The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-01
AT PERIL
OF LIFE

That the life of the census enumerator
Is not "ali beer and skittles'' is evidenced
by the letters that are being received by
A. T. Atkinson. superintendent of census
for Hawaii. Some OF the enumerators for
the more remote districts have encoun-
tered some exciting adventures and sew
eral have had narrow escapes for their
lives In prosecuting their work.
+. w. Beckley. enumerator for Molo-
kai. had an adventure that he will not
soon forget. Mr.. Beckley lives in Pukoo,
on the south side of the Island. and he
wished to visit the valley of Pehekunu on
the north side of the Island. The valley
Is surrounded by high and precp.tous
cliffs. down which only tiny trail winds,
dangerous at the best of seasons. The usuf
al method OF going from Pukoo to Waaut
In, the port al the mouth of the Pehet
kunu valley. Is by boat. but IL Is a slow
and uncomfortable passage. as only saili
ing vessels make the trip. SO to save
time Mr.. Beckley decided to go across the
Island and make the descent into the val
Hey by the ira I. IL was a hard trip
across the Island and when Mr.. Beckley
ATTEMPTED TO follow the trail down the
steep cliffs he found IL badly washed out.
-
Ter the hardest of labor did he succeed in
reaching the bottom In safety. But scarce
liy had MIR. Beckley started down the val
Hey towards Waaula when a terrible
storm suddenly broke over the hills. The
VALLEY at the point where Mr.. Beckley
was caught by the storm was little bet
ter than a canyon, with scarcely room
for the trail and the stream. The storm
IN the mountains developed into a veri-
table cloudburst. and soon the stream be-
gan TO rise. II became n raging torrent
, n less time than II takes to tell II and
the flood swept down the valley with
awful force. Only by dint of Herculean
In bors was Mr.. Beckley able to make his
way down tne canyon, reaching the VAL
. ley below finally. but completely worr
, out with his labors. He succeeded In
! ccmpleting the census of the valley, how.
ever. without further trouble.
Moses Kauh, mahu. the native enumera.
tor. had an adventure with the japanese
, at Spreckelsville plantation which h'
: would not care TO repeat. He went to the
plantation about the time of the riot
there concerning tie abrogatiOn of tn
} lpenal clause Ia the labor contracts, an,
the Japanese evidently thought that tn
enumerator was counting them for som
Interior purpose, for they immediatel.
surrounded him and began to threate
him with violence. Mr.. Kauhimahu trie
Ito explain what he wanted through tn
Interpreter, but they would have none o
u. and soon missiles began TO fly and tn
euumerator had to beat retreat. Sui
lsequently an expert was sent from HC
uolulu 10 cover the plantation, and. as
sisted by the plantation officers, he ha
~ difficulty in obtaining al.the data nee
essar.'.
Another euumerator who had some III
tie difficulty I'm doing the work allotte
n IN was Hugh NJ Coke, the enumeratC
for Waimea, Kauai Besides his own dl'
trct MIR. Coke was deputed to look aftC
the Island OF Nhhau. He started out
a small boat with natives to manage
and. accompanied by +. ID. Malone
Wa'mea. When several miles out in u
channel. the high seas smashed the rue
der and the natives wanted to put bac