Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1900-05-17
UNCLE SANS ISLANDS.
A FEW FACTS REGARDING OUR
NEWLY ACQUIRED POSSESS
IONS IN HAWAII.
HONOLULU THE PRINCIPAL CITY.
Inhabited by People Of Nearly Every
Nation on zarth-sOmsthing Of
Their Peculiar Customs
Letter from w. W.
Mckinney


Correspondenee OF the Ledger.
MEXICO, Mo-, May 10.-Those who
write about the Hawaiian Islands or
saikabout them in other lands, are very
apt to tell OF the beautiful, the de-
Grable and paradisical which they
have seen there and saying nothing
OF the unfavorable, the unlovely and
the diabolioal which are frequently
not seen until one has lived there a
few mouths.
For the purpose OF giving Informs
tion 70 those who may be interested in
knowing the whole truth concerning
the new possessions of Uncle Sam, /
shall tell some things which / was un-
able to learn from any other source
before going there. Events have
moved swiftly in Hawaii during the
past three years, and the long trial Of
patience during the annexation strug-
gle has wrought its deep effect on the
social, political and commercial order
of things.
Ofcourse there 10 much that can
never change about these beautiful
isles OF the Pacific. There will always
be the delightful climate where the
tropical languor Is Offset by the fresh
sea breezes blown across thousands Of
miles OF sea.
There will always be the tangled
tropical vegetation where the tree
ferns, the gorgeous palms, the flower
ing trees, the twining vines and the
broad Ieaved bananas mingle In de-
lightful profusion. There win always
be the great volcanic craters, wonder
ful whether as the largest In the
world, even though the Ares be for q
time too deep In the earth to show, or
whether the t.ery glow lights the
heavens, and the fountains of molten
rock leap from the rending surface Of
KiIanea.
But Of the Hawaiian people tits o.
different and sad story. For few
years to come there viii be also the
gentle dark-syed natIves.with their
pretty custom Of flower wearing and
their soft voiced "Alohas.n
And would that conId SAP Of this,
too, II will always be, but the cruel
figures Of the census taker shows
that aimee the first white man settled
on Hawaiin soil two generations ago
the natives have decreased to barely
one-sixth Of their earlier number. AL
sad Thought and, as an old gray
haired native told me with tears In |
his.eyes, "My people have become
as little children and are being led by |
the white man to destruction. thank |
Hatu God leave all pilikia (trouble) /
before many years." Annexation,
however, is not likely TO hasten this
process Of decay In these people, for
by restraining the influx of Aaiatic |
races and OF less desirable European
immigrants, which American law will
enforce as Hawaiian law could not,
there will be less danger Of the i'm
mediate extinction Of the original
stock.
Az 1t is, there are only about $4,000
pure blooded Hawaiians In all the
islands and about 5000 half breeds.
But the Japanese numbered according
to last census In 1896, 24,4O7, and
1000 more were shipped In In, 1899.
Chinese, 21,e1e; South Sea Islanders,
455; British, 2,260; Americans, 3,0s6;
Germans, Portuguese, 5,1s1; French,
101; other nationallties, 642. The
greater part Of this foreign element
are In the islands OF Hawaii and Oahu.
Over one half are In and around
Honolulu, thus making Honolulu one
Of the most cosmopolitan places on
earth.
In going few blocks there we can
see here Chinee restaurant or store;
just across the street Jap offers his
wares for sale; here comes string of
Chinamen with pole on the back Of
their necks from which hang two
baskets, ,One on each end. They all
keep In jog trot keeping In perfect
time with the swinging of their loads.
A Chlnamsn willksep this trot for four
or ave miles, carrying l50 or 200 lbs. of
Pol, the principal native food which
ls made by pounding tho tarro root
into sort Of paste. This they est by
sitting around q calabash full and
twisting q roll Of ii around their
fingers. They generally eat raw fish,
or II at q "Luon, "or native feast, they
prefer baked dog and red pepper.