The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-10-04
OLD BISHOP PLACE PRACTICALLY
DEMOLISHED.
Gangs of men are Busy removing the
Rubbish and material from the
Grounds.

Time and the march of Improvement
level all things. What was but yes
terday the cradle of a dynasty is to-
day pile of rubbish, a mass of broken
timbers. The demolition OF the old Ar
! lington hotel has been progressing at
such a rapid rate ever since the sale of
the property was effected, that prac-
tlcally nothing but a memory is left of
| that famous place. The hotel building
proper, the famous home of the Bishops
is no more end but for few small cot
tages which the purchasers have failed
to remove, the entire lot from King to
Hotel street, has been cleared of build
ings
While the buildings may be practical
ly gone the extensive tract is strewn
with piles of wood and lumber, heaps of
platter, bricks and coral building rock
and it will be some weeks before the
gang of men can clear all of this stuff
away. The ruin which is every where
visible impresses one strikingly of a
battle field, such battle field as
Stephen Crane would have imagined
before he really viewed the place of
actuality, so great and gaunt is the
ruin that stalks about. No better con-
ception of the extensive enterprise con-
templated by Alexander Young can be
secured than by view of the property
as 1t exists at the present time. 1t looks
dorf- Astoria.
There was a time when the haole
would have thought it an honor to visit
this place." sighed a loyal royal
ist, but now-look at it," Truly the
place seems as desolate as the Walls of
Balclutha and no wonder it is that none
of the older Hawaiians can pass the
spot without feeling a lump come into
| their throats for old, primative as the
place was, 1t stood for much to them.
! 1t was once the gathering place of loyal
| people, the early home of their last
Queen the center of a famous and fast
disappearing hospitality. The old Bis
hop residence was to Hawaiians the
link which bound society with the state
| for it was there that the powerful chief
tains and their consorts mingled with
other leaders in the nations affairs and
watched queen that was to be, deve-
loped in sprightly womanhood.
Old Paki the biggest and one of the
most powerful chieftains of the group
was the father of the house. He built
it for his home and for a time he held
almost regal sway there. He maintain
ed an establishment which was feudal
lin character. He scarce knew how
many servants he had to serve him but
the King knew that Paki could sum-
moned 1000 armed fighting men at a
moments notice and the favor of the
old chief was courted by the reigning
monarchs. They realized too we'll his
power Strong enough to be king
maker, they knew his indomitable will,
and feared it. But as Paki grew old
| and the house passed from his possess
sion, ne was content to distribute JUS
tice as district magistrate where Judge
Wilcox now holds court, and a memo
rial tablet IN Kawaiahao church per-
| petuates his memory.
/ tn, tI,n n
beams, few bricks, pile of stone is
all that can be seen of the once famous
house. Nothing has been respected
everything profaned, but what matters
it in these days of progression what
the former owner was or what the
present owner was The spirit of the
Nineteenth Century is no respector of
sentiment. He throttles sentiment he
scorns reprOach, he triumphS over the
traditions of a passing race.
The tall, red hued wall is rapidly dis
appearing and within few days 1t Will
be but a broken mass to litter the
grounds Cords of fire wood have been
cut from the grand old trees which once
helped make the grounds among the
most beautiful in the Islands. The
vines are torn down and trampled un'
der foot, the plants are overturned anc
demolished. And where only the car
riages of wealth were permitted to ira
vel heavy teams of work horses are
busy carting away the stuff to every
part of the town. Well may the Hawa-
iian race pause to shed tear and say
with Shakespeare, as it takes a long
last look at the ruin "Tis true, tbs pity
and pity 'tis. 'tis true" But the old
house has run it's course. 1t has served
it's purpose and now in the days OF It's
decadence it can serve no nobIer pur'
pose than to adorn tale and paint the
moral of a fading race