The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-12-17
PASSING OF HAWAIIANS
BUT FEW NATIVES ARE NOW LEFT
ON THE ISLANDS.
Many other Changes Noted-The Pictur-
csque Grass Houses Arc Hcing Re
placed with English Cottages, But Ma
IlNe Costmmes Arc Sun tn r. Sen


tive Costumes Are sim to he Seen.
The civilization Of the white man is
not always boon to the savage; it
means. sooner or later. his doom. says
the London Mail. The rcd men are
nearly gone, the aborigincs of Austria
liza are passing and the Hawaiian race
is rapidly melting away before the
sunlight OF civilized enterprise.
In 1858 there were 71,Ol0 Hawaiians
in the islands still. even though for
eigners had already begun Introducing
civilization. The Hawaiian population
Is now actually only one-thlrd the mum.
Der of the Japanese Immigrants: there
have been 29,S34 to over $1,000 jap
anese. In fifty years there will be
scarcely any Hawaiians left to inhabit
the Hawaiian Islands.
The old customs and habits of the
Hawaiians are dying out faster even
than the race itself. 1t is very I'M
usual to find n real Hawaiian grass
house on the Island of Kahulawi.
though there are fair number on
the larger islands as yet. The grass
houses arc being replaced by wooden
frame houses OF orthodox shape and
construction. The change is certain
~ not artistic, nor is it very much
more comfortable or suitable to the
climate. However, the grass hut has
passed so completely that there is to
be specimen erected in the Bishop
Museum, in Honolulu. to enable peo-
pie to learn what the old houses looked
like.
Two features OF old Hawaii will
probably remain until the end. One
is the native generosity to absolute
strangers-a generosity which has
been consistently abused by foreigners
since the earliest times. A Hawaiian
gives away land, food or any posses
sion most readily and on many occa-
sions where it has been found impos-
sible TO induce an old chief to sell
land he has turned round and given
the land in question to some friend
Of his absolutely The two leading
rich HawaiianS-Prince David ana
Hon. San Parke-have both given
away endless amounts Of valuable
possessions almost indiscriminately.
Another distinctive feature of Ra-
wall is the dress OF the women. in
PRODUCED by the missionaries as a
tribute TO Western ideas This dress
is simply Mother Hubbard" flow
ING freely from shoulder to feet and
unconiincd to the waist. These long
Mother Hubhards'' are to be seen in
all colors. and are worn even by the
rich Hawaiian ladies. The costume is
undoubtedly suitable to the climate.
and in the summer months the women
20 bathing in them, allowing their wet
garments 10 dry in the suns RAYS
after the bath. The japanese women
OF Hawaii often adopt the Mother
Hubbard ana present most ungainlv
and weird objects-their figures not
being built for long. flowing gowns.
The old riding habit has almost dis
appeared, and now the appearance of
rider clad in gay garments at once
attracts a crowd. The Hawaiian
women all ride astride on a mans
saddle-a course rendered necessary
by the dangerous mountain roads TO
be traversed. The phrase used to de-
scribe it is ride Hawaiian fashion"
The habit consisted OF a very long
piece of gay-colored cloth, wrapped
round the waist of the rider and then
around the legs. the long ends stream
ing out behind and almost covering
the horse when in rapid motion. AS
the custom used TO be TO dash at full
speed through the town. it was a very
gay sight when several OF these rid
ers galloped by together in the bril-
liant sunshine. Now. alas. there are
10 more such riding habits to be seen.
and every year there are fewer such
riders.
Even the lcis which are sold at sew
oral OF the street corners in Honolulu
are i'm danger OF cXtiuc.iOn These
leis wreaths are formed OF strings Of
flowers ON grasses and are hung
around thc neck or hat of the pur-
| chaser In old times ON festive occa-
sions ,hc Hawaiians used to appear
almost covered i'm the wrcaths of
varied colors. Now when friends are
departing it s, customary TO send lei
wrcaths with aloha on cood-by wishes.
| But even these charming flower
wrcoths. costing only some Twenty-Five
cents each. are likely soon TO be- uuob-
tdiuablc, owing TO the substitutes in-
PRODUCED. These cost less. and have
tho added advantage that they do not
! fade and need not De renewed. They
are, however. poor substitutes for the
sWcct-sCcutgd beautiful lcl wrcaths of
| the real Hawaii when the lcis are
| gone. another link with The past Will
/ have been severed and progressive
civilization may rejoice 40 another con