The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-05-21

things in puDllc InaI the darkneSS Cow
cred.
We did a good deal of surfing in those
days both at the mouth of the harbor
and at Waikiki. The more danger there
was in it the better it went Off Swim
ming at Kapena was one of the at
fractions and the white boys could
make the leap from the pail as well as
the natives.
Anything like a lava flow as the
great ones of 1859, 1868 and 1881 was
an incentive to get up a party. When
Walker and Allen were agents for the
old s. s ''Kilauea' Eddy Macfarlane
would put on the board a good chalk
picture of a volcano with red chalk
for the flames and it never failed to
draw a crowd.
THE SEMAPHORE.
There was a semaphore on Kaimuki
and another over Honolulu Hale, at
the head of Kaahumanu street. The
| Waterman on the latter place would
, duplicate the signal on the former and
thus the city was apprised of the COM
ing of vessel. There were very few
who could not read the signals made
by the directions of the arms of the
Semaphore and as soon as any was
made some one would call out whale
ship coming past Koko Head or Fore
and after coming past BARRIERS Point"
or Steamer coming past Koko Head
as the case might be. 1t was a fire.
quent occurrence to see a group of men
at the corner of Kaahumanu and
Queen streets discussing the probabili-
ties of what vessel it would prove to
be. Chas. Brewer usually occupied the
post on the corner and such men as
Mr. Cleghorn, Chas. Phueger Mr..
Monsarrat. H. Y. Ludington, Capt.
Molteno and Charley Richards would
speculate on the arriving vessel. Old
DR.. Hoffman said he could always tell
when a vessel was coming by the crow
ing of his roosterS. At the time our
whalers were burnt up by the "Shen-
andoah" there was a blue streak went
round that corner and up and down
Kaahumanu street which prognosticat
ed i'll for her captain should he EVER
land here. Even Captain Floyd, who
had commanded the Confederate S. S.
Florida" was coolly received here
after the war. Honolulu certainly was
for the Union.
Young men We're not lazy in those
days and climbed every valley and
mountain on the islands. Goat hunt
ing on Ha1eakala, cattle and pig hunt
ing at Waimea or Mana, Hawaii, as
we'll as long tramps around the big
island were frequently INDUCED in.
Good nature and I-fellow-well-
met was the order of the day, but oc
casionally a dispute would arise. [
remember a dispute between John
| Dominis and Dan Vida over a game of
pool which might have had a serious
termination. Both We're hot-heads.
John being of italian and Dan of
Spanish descent, the son of Senior Don
Vida of Valparaiso. A challenge was
quickly accepted and arrangements
made to meet on the field and settle it
in a duello in the morning, but the
boys got them to adjust their differ
ences.
BUSINESS AND SOCIETY.
Business was very good and money
plentiful in the whaling days when
sugar was just beginning to be a
factor in the exports of the country.
The Chinese merchants We're much re-
spected and their credit was unques-
tionable. A Chinaman could buy
where a white man would be refused.
the country with silks, mattings,
cigars, etc, etc. as we'll as opium. .
The natives and foreigners appeared
to mingle more freely than at present
and the respect they had for each
other was mutual. Many delightful
balls took place a remembrance of the
charms of which is enduring. The
ladies frequently dressed in white and
1Sad natural fiOXVerS fO,. orD
The japanese beetle had not then got
into the country and roses were very
plentiful. At the old Court House, at
the rear of Hackfeld's. We had some
rare dances. Sometimes a deck, even
with the stage, was laid in the Opera
House. and a magnificent turnout
would occur. It was enhancing to sit
in the balcony and watch the figures.
perhaps a Royal quadrille would be
formed on the stage in which their
Highnesses and the Ministers of for
eign nations engaged While the bal
ance of the house was devoted to the
plebeians. I vouch for it that all the
old-timers have pleasant recollections
of the days when they were young"
The coming of a minstrel show, a
dramatic troupe Or a circus was hailed
with delight, but none of them made
any money as the expenses were so
high.
I remember once when Charles
Mathews. the great comedian. passed
through and gave an entertainment
''by command of the king to which
only those who received tickets could
gain access. The Minister went around
and compelled those whom he chose to
dig up as many five dollar pieces as
he thought the person could stand and
that was the way the show was paid
for. TT was a selected audience" all