The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-21
OR s
T Al K.
Rev. DR.. Van SIyke
On Honolulu
Scenes.
IMPRESSIONS
OF TIE CITY
Likes Nearly Everything Except
the Mosquitoes, Poi and

North Dutch Reformed Church of. Cler-
mont avenue, Brooklyn, who is travelling
the Pacific, and has stopped off here to
See the new possessions of his country,
is delighted with them.
Il am proud that it is American terri
tory he said last night at the Hawaiian
Hotel. Il must confess that / am sur
prised and very much impressed with the
great modern progress which is every
where evident in the City. l did not ex-
pect so much, by any means. 1 do not
see anything in the way of modern i'm
provement thatEyou have not got here.
didn't at all expect to see automobiles
around the streets the first thing, or
electric lights, or an Otis elevator 1t
astonished me very much.
Il am thoroughly satisfied with the cli-
mate. It has not seemed at all enervat-
ing or depressing to me- Others have
found it So but l have not. l have not
suffered from the heat, and 1 have felt
very well ever since l have been here
IT don't know what spot that have
seen to compare this with. The climate
seems to me to be nearer like the Italian
climate than anything else. The skies
are like Italian skies in their tints and
in their effect on the water of the bay,
if they are what make it 30 blue. 1 don't
know about that.
The Island seems to be of amazing
fertility. The soil is very rich indeed,
and supports a luxuriance of growth that
surprised me. Yes, 1 was satisfied with
its tropical appearance. In fact, it is
more tropical than l had expected to
find in the waters of the north Pacific.
The fora is much more abundant and
extensive, and there is a remdrka BILE
| number of hne woods Indigenous to the
Islands. L had the pleasure of looking
over 133 different varieties today in Mr..
ThrumS collection. All of them were
tine-grained wood.
The. intelligence of the people here i'm
presses me remarkably. There is a very
nigh social condition and social attain
ments here that l did not expect to find.
1t shows rubbing against the world.
There are cosmopolitan conditions here,
due to the travel through here, which
is responsible for the high state of Gull
ture.
The educational advantages seem to
be superior. 1 have visited some of the
Islands and have had many conversations
about them, and find them good.
And the churches are progressive.
They are well attended, and the spirit
Is remarkably good.
The natives? l have talked with
many Of them. 1 think they are unjustly
prejudiced against the United States
Government. But the prejudice is wear
ing off among the more intelligent
classes. They speak of it like this. They
say: The missionaries came here to civ
pOV lei
ands. Now we are civilized, but the mis-
sionaries have our Islands We held the
Islands many years-a great many years.
Now missionaries hold it. Civilization
takes away our land. Civilization not a
good thing
You see, they wrongfully hold the
missionaries accountable for all the in
fiuences that the whites have brought.
But the prejudice is wearing away and
must yield with time.
II met a native today. He said: You
white man?'
Yes
You from New York;
Yes. I'm from New York
You no love me: me no love you,'
he said.
Then he went on to cite his grew
ances. He said that the white man had
burned UP his country, meaning the
burning of Chinatown during the plague.
ing of that action.
But the prejudice must give way.
Their future? l think they will ass.m-
Hate largely. They will die out as ma
ton. Their future depends entirely upon
their assimilating, and 1 think they will
do 1t. Intermarriage is common, l un-
derstand, and is not considered m;scege-
nation.
Yes; 1 have attended the Legislature.
The Representatives are a fine-looking
body of men. They would average with
the New York Legislature that convenes
in Albany, in intelligence and appearance.
Business seems to move on smoothly and
harmoniously, with only the usual inter-
ruptions incident in legislative chambers.
II have not paid much attention to
business except to note that there are
driving, thriving business men here, w tn
all the spirit of the twentieth century,
so far as money-making Is concerned.
The Island bears appearances of hav-
ing been made by some volcanic upheav-
ais during times past. 1t bears mark of
cataclysmic disturbances. The rocks
show marks of intense heat. 1 should be
a little bit afraid of being blown up if
I lived here a hundred years.
i can criticize nothing here hut the
abominable street car service. Why, it
took me over an hour to come In from
Waikiki tonight-about three miles! 1t
IS atrocious,
THE bathing is superb. The water IS
delightful, and the beach beautiful.
Yes; I went to the luau. 1 did not en-
Joy it thoroughly, as far as the eating
was concerned. OF course, l was pleased
with the novelty, but did not relish the
focd. I ate some poi-sour paste.
Il do enjoy the music of the natives,
especially their singing. They are a mu-
sic-loving people, and as a music-loving
people they express their feelings and
emotions in music. And they do 1t in a
most sterling and satisfactory way. l en-
joy their singing exceedingly.
The vowelity of their language makes
1t as beautiful and soft as any. do not
know of any tongue that Is more pleas
ing. That is due to the vowelity.
NO; I have no complaint to make
about your Island. / have suffered some
from mosquitoes. I have the best evil
dence that they enjoy the travelling pun
lie exceedingly. But there IS nothing else
except your miserable street car lines
that struck me as disa greeable. I didn't
like to see so much Chinese labor, bit
that I suppose carnot be helped. 1t be-
+Ia Tel