The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-04-08
THE PASSING Of
J, B, ATRERTON
CONTINUED from Page ~

i'm the public schools, he graduating
from the Grammar School and going on
to the High School. Among his school
mates in the early years of his life was
Peter Cushman Jones, who is a few
months younger than Mr.. Atherton.
Upon leaving the High School he en-
tered as a boy the wholesale commits
sion house of A. II. Amiden, where he
remained for several years. He was
advanced steadily and won the hearty
respect of his employers and all with
whom he came in contact, to the eX-
tent that when in 1858 failing health
made it necessary that he leave Bos-
ton, he was equipped with letters and
given full assistance in making the
journey. These Islands were chosen as
his destination, upon the advice of
many friends and acquaintance, and
he made the journey with the best of
prospects for success, though he knew
little of the conditions of trade here.
When he sailed from Boston on the
Syren, few of his friends believed he
would live to reach Hawaii. His lungs
were affected, and it has been said that
he himself thought it altogether prob
able that he would find his gray e LII the
deep. He lived to arrive here Decem-
Der 20, 1853 when he was just month
over twenty-one years of age. He had
regained much Of his health, though
throughout his life he was never rug
ged, and his life was prolonged to the
.s=ce score yearc and FIVE that be
reached by careful temperate living
strong will power and a great fund of
vitality.
The thoroughness of his character
and the capacity of his mind was
shown hv the fact that he had not been
here long before he was one of the best
informed men of the group on the re-
sources and capabilities of the islands,
the possibilities of trade and the devel-
opment of agriculture and industry,
and his judgment in these matters was
always considered almost unerring.
On his arrival in Honolulu, having
letters to S. N. Castle and others, he
was taken in at once into Mr.. Castles
family and for several years was
loved and honored member of that
finally. He went into Castle & Cookies
little store on Kawaiahao la~e, known
in those days as the old depository,
and at once took an active part in
building up the trade of the old firm.
He became in a very few months not
only the managing clerk, but the con-
fidential adviser of the firm.
On the erection of the Castle & Cooke
building at the corner of King and
Bethel streets he moved in with the
and active business methods assisted
very largely in building up the bust
ness, which has under his guidance ana
care, increased constantly. In 1865 he
was admitted to the firm as it's junior
partner and from that time to the pres
ent has continued as one of it's most
active members.
Amos Cooke father of Mrs. j. E.
Atherton, c. NJ. Cooke, Mrs Annis
Montague Turner, A. f. Cooke and
Mrs. Martha Alexander of Oakland, re.
retired from active business in the lat
ter part Of the sixties. lie was sue
ceeded by his son, Joseph p. Cooke,
now deceased, father Of j. =. Cooke, of
Alexander & Baldwin. j. =. Cooke and
Mr. AthertOn formed an energetic pCr-
ton Of the firm, S. n. Castle contin-
ung in charge. when in 1880 he sur
rendered the active business to the
younger, men. Mir. Atherton became
widely known throughout the country
as a shreWd, active business man OF
the utmost integrity and the cOmmu-
nifty learned to regard his word in bust
ness as good as his bond. :. N. Castle
died in 1894 Mr.. Cooke having died
some time before, leaving MI. AthertOn
the only remaining member of the old
firm and in that year the concern in
cOrporated. becoming Castle q Cooke,
Limited, and Mr. Atherton was elected
it's president and remained such until
his death.
He has been identified during his
long career with many of the more i'm
portant enterprises of the country. He
was an active assistant IN the openir-
of the Kohala and Haiku Sugar Com
panies, they being among the earlier
sugar plantations, organized in the
early sixties. He has also been idenef-
fled, in connection with the firm, as
agent, with the Kohala Sugar Com
pany from it's inception to the present
time, also representing the Haiku and
Paia plantations on Maui, the Wilcox
plantations on Kauai, and in later
years, about 1890, establishing the Eva
plantation.
In 1898, in connection with Mr.. Dill
! bingham, he organized the Waialua
! Agricultural plantation. In all of these
enterprises Mr.. Athertons counsel has
! always been highly regarded.
| Mr. Atherton was also interested in
| the Inauguration of the Bank of Ha-
wall being one of the active constitu-
ents and an owner therein. He was
| president for several years of the Mu-
tual Telephone Company.
| 1t may be said of Mr.. Atherton, that
no man took higher rank or was more
! influential or respected IN commercial
! and financial circles than Joseph b.
/ Rtherton.
In religious matters he was as indie
| fatigable as in business. Whatever his
hand found to do, he did it with his
might. He was educated a Baptist,
but on coming here, finding no organ
ization of that communion he united
with the Fort street church, congre-
! gational in its ecclesiastical affiliations,
founded by the missionaries. Until
that church was united with the Bethel
church to form Central Union he was
always a leader in it's work, both reli-
gious, benevolent, social, and in its
finances and management. What was
true of his connection with Fort Street
church, was true of his connection with
! Central Union.
He was one of the organizers in Ha-
wall of the Young Mems Christian AS
SOciatOn, and was its guiding head for