The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-01-15
Essays a Graft on
United States
Officials.
Amusing incident at
Panama.--Little'S
Interview.
CMan Special to Advertizer)

CMail Special to AdvertiEer)
Hepburn committee of the House of
Representatives reached Panama sew
,eral weeks ago it was received by a
large committee of the prominent citi-
.zens Among them was an American
who had elected himself to membership
of that body ard by virtue of his flu
ency in the use of the English Ian
guage made himself conspicuous.
On the return of the Congressional
party to Wa hington one of its mem
bers related, the other day, their ex-
periences with this man. I'VE noticed
this voluble person and asked who he
vas. Judge Little. was the reply. Is
he a member of the citizens commit
tee.?' No one could say. The Judge
soon addressed me and informed me
that he was the only really American
in Panama. He said that he had an
extensive suite of offices in which he
employed stenographers and many
clerks. [ noticed him making the same
remarks to other members of the Con-
gressional party. We gathered from
his remarks that he was an old resi-
dent of the place, but had been at one
time a Judge of the highest court in
Hawaii, a. position which he had aoan-
doned owing to the fact that it offered
narrow facilities for the activities of
= Il; n
confidence that he was the leading
American in the place and was quite
familiar with all of the questions in
volved in the Panama business, and if
the Government of the United States |
wished to keep off the breakers in the ]
Canal matter he was the man who I
could do it for them. The Judge re-
manned so persistently with the Con-
gressional party that soon the MEM
bers of it began to inquire Who is
Judge Little2 To all he seemed to be
an important person connected in some
way with something, but no one could
locate him. He was often seen with
Representative Cushman of the State !,
of Washington, but he said little about
him. The Judge had much to say
about esta blishing American influence
in Panama of maintaining the dignity
of the nation and that he could always
be counted on as a true patriot. One
day while l was taking a walk, the
Judges extensive offices We're pointed
out to me. I saw q small shanty with
his sign over the door l suspected
that he belonged to the order of Shady
Pioneers. The newspaper men con-
held the same views and INDUCED in
the joke of a serious interview with
him. He gave it willingly. On the
way back to New Orleans the manu-
script of the interview was handed to
the rather fresh correspondents of the
New Orleans Picayune, with the state <
ment that ii was valuable matter. He n
handed it to his editor AID t was pub
Iished. 1t did not appear, however, in
any OF the other paDe:S represented q
by correspondents. On tie return Voy-
age members of the party often asked
each other, Who is that J Idge Little?' G
Now, can any one tell me who he is"
The member of +lIe Congressional
party who related this story Tas re-
ferred to President Roosevelt as ex- q
cellent authority on the picturesque bi-
ography OF the Judge.
The Picayune says: G
AN AMERICAN LAWYERS VIEWS. {.
Judge Gilbert F. Little, formerly of @
Honolulu and now the only American =
lawyer practicing on the Isthmus, re- !
fleets in a great measure the feelings g
and opinions of the Panama citizen, z
most of whom he represents in mat :
-erS concerning affairs in the canal
zone His views, therefore. on what q
would be the result of the visits of =
The Congressional committee and of Z
the Secretary of War, will be read 9
with interest As a plain, unimpor- =
-ant American citizen said the !
Judge, I have my views like any one q
Else, and while we may not know =
he future of time or eternity. yet :
ireams will come to us in our most =
vakefuI hours and wear the features .
If glorious. though distant. realities =
Il shall not take up your time by dis :
oursing on the dazzling and tempting %
possibilities of the United States. We Z
annot forget however, that once the :
star of Empire took its western way: q
either can We fail to remember that %
IS orbit in that direction is row closed Z
orever When this became evident =
he people of the United States O
Continued on Page p .