The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-05-07
THREE PORTO
RO S

Three Porto Rican brothers just In
from the cane fields at Waipahu, rest
ed on the fence across the way from
the police station yesterday afternoon,
before proceeding to the Wilder wharf,
whence they are to depart today for
Maui, where they viii become laborers
in the Spreckelsville cane fields. They
were fine looking specimens of the la
boring class of that country, bright of
countenance. strong of limb, and intel
ligent. Their names were Juan Nava,
eighteen years old Francisco Nava,
aged sixteen, and Claudine Nava, aged
thirteen They came In the same i'm
portation of Porto Ricans and Were
assigned to Eva plantation. Their pa
rents came in the first lot and have
been at Wailuku since their arrival.
Family ties count for much among
these natives of the Antilles, and al
though they We're perfectly satisfied
with their work at Eva. they prefer
red working near their parents.
Through Captain Fox, of the mount
ed patrol, who acted as interpreter,
the boys stated to an Advertiser re-
porter that they were perfectly salts
fled with their lot in Hawaii, and, all
things considered, they declared them
selves much better off here than In
Porto Rico. Their native land held out
few inducements to them in the way
of sufficient remuneration in return for
the expenditure of their muscle. The
oldest boy was broad shouldered for
Porto, Rican, of a deep copper color,
healthy in appearance, and of gem
orally fine build. Francisco was light
skinned, cheerful, and apparently well
satisfied with his present vocation.
Claudine Nava was a small boy for
his age, but sturdy. He carried all his
belongings, and they We're few, in
bundle which he balanced on his head.
His small hands had been burned in
h. he clyi hn1 lad off
Juan stated that he received S25 a
month as muleteer, and this sum was
to him a wage that he had not dreamed
of in his native land. He had, however,
hurt his ankle during the month and
therefore had earned but little. Fran
cisco had worked thirty-two days In
the past month, overtime included, and
after paying all his expenses, had saw
ed S12. The little fellow received $l4
a month, and out of this he had stored
away $3.50. Their transportation to
Maui was in their pockets, paid for
them by the company for which they
are to work. In answer to several
questions as to their condition, Juan,
as spokesman for the others, said:
1--WE are very well satisfied here. We
are receiving good wages, and can save
something. OF course, I was sick dur
ing the month, and that accounts for
my not having much left over. But
my brothers have money. I received
s25 a month for driving mules; my
brother Francisco received SIS, and lit
tie Claudine, s14. We couldn't do that
in Porto Rico, for there wasn't enough
work to go round in a whole family.
Our parents came to Hawaii IN the
first expedition and we came later. Do
I like to work here? Well, I'm not
much used to working in the fields-I
have always been used to living in the
towns, and Honolulu-well, the city is
much to be preferred to working in a
cane field, but that is our work and
we will stay by it. At first We didn't
receive as much money at the end OF
a month as we really expected, but
that came of our procuring so much
stuff at the company stores. Now we
don't do that so much. and have been
able to save more money"