Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-08-05

lsaDds.l
July ., 1905.
To the Editor Of The American:
Last evening, after dinner at the Demos
thenese cafe, took a stroll about the VII
lage and came to the conclusion that this
is an important little burg. The business
and best resident portion, should judge,
are separated by the river Waikiki and
only bound together by little bridge
thrown over the water.
There are number OF good substantial
business buildings OF wood, brick and
iava-rock and many costly residences.
There is quite mixture of architecture,
some modern aud like that found in the
states.
The streets are wet from the rain, but
not muddy. This shows that the soil Is
porous. There are some good cement
| sidewalks; also an abundance of tropical
trees and plants. The verdure is very fresh
and green. The situation of the village
is pretty; but / should say that Hilo, Is
too much in the cloud, too wet for COM
fort.
We board the train at O'Clock for O'aa,
where we are to take a stage up the noun
tain to the rim Of Kilsuea (Kee- low-s abb
| which is 4 0i0 feet above tue SEA level, but
there are four higher attitudes 90 the
island Hawaii, namely: Kohala Mt, 8 sos
feet; Husialai, s275 feet; Msuns Loa,
10, $50 feet, aud Mauna Kea, ID sos feet.
wa mn m ba srat t,a en- and
ming through tropical forests and sugar
cane OF the oloa plantation. Here we also
see what is called the hat tree--that is, a
tree that furnishes material for straw or
| fibre hats.
Many of the trees and shrubs look very
strange to us, and of course, we cannot
name them. Everywh here he forest grows
out of cracks and crevices OF lava rock
that is broken up, and tipped up into
| every conceivable way and shape, as sea
ice is found on New England shores In
winter when 1t is left by the receding
tide; only ice is white and lava is black.
Being very wet here, abundant MOSES
grow on the rocks, aud / notice mould on
plies OF wood that lie along the way.
Arriving at the terminus of the railroad
we find the stage ready for US. The driver
is q good natured fellow, and | should
judge somewhat of a poet and is i'm
promptu on rhymes. This stage coach
reminds me OF many that have seen and
ridden on in the states. There are two
seats and will accommodate eight pas
sengers and the driver. There is mail
box for rural delivery hanging on the
back OF the front seat, aud here also Is
the mail bag for the mountain postoffice.
| The stage, which has been loaded with
freight, is nos being partly unloaded, to
make room for seven men and one little
| New Jersey woman. or this men, four are
Japs, two are on the seat with the driver
aud are squeezed quite good deal; the
other two go as baggage; that is, they are
! piled up with the baggage in the back
part.
| An overseer Of plantation beyond the
! mountain, the little woman and / occupy
the second seat, and as l am rather shad-
like and the other man not over broad, we
manage to get along. Our friend, the
overseer, shortens our long hill of tbir-
4 teen miles with a fund of informant ion
concerning the country, telling me all
about the abandoned coffee farms or PLAN
tations that we are passing; the great cost
Of clearing the land of lava-rock; the
shaliowness of the soil; the blight that
comes upon the tree; how men from the
states invested all they had, In many
instances thousands Of dollars, from W hich
they never realized; how some had
switched of from coffee growing TO
raising bananas, and that, too, was a
failure. He says how now "some are try
ing to make go OF 1t raising cattle. but
that won't work..
! see many vacant small one story fran g
! houses along the lava rock bed rosd, tn. t
we are crawling over. Those that are oc.
/ cupied are used ny Japs.
Along the rosd are mile posts so we can
keep run of the distance passed and OF
that which is still to he reckoned
Now and again we turn up to a rude
mail box and make a deposit from our
general delivery hanging on the back
OF our front seat.
All along the road, until we gain too
high an altitude, are bushels and bushe els
OF fine raspberri~s craving; and II they
grow all through the woods like thi,
there must be thou,ands Of bushels going
to waste. My man of information says
they're no good. / can't understand
how that can be when they look 80 fne,
and suspect he thinks / doub, his word
As we stop at the next mail box, he gets
down ard picks me a handful and thus
furnishes his proof. think they are bout
the most iDsipid fruit ever tpsted.
We are almost at the vuicsno house
and in storm cloud. Tue ospect is We
shall not even see The smoke OF the vol
cano. l almost have the "blues", rs We
are booked TO return to Honolulu to-
morrow. We did not expect to be caug bit
In trap this way, and are not prepared
to lay over week
Our driver reins up his mules and horses