The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-18

ROBINSON premises, which are now occu-
pied by Allen Robinson's lumber yard.
the present site of the fshmarket being
covered with water. The old fort, which
Is described in Hawaiian history, came
up to the buildings now occupied by
Morgan and Kerr and extended along
Queen street. taking in the Hackfeld
premises. The walls were thirty feet
wide at the top, and there were little
houses and a number of trees along the
top OF the walls. In one of the houses
Governor Kuakini used to hold his
justice court trials.
'-The schools of that day were the
Royal School, opposite Governor Dole's
present residence on Emma street, al
though there was then no Emma street,
there being only narrow lane running
to 1t through the old Government garden,
which covered the present site of the
Anglican Church Emma Square and ali
that section. extending down Beretania
street 10 the Punahou Preparatory
School and mauka way back to the Nor
gan premises. tie CharitR School, which
stood just d little south of the Judiciary
building, ana school for high chiefs,
at the back OF the palace where the drill
shed now stands, conducted by Mr. and
Mrs. Cooke.
''The general market FOR fish, vege-
tables and fruit was where Brewer &
Co. now are located, and il was a lively
place. ! think one of the things that
impressed me most. next to the barren
ness of the place. was the immense num-
bers of natives that We're everywhere;
they simply swarmed about the streets
and lanes and inside and outside the
grass huts. Saturday was their great
riding day; this seemed to be their prin-
cipal sport, il such it might be called,
at that time, and every Saturday the
natives rode through the streets in
great numbers, clad in tneir flowing
pa u.s. making a very striking spectacle.
King Kamehameha III was frequently
seen riding on handsome black charg-
| er, which was, l think, imported from
Chile; he was attended by number of
Hawaiian chiefs, and his passing was
observed with great ceremony by the
natives. He was an excellent rider Sit
/ ting his mount gracefully.
AT that time the Government main
tanned a large number of soldiers. and
also a German band under the leader
ship of Professor Mesberg. On holidays
the military and the band made a great
| display.
| Another noticeable feature was the
business of the auctioneers. There were
three auctioneers, who We're well known
w
mas. Thir names were Henry Sea. A.
p. Everett and Fred. Thompson, and
they conducted a lively business; in
fact, most of the goods that changed
hands We're disposed of in this way, and
there was frequently great excitemen,
among shoppers.
The greatest part of the Government
business was conducted in the building
now occupied as law Offices, at the head
of Kaahumanu street, next to the post
office. It was occupied by the Ministers
of the Royal Cabinet, who were r. c.
WyIie, DR. Judd, John Young. DR.. Arm
strong and District Attorney Asha B
Bates, who performed the duties of At
torney General. The postoffice was then
in the same building.
The regular streets then Were Queen,
Kaahumanu, Nuuanu, Fort (to Bereta-
MAJ. Hotel, Merchant and Beretania, the
latter street taking its name from Brit
ish Consul Miller, who lived on Beretania
street.
..The business Of the town was princi-
palIy done in the autumn and winter,
when the whaling fleets came in from
the north. The fleets usually came in
about October from the Arctic, and after
discha rgfng their cargoes of oil, would
leave for a season OF sperm whaling
along the line OF the tropics, returning
again about January to stock up for
their journey to the north. 1t was dur
ing these months that Honolulu was
commercially active, the period extend
ing from October to March or April
There were numerous clipper ships
putting in here al that time. They were
a celebrated class Of American ships
get tea, which they carried to the United
States and to Europe. There were no
steamers; regular sailing vessels carried
the mail There was no way of herald
ing the arrival of ships, and we looked
Tor one when we saw ii coming. There
We're usually large crowds around the
Suuanu street wharf when a sailing yes
sci came in with mail. 1t was not until
later that the lockout station was ar
ranged; all the buildings in town, how
ever had little iookouts of their own
simply square platforms on the roof
like that on the Judiciary building now
The town was very orderly in those
days; there was no selling of liquor &c
natives. as this was strictly prohibited
as q consequence there was but little
dissipation and the natives Were much
more Industrious There was a great
deal of mat and hat weaving going on
also carving and polishing calabashes
and other Industrious occupations. There
were so many natives that there was not
any difficulty whatever in securing Ia
Dor. There were plenty OF laborers to
be had at the wharyes at twenty five
cents per day.
The smallpox epidemic in 1852 made
a very apparent and material decrease
in the number of natives. They died in
great numbers every day, and at sun
down the dead carts were driven about
town, to gather up the dead, the corpses
being wrapped in mats and buried in
trenches in the cemetery back Of ka-
waiahao Church. There was a great
panic and business was paralyzed. Ho-
noluiu was long time recovering from
the effect Of the disastrous sweep OF the
dread disease.
about that time the riot that is de-
scribed in the histories aGso took place;
it started over the arrest and death OF
a sailor; the sailor died III jail, and il
was thought his death was due to a
blow struck by police officer. The sail
ors on ships about the harbor landed il
great numbers and threatened TO make
7 trouble. Judge Allen assured them a
number of times from public places that
justice would be done, but they could
not be paeified they all attended the fu-
neral up Nuuanu valley that afternoon.