The San Francisco call., 1904-02-14

NOOpyTlSnI ASVfs Dy 1hOmdS FlLcn.J
~ EACOCK, thou game bird Of
d Waikiki, thou reincarnation OF
Captain Kid, commercialism has
a made thee the urbane proprie-
tor of the "Moana." the gem Of Hon
olulu. the most charming hotel that
ever nestled in the arms Of a summer
sea, and there amid the banyan trees
and fronded palms, fruited with col
ored electric lights, and with the soft
tones OF Hawaiian singers voicing
their alohas and hula hulas, thou well
comest the tourist. But at heart thou
art a pirate, bloody, bold and desper-
ate, yearning to fiaunt the black flag
and eradicate the Japanese nation.
Unto me, one morning in 1901,
came Peacock, bringing with him
Captain Rosehill," an ancient mar
iner with a name borrowed from the
vale Of Cashmere and a lineage drawn
from the vikings Of the Baltic. This
sailor man told how, years before,
while trading in the south seas, he
had discovered an uninhabited island
which was the home of millions of
what he called "guano birds" He
told how he had nailed the American
nag 10 a AdlA COCOdnul pdlll1s III d
forked branch Of which he deposited
glass bottle containing a notice OF
claim TO the island in behalf Of the
United States signed by himself and
crew. He told how he had built
shack" and deposited therein a years
supply of provisions and left one OF
his crew with his common law wife
a woman of the Caroline Islands-and
how, returning TO Honolulu, he had
vainly endeavored to enlist capitalists
in equipping a vessel to exploit the
guano deposits on Marcus Island"
His claim had been sent TO Secre-
tary Blaine. where il was duly red
taped and deposited in the archives Of
the State Department and there it
slept. awaiting the trump of some
resurrecting angel
1 was the Gabriel Of the occasion,
Papers were prepared, an application
under the guano act of Congress was
made and the right to remove the
guanO deposits on Marcus Island was
granted under the broad seal of the
United States 10 Rosehill as discoverer.
conditioned upon his filing a bond for
$50, 600 that he would comply with the
requirements Of the act Of Congress
concerning guano islands. Peacock, the
pirate. gave the bond and was made
president OF the Marcus Island Guano
Company. 1 was chosen constitutional
adviser and Secretary of War, and
Rosehill was made general manager
and lord high admiral We bought the
schooner Julia z. Whalen, we loaded
her with tools, provisions and supplies
and these supplies included-I blush to
say it-a large, very large, supply Of
Kentucky wines and Blue Ribbon
Pabst" We employed a chemist and
bought an assaying outfit with which
to test the guano deposits. We gave
ha
Bishop Museum to explore the fauna,
nora and bird life Of the island. We
shipped double crew, so as TO have
workers at the island. and learning a
few days before sailing that there were
japanese fishermen on Marcus Island,
who were snaring and skinning our
guano birds, we equipped the lord high
admiral with bag Of japanese yens
with which to placate them, and look
ing TO the possibility Of their being
tnplacable Somebody always sus-
pected Pirate Peacock-placed on board
the Whalen two cases Of Mauser rifles,
with several hundred rounds OF am
munition.
The schooner sailed, leaving a hole
in our bank accounts that would have
taken about $1,000 to I'LL, but we were
content, for IL the guano proved to be
there, as reported, we would all be
multi-millionaires.
We never learned whether the guano
was there or not. The vigilant Japan
ese Consul at Honolulu wrote to the
Consul at San Francisco, giving a full
account Of our movements-which, in
deed, We were so injudicious as not to
conceal. This functionary wired the
Japanese Minister at Washington ard
that august official induced Secretary
Hay TO cable Minister Buck at Yeddo
10 send word to Captain Rosehill not
TO have any difficulty with japan, but
TO be peaceful and "get out" If the
Japs required il, and that the United
States would protect his rights
through diplomatic channels"
How was the message sent? BY an
American messenger on an American
ship? Not by any manner OF means.
Ii was given to a Japanese commits
sioner, sent by the japanese Govern
ment on a japanese war vessel, with
the avowed purpose Of forcibly prevent
ing Captain Rosehill from landing.
This war vessel reached the island
two days before Rosehill arrived ano
landed q force Of sixteen marines in
command OF a lieutenant, to whom the
Japanese commissioner intrusted the
letter from Minister Buck to Rosehill,
and the Mikado frigate then sailed
away one day before Rosehill arrived
II the whalen had been two or three
days faster it would have immortal
lied Rosehill, and the chemist and the
naturalist and several Of the crew, for,
after landing men and supplies. the
vessel would have proceeded in charge
OF the mate to Yokohama. Rosehill
would have paid no attention to the
Japanese bird skinners unless they had
attempted to interfere with him, and
then he would have paid a good deal
of attention to them. The officer OF
the japanese war vessel, when she ar
rived. would have found Rosehill in
possession, with papers from the State
Department authorizing him to remain.
and with the American flag flying and
his vessel gone Rosehill would have
relied upon his papers and not regarded