Los Angeles herald., 1905-06-25

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coffee blight and to collect facts con-
cerning the best treatment Of the
plants.
The work of reclaiming the naked
mountain slopes and other arid regions
by planting algaroba and eucalyptus
trees has gone on steadily. The rain
fall has been seriously diminished by
the telling of the indigenous forests for
cane growing and by the ravages of
wild cattle that run at large In Ha-
waii and other of the islands.
Forest reserves, which include the
remaining wooded mountain slopes,
have been carefully protected and
thousands of new trees have been
planted. The once naked slopes up to
the Pail, beyond Honolulu, are now
clothed with dense masses Of gray
green eucalyptus foliage, all the
growth of a few years. Here, too, are
thickets of prolific guavas, the fruit of
which lies rotting on the ground by
the ton. In this alone is a hint to
some enterprising manufacturer who
could find in the waste fruit enough
material to supply the American mar
ket with a costly table luxury.
The people of the islands have always
been the earnest promoters of educa-
tion The present school system is
modelled after our own and it is quite
as perfect as that of the United
States Everywhere there are we'll
equipped school houses, from the kin
dergarten to the high school, and we'll
trained teachers, American, Hawaiian,
Chinese or Japanese, according to the
nationality of the pupils, all of whom
are equally provided for.
The high school in Honolulu occupies
the former palace of the late princess,
Ruth Kalulani. At the annual teach
ors' institute, a few years ago, a trim
Chicago girl, in a gown of spotless
duck, gave lessons in geography,
sketching her illustrations on the
blackboard, watched intently by ma
t!ves in their holokus, Japanese in
silken kimonos, Chinese in stiff bro
cade and Jade bracelets with repre-
sentation of English, Scotch and
Americans. On the ceiling above their
heads was emblazoned the royal arms,
the last reminder of a vanquished
power.
If they do not wish to graduate from
Oahu college, which was patronized
by the early settlers of California, the
pupils Of the Hawaiian schools are
readily admitted into any of the best
colleges of the United States on their
certificates.
The city of Honolulu, the lovely
capital Of the group, has undergone in
credible changes. The shabby shops, |
which were dark and cramped, have
given way 10 modern buildings. There |
are now great department stores like
those Of our own cities; palatial banks J
and hotels, not inferior in their lux
urious appointments to those Of New
York or Chicago, have been built upon !,
the site of some of the pleasant old
homes, blotting out their palm shaded
gardens.
Modern electric cars glide through
the avenues, under overhanging trop-
ical foliage, carrying their passengers
to the foot OF the Punch Bowl or out
to the charming bathing places of
Welkiki.
What was waste land in 1898 is now
the fine suburb Pacific Heights"
which commands a matehless view of
The fast growing city, the harbor with
its crowded shipping, the surf beating
forever against reefs and the blue sea
stretching 70 the horizon. The new
residences, here and elsewhere, are as
imposing in their way as the banks