The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-03-08
KAMAAINA RETURNS AFTER
THIRTY YEARS ABSENCE

Beretania street was but road, which
connected with Punahou street, which
in turn connected with the college. King
street was also road, which turned
down to Waikiki. AT Waikiki there were
n few cocoanut groves and a few natives
| living around. We used to ride horses
! to the beach and jump in for a swim,
and there was no one living about to see
us. At Punahou there were but few
| people living near the college. On one
side of King street there We're a few
small taro patches.
Fort street was not much then. There
was little business on IL, but il only went
as far as Merchant street, above which
were private residences. The old Fort
street church was then at the corner of
Beretania and Fort streets. and Nuusnu
valley, in reality. commenced there. Ku-
kui street was one of the prettiest resi-
dence streets in the city. and 1 was sur
prised on going through II the other day
to find Il inhabited mostly by Chinese
and japanese. Nuuanu street was lined
with Chinese stores. as far as Beretania
street, with a few American stores. but
then there was one store where there are
now dozen. Dickson had n lumber
yard at Fort AMI Queen streets. The old
fort had been destroyed before left and
the Esplanade filled in. We boys thought
they were making an awful lot of new
land when that part of the harbor was
reclaimed. Punchbowl was a barren
waste: no one lived up there. I attended
the old Royal School when n youngster.
There were few houses beyond where
General MiIler's house and Liliuokalanfs
present residence stand. Across the r:v-
cr the prison was about the only building
to be seen. Liliha street had just been
opened before / left, and remember rid
ing up il on horseback. We lived near
kawaiahao church, and that section was
considered about on the limits of the
town.
THE royal family lived in the old pail
ace, the predecessor of the present cap
itol. 1t was not a pretentious affair, but
We thought II was fine building-it
was of stone. l believe. / was a men,
Der of the Rifle Company when Kane
hameha " died and I remember stand
ing on guard at the front entrance for
a whole day while the remains of the
King were lying in state in the central
Steamer traffic was only just begin
ming then between San Francisco and
Honolulu. The first voyage / made to
San Francisco was in a sailing vessel,
and most all travel was done on sailing
ships. Just before my departure
steamship line was esta blished, and
went away on one of the fast vessels.
They did not come often in those days.
and news of the outside world was re-
reived at long intervals. OF course we
had steam men-of-war in port, and the
United states almost always had Il YES
sci stationed here. In those days there
vas considerable jealousy among the ma
ions over Hawaii and they kept tab on
zach other by stat'o1ing steam warsh'ps
here. The social life. too, has changed
Then there were Americans and Hawaii
,us. hut today the nat'onalities are so
yreatly increased and the mixtures or
he races has gone on until II Is difficult
o tell who some of the people are
rave been greatly interested in studying
hem since my return.
ITO my mind, the outlook for the ISL