The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-04-22

1 MllIlOnaife CIauS SpreCkelS returned
yesterday to Honolulu after an absence
of more than twelve years from the is
| lands, arriving on the Oceanic liner
Alameda. The sugar king stood the
| voyage remarkably well, and his
p! health, according to Mr.. w. c. Irwin
and Captain Dowdell, was greatly i'm
proved On the journey.
why, during the worst of the storm
| into which we ram, said Captain Dow
dell, Mr.. Spreckels sat in my cabin
smoking a cigar as complacently as if
You can't get him seasick-'
However. Claus Spreckels showed he
twas a feeble man, partly because of
his years which are now nearly so, and
partly because of the paralytic shock
he suffered awhile back AT the dock
he was greeted by IA number of his
friends Curious eyes We're turned in
his direction, for it was remembered
that at one time he was the power
behind the Hawaiiant throne. More than
that he was the uncrowned king of Ha-
wall.
The sugar king was driven out to
the home of Mr.. Irwin at Waikiki
beach. But the energetic impulses of
Mr.. Spreckels caused him to again
come down and look over the city
which he used to know so well.
He walked up and down the streets,
greeting oldtime friends kindly. FL
naily he decided to return to Mr.. Twins
home and ride in an electric car instead
of a carriage. The old gentleman sat
in Chambers's Drug Store, waiting for
the car. While seated there Mr.. Spreck-
els was asked what he thought of the
changes in the city.
Honolulu is greatly improved since
I left" he replied, and there have been
buildings erected which would do credit
to a large city on the mainland. Oh,
the city has been tremendously improv-
ed 1 can say"
And now you are going to try the
Yes was the answer. Il think that
is a great Improvement too, great
Improvement over the mule car system
we used to have.
Mr.. Spreckels said we like the old
kamaaina he is
AS he boarded the car with the as
sistance of Mr.. Irwin, Mr.. Spreckels
was the cynosure of all eyes. Old
time hackmen, who probably have
cause to remember the sugar king |
kindly craned their necks to get a |
glimpse of him as he rode by. |
Manuel Refs, the veteran hackman, /
who. in years gone by, drove him |
scores of times. said: Il wish Mr.. |
Spreckels would have let me drive him
home / would do it for nothing just |
for old-time's sake"
Mr. Spreckels states positively that
he has come to Honolulu for the bene-
it of his health. only He has no fl
lancial deals on, or in mind, and mere
v wishes to rest. He thought the |
,hange to the island climate would i'm
prove his health. and so came here as
,eing a place he well knew.
He stated also with a smile that he
lad no intention of buying up any
,oteI. Claus Spreckels has an interest
ng history: He landed in Charleston.
:. c., ffty-two years ago, coming from
hanover Germany. He was not edu
ated and speeches. in English. He
worked in a grocery in Charleston. In
ipbteen months he owned it. and in
S55 moved to New York There he
old butter and eggs for some months.
Tn 1856 he took his family to San
francisco. and opened a grocery store.
Honey was plentiful. gold was being
r,e- ont of the earth in great masses,
ma Snreckels was worth $50 600 in a
CIV wears. He might have retired: in
900 he bought a brewery. He sold it
,,t for $4,000 soon. When grocer he
od thought much of sugar; now he
OUGHT an interest in a focal refinery.
lie managed it well and soon owned 1t
,+ireIv He put in new machinery |
nd made it a prosperous company
'inally he parted with it at very
ign price. Then he went 10 Germany
nd studied sugar and sugar heets- he
-orLed az a laborer for wages at Mag
ab1Ire. for six weeks and made hlInSeH
,miIiar with every practical item OF
10 industry. He learned what mas
Iade him the master of the business
the United States.
He returned to California ana putt
10 California sugar refinery-hrst
tile wooden structure. Within three
,ar- the building was enlarged four
mes and at the end of the four years.
, immense brick plant was up. turn
p ont 500 tons of sugar day.
oreckels was now rich. but there were