The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-02-11
Lahaina. February 9. 1903.


editor of the Maui News been having
suspicious Dreams of late, or has
somebody been whispering his fear OF
such change in his ears? Lahaina has
not laid any claims to the county seat
I'D to this date. The several issues OF
the Maui News for the past few weeks
go to show that the Maui News man,
knowing that an intelligent legislature
lis going to handle the matter, is trying
to pull the wool over their eyes by his
sarcasm about Lahaina. In one of the
tissues of the Maui News, about month
ago, he said that IF the circuit court of
Maui was gotten up for eleemosynary
purposes, Lahaina would have a palpa-
BILE show
The writer of this article has lived
in Lahaina for the past twelve years,
and during that time has never seen
pauper, or any one depending upon aid
or charity of any kind, within her
bounds. The editor of the News is,
compar atively speaking, a ''malihini'' on
Maui, and has never been in touch with
the possibilities and advantages of the
ancient capital She has her coast line
of about ten miles, extending from
KaanapaIi to Olowalu, nearly all of it
being government land, and naturally
protected by the islands of Lanai and
Kahoolawe.
It is along this coast that nearly all
the gun practice of the war vessels has
taken place and, geographically speak
ing, let any one look at the map of the
Islands and see if Lahaina is not the
central part of Maui county. which en-
braces Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Ka-
hoolawe.
And most of all, Lahaina is a sea port,
and passengers coming from Honolulu
and Hawaii 90 not have to be carted
in hacks for half the night over doubt
full roads.
But if the Maui News man should
really succeed in getting his eight or ten
millions to cut a six mile canal from
Maalaea Bay to Waikiki, or give every
passenger arriving at Maalaea guaran-
tee that he would not be carried to sea in
an open boat, then Waikiki would be
entitled to fighting chance. Lahaina
has government building and grounds
which have no equal outside of Homo
lulu. The building is fire proof through /
out. At the present time the district |
judge, the sheriff, the tax collector, the
postmaster, the superintendent of the
waterworks, and the collector of the
port all have their offices in the building
and, 1 think, with a small addition it |
could be made to accommodate the en-
though not used much at present, is
amply sufficient for county purposes.
About a mile and half back af La
hama stands that old school Lahaina-
luna Seminary, where many of our fore
most native scholars received their ear
ent Senators and Representatives are
graduates of that institution.
And most historic of all is the old
Wainee church, rebuilt few years ago
at a cost of about $1,000 by the Hon.
H. P. Baldwin.
1t was in this church, years ago, that
the elder Baldwin sowed the seeds of
Christianity among the natives of West
Maui, and on Sunday mornings at the
present time one can see the natives
their way along the differ
ent streets towards Wainee, there to
worship as in days of old. Then there
is the quaint old graveyard on its left,
where one can read the names of Ha-
waits chiefs and ladies, whose spirits
have gone TO the far beyond. And just
back of the church stands the remains
of what was once the royal tomb, where
nearly all members of notable royalty
who died on Maui were buried
Lahaina has shown wonderful prog
ress in the last nine years in the devel-
opment of her internal industries. The
sugar output in 1894 was 2,1O0 tons; this
year it will be 5000 tons. Her taxes have
increased $4,000 in the last ten years,
and her postofice money order trans
actions during the last three wears
exceed those of Waikiki by at least
$4,000. In 1894, outside of the plantation
there were only three two-wheeI brakes
and two express wagons; today she
supports thirty-four hacks for public
hire, and numerous private carriages.
wagons, trucks, and drays, whose pas
sage to and fro through the busy streets
makes an Ole timer stop to ponder
how it came about. She has also. dur
ing that time, besides additions to some
business houses, built four large BUSH
ness blocks, two first class hotels. and /
numerous private residences.
The firm of H. Hackfeld & Co. will