The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-09-23

they Just gfowed
/ on the corner ~ the stree, alluded 20
was the well known saloon ~ Joe
/ Booth q typical Enrllshman ~ the or.
posite character from his adjoining
l noighbor. Mr. pelly Joe, NJ he was
| fnmilariy called by almost everybody,
was famous for his large hospitality 90
al sailors visiting the port, and the
Blonde" was n favorite resort because
Of the genial characteristics Of it, host.
From the tall flagstaff at the corner OF
the street 1oated the flag OF Merrie
England, and no more patriotic repre-
sentative % his country lived In town
Crossing Nuuanu street and passing
on the left row Of native houses and
lanais or open spaces. we came 10 the
corner OF Hotel street, where stood a
! building occupied as store by a
Chinaman. It was also said to contain
rooms for the benefit Of those OF his
countrymen who We're addicted to the
use OF opium. At that time. compare
lively few Of the natives or foreigners
/ INDUCED in the drug, but 1t was said
! that occasionally some Of the gentle
men from Bohemia hit the pipe" in
the hunks of the Chinaman.
on the opposite side of the street, a
building was put up by the merchants
of the town for a somewhat singular
purpose. There had come to Honolulu
from Australia a couple of enterprising
young men who had established them
selves in business in the small one
| story house cornering on Hotel and
Nuuanu streets. They had opened a
store with a very small variety of dry
goods, mostly common cotton cloth and
stockings. Up to their arrival most
dry goods were sold at the rate of so
many yards for a dollar. If silk, II
might be one yard, calico might be
two or three yards. cotton cloth, four
yards for a dollar, the uniform prices
observed by all merchants. These en-
! terprising Englishmen, not having a
! great variety to offer, and wishing to
! draw custom, announced to the native
, buyers that they would sell six yards
! of cloth for a dollar, and a pair of
stockings for twenty-five cents, in
stead of the usual price of fifty.
These prices paid them well, and as
trade increased We're obliged to pur-
chase a larger variety of dry goods to
add to their stock, and acted on the
principle that "a nimble sixpence was
worth more than dun shilling" AS
their trade increased porportionately,
a meeting of the merchants was called
! to see what measures could be taken
| to crowd these interfering young men
out of business. 1t was resolved to
, build store on the right hand side
, of Nuuanu street, diagonally across
from the new Corners. and to endeavor
to check their rapidly growing popu--
larity by underselling them. An agree
ment having been made by all the
merchants that they would not from
that time furnish them with any more
goods, they expected to be able to
compel them either to come to the old
rates or go out Of business. The mer-
chants counted without their host. As
is generally the case. there was some
one who was not true to the agree
ment. commonly suspected by the rest
to be a fellow countryman on King
street, who was more anxious for a
little profit than for his reputation, and
so the game of opposition did not last
long.
! Passing Hotel street there were
Il
the natives, until we come to Bereta-
mia street. On the corner of Nuuanu
and Chapel streets, was one of the
most pretentious mansions in the town
built of coral stone, handsomely join
ed, with wide verandas facing the
beautiful Nuuanu valley. This was
occupied by Mr.. skinner. an English
gentleman engaged in merchandising
As II comes to my recollection, after
these many years, Mr.. SINNERS fami-
ly was an Illustration of the general
condition of the intercourse between
the English and American residents.
There was comparatively little social
interchange. OF course it was not os-
tracism, but except on special occa-
slons they seldom mingled. j may say,
That this condition of society was very
markedly indicated when a few years
later the Islands We're brought under
the English flag. 1t was then made
very evident that our friends from
Britain felt their superiority, that the
Islands had come under British con-
troll, and that the Americans must
take second place.
Continuing our way up Nuuanu
SItel we come 10 the corner of Bere-
tania street, which will be as far ma
uka as We propose TO go. on the
Waikiki side of this corner stood the
residence of DIR. and Mrs. Rookie, who
We're the foster parents of Queen EN-
ma. This residence was one of the
most hospitable in town and the doe
tors genial disposition made him many
friends, Emma, as she was usually
called before the title of Queen was
added 10 her name, was an exceed
inEly pleasant and agreeable young
girl. She was an attendant Mt the
Royal School whore the children OF
the high chiefs We're being educated
for the positions which they We're like
ly to assume I'm latter life
Returning To the water side, We will
pass along the water front to the next
short street-now known as Kaahuma-
nu-runnlng mauka from the water to
what was afterwards known as Mer-
chant street The space between this
street and Nuuanu was mostly occu-
pied by native straw houses with la
mails In front OF them and used prin-
cipally as hsh market The water
OF the harbor ebbed and flowed on the
makai side of the street There were