The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-27

with as good results as in former
years.
A railway from Hilo to Kohala is
promised as among the possibilities OF
the near future. 1t may prove a diff
cult task, but its completion will GER
tainiy open the district to much larg-
err population and traffic than it now
possesses. A portion of the land along
the route not suited for sugar cane
may be available for coffee and other
minor industries, and with such rapid
communication established, population
will be drawn to it, and various indus
tries established. For small families.
coffee is a very sure and pleasant
source of income, and one in which
children can become useful and relia-
BILE, where other help is not obtainable.
1t is product too, that improves with
age, and one that is always marketa-
Bile. No better opportunities can be
found for industrious families than in
some of these retired districts of Ha-
wall, especially after the opening of
the country to railway traffic which,
as stated above. is likely to take place
during the next few years.
The public road from Hilo to Lau-
pahoehoe is kept in first-class order
for carriages, and is credit to the
district. That from Laupahoehoe to
Honokaa is fairly good, while that
Parker forests and domain is rough
and in places almost impossible, till
the Waimea plains are reached, from
which on to Waimea village. it runs
over grassy plain, with charming and
ever-changing views of the kohala
range and Mauna Kea. From Wal
mea to kawaihae-eleven miles-the
road is STONY and very tedious, and
no better than it was forty years ago,
n
Waimea has lost population during the
past half century and the numerous
native grass houses which dotted the
plain, have all disappeared. But they
have been replaced with few score
of neat cottages that line the road,
some of which are the homesteaders'
dwellings,, which are surrounded with
fruit and flower gardens-affording one
of the prettiest sights to be found on
the group. When Waimea becomes the
terminus or a central depot of the fu-
ture railroad system that starts at
Hilo and makes the circuit of Hawaii,
via Kawaihae, Kailua, Kona, Kau and
the volcano, to Hilo, this Waimea
district will contain a thriving and
industrious population, and will be-
come the garden and granary to help
supply a population larger than that
which Captain Cook found, when he
discovered the group in Its, and his
name became identified with it as the
martyr of Hawaii.
1t was with no little surprise that
we learned, while on Hawaii that
sugar plantation is to be started on
the bay, few miles south of the viii
lage of Kawaihae. Those who have
ridden along the shore of the bay, as
has the writer, may have noticed
green spot RUNNING from the shore to-
wards the slope of Mauna Kea. But
no one would have dreamed that it
could ever have been found suitable
for cane planting, surrounded as it is
on three sides with fields of black aa,
almost impossible for man or beast.
1t is here, on this solitary oasis, wash
ed by the still waters of the bay, that
a new plantation is being started. The
soil has been found to consist of fine
ga, of volcanic ashes, the deposit per-
haps of a thousand years ago, making
1t the richest soil for sugar cane, which
is now growing on 1t, a sample stalk
Of which-twelve feet in length and
with long joints, was shown to us-as
fine and large as we have ever seen.
Fresh water is obtained in abundance,
pumped, of course, from few feet
below the surface.
Parties on Hawaii will supply the
capital, and all arrangements have
been completed to break ground at
once, plant cane and erect mill, am
pie capital having been secured for
all improvements required, including
mill. dwellings, pumping water, and
everything necessary to insure the sue
cess of the enterprise. The best of
wharf and shipping facilities are
easily supplied as Kawaihae Bay is
known to be one of the safest locali-
ties obtainable on the lee side of this
island for this purpose.
Speaking of fresh water obtainable
near the sea, reminds us that while
at Honokaa Manager Watt showed us
well of fresh water which he had
dug through solid rock, within fifty
feet of the sea- It is ten or twelve
feet square, and has about the same