
mile steeplechase for man and beast 2
Inquired one Of the California men II
. party Of turf followers when storie
a queer bets and long shots were 80
ing around. well. there was an af
fair OF that kiud down In the Hawai-
ian bunch Ia the fall OF 1889, whcf
that genial chile concarne proposition
Gaiakaua. was king OF the islands
There we're no telephones Joining the
islands then, aud state messages and
mandates were carried by the inter.
tslaLd steamers aud delivered by Ia.
nRka runners. These runners could
Gaiiop all day. Ike American Indians
IN retreat or ON the trail, and they
didn't know what getting win.ed or
tired meant.
"kalakaua thought good deal of
these runners Of his. He always main
tAfncd that they could 20 faster and
farther than. horses over the rough
Hawaiian country. In ihis he was dis
puted By a number OF tho white ut.
taches Of his court. Halaknun wager.
81 $4,000 Ia gobs Of $1,000 with Ave OF
them that no would pick out runner
fIon among his kanakas who'd get
from lilo to the top OF the burning
lake OF Kilauea. u distance OF 80 miles,
quicker than any horse aud any rider.
could do the trip. They snapped the
king up at even money. 1t looked M
IL they had the good eaa II Il, Tho
king and big party from Honolulu
sailed In one ~ the intcrisland steam
eFs 10 lilo. ON the main Island Of Ha-
wall. to see the finish.
''The king picked out "A. huge, 1.-the.
sinewy kauaka. u man about 30 years
old, who had been employed nv n run.
iter Oh the island OF Maui for n mum.
Der Of years, 10 try the trick for him
Eight kanakas made the start
Arhorsciack, on native ponies. bred
away bnck from western cayuscs--
.ssOi'x, sssr footed, nipp. tempered iii
The demons. thoroughly used to the bad
roads ana the climbing. The king and
his party had gone up to the Volcano
Hoass. at the top Of Kilauea. In coach
~ the day before To he on hand 10
greet tile winner.
Now. ] understand that that rond
roM Hllo w "a tho b,uallw lake yr
hiiAet.a ms bccn improved since the
Zine I'm speaking or, but It surely was
bad trail then. II was only wide
enough for one wagon, and II was
about - degree affair In tho climb
all tie way up. The palms that lined
the road used to get blown across the
trail by tho score In big wln,lstorms.
And the coach drivers counted Il "A pnrt
Of their business Ia jump from their
seats every time they came To these
distractions and shoulder them out
Of the way. ibis work Ind all boon
attended To carefully. however In al.
vance " the race by order OF iSala-
khua. aud II loked like pipe for the
@ynscs all Of which had made the
run up many time.
knlakaua didn't ask for any handi.
emp allowance Tor his inan. The run.
ncr totd tho scratch with the horses.
aud they cot of together at the crack
~ the gun, The horses tlstanred the
runner FROM the jump. and no let them
distance him lie was dressed In "A
q string. and he Just took np a steady
hope ID lot the eayuses get out ur his
sight- For ten miles the eayuscs were
~ Tar above him on the trail that he
rouidht even see them. but this Kana.
m knew how to walt. The horses be-
gnn To come back To tho runner long
hcforc the Half Way House was reach.
OIL. and the kanaka was lust gniloplnr
aions, ~, the beginning OF the third
hour With tho same big stride hc had
stnrtcd IN with. his arms up aud shoot,
inx ontio front OF him like soldiers on
tho sieubia time arm. There wasn't a
want In him WHOM he fetched up at tho
Balf Way House. IL, stopped down
uorv To a, Sprin. beside the read and
took u couple mouthrnls OF water. The
cnyascs were up ahead bit. blowing
their heads on. for they had been 10.
lug at,A. clip that they had never been
pushed to ncforA
Tho kanaka headed tho bunch N
milo beyond the Half Way House. and
- e3~>F - 49, utin tIiN Fc&l OF
tho distance lie took position for
the remaining II miles or the Journey
about city block ahead OF tho with.
ING aud. painting horses. aud he Just
stuck to his lopc like u man wound M.
lie never let 'ein set nearer than
n'cck TO hiin for tho rcmalning three
houfs Of the trip. looking back at them
with vrin once IN awhile. When only
uhfee tailcs yet. rvniaincd before tho
Volcano House was 10 be reached. the
AanAkA took another drink out Of a
slwsnx aud began to draw away. The
hanaka riders whipped and spurred
shsir horses. bur /, was no good The
hatiaAa runner disappeared out OF
sleir sight On the tortuous trail. aud
When ak OF tho eayuscs pulled up nj
The hotel sesanda abon, three quarters
" an hour later the runner was sitting
on tho steps. fannlax himself aud
drinking sakl Two OF the horses had
dropps,d dcad Ia their inai effort