The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-01-29
Impossible TALE
OF A PREACHER
Buckeye Pastor Writes to Cover.
nor Dole of a Mysterious
Romance.
n ovERNoR DOLE has received

NE pastor OIL a CHRISTIAN church In
a southwestern Ohio town in
which he asks for full particulars rela-
tive to the history of a youth who be-
| came King of Hawaii. The Governor
was surprised upon learning this news.
He had never in his long private or
official career heard it whispered that
one of the monarchs of the Islands had
been white man.
| The pastor asserts that few years
iago an old man came to him and told
him a. strange tale of the Ohio boy,
whom he said had once been a play
mate of his nearly seventy years ago.
The pastor said there seems a doubt as
to the genuineness of the old mans
story but nevertheless he thoroughly
believed it to be true.
The old man had told him he had
seen this white monarch while the lat
ter was visiting in the United States
and that the recognition was mutual
in the city of Chicago. AS no King ex-
lcept Kalakaua visited the United
States within the last fifty years the
conclusion is the man was an impostor
and owing to the remoteness of the
Hawaiian Islands and the lack of
knowledge which people In the United
Estates had of the Hawaiians, there was
no way at the time to ascertain the
truth of his assertions.
The pastor writes at great length and
with fervor. The old mans tale has
fascinated him and he invokes the as
distance of the Governor to aid in un-
travelling the tangle; he hopes it will be
established that the white King of
Hawaii was the sailor lad. The mar
rative has illusions to skeletons in the
families of the Kamehamehas and the
Kalakauas, of adopted sons, or hanais,
and a strange fatality which allowed
the successor to one of Hawaii's Kings
to be a white man.
The old man who told the tale to the
clergyman says that in his youth he
lived In southwestern Ohio town and
that his playmate was boy named
Harry Barkalow. The latter yearned
for a life upon the sea and one day
left his home. He made his way down
the Mississippi river to New Orleans,
where he went before the mast. The
ship went down the South American
coast rounded the Horn and came to
Honolulu. He obtained leave to come
ashore and for the first time saw real,
! live King. The ruler went by in his
carriage The youths face attracted
| the King and he was sent for. He went
to the Kings palace and was warmly
received. Eventually he was taken into
the bosom of the royal family and
adopted by the King. The young mans
identity was supposed to have been
hidden and he was brought up as a Ha-
waiian. Cpon the monarch's death he
] succeeded his royal foster father and
became King. Thus it was that Harry
lBarkalow, the runaway Ohio boy, is
said to have sat upon the thron of Ha-
wall, while all the people believed him
| to be one of their own race and the true
heir of the King. The history of Ha-
wall does not disclose that any such
deception was practiced upon the Ha-
waiians, but the Ohio preacher believes
| the tale.
| For many years King Barkalow rul
ed the Hawaiians. He yearned to visit
the land of his birth to seek relatives
yet living. The King left for the States
with large retinue and received ova-
tions in every large city. 1t so hap
pened that by the time the party
reached Chicago, Barkalow's old play
mate heard of the monarch and made
lup his mind to see live ruler He
went to Chicago and witnessed a great
procession in which the King partici-
tpated. In the crowd the King saw the
1 face of his old playmate and he sent
for him to meet him at his hotel. The
old Ohioan quickly made his way to
the rooms of the monarch and was re-
! ceived with great joy.
Can you keep a secret?" asked the
king.
"I can," answered the Ohioan.
We'll know then that am your cid
friend and playmate, Barkalow." And
then he related the wonderful story of
his career. Such was the tale which
, Ithe old man poured into the ears of the
Iastonished preacher shortly before the
formers death.
The preacher says in his letter that
Ihe intended many times to write to the
Governor concerning the identity of the
King but had neglected doing SO.
There is reason to believe, however
: THAT among the white men who came
: to Hawaii and were promoted to honor
able positions in the Kings government
: may have been one who, returning te
. his own country or town. said he was q
! high official, second in rank only to the
King in name, but in power was great