Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-07
CHINESE IN HAWAII
A cHINAlrAM .gxT UP SUGAR
MILL IN ISLANDS IN 1909.
First Store Of Clothing and Household
Furnishings Was Brought
From China.

From the Honoiulu Advertiser
The earliest records OF Chinese having
been seen at the Hawaiian Islands are con-
tanned In .'vancouver's Voyages. He re-
cites that Capt. Metcalf, an American trad
er, sailed from Macao China, In 1879. for
the northwest coast of America in the
snow Eleanor. mounting ten guns. with a
crew of ten Americans and forty-f Chi
-uese; touching at the islands of Maui and
Hawaii.
His memoirs also show that on his third
and final. voyage. March 3. 1874. tn the
Sandwich Islands the foreign population
consisted of John Young, Isaac Davis Mr.
Bold. one Chinaman and seven renegade
whites Taiana. high chief. had been to
China and brought back with him some
firearms which We OF great aid to Kane
hameha I in conquering and supdu'ng the
whole group under his sway.
The islands are also indebted to emma
for another essential, viz. the establish
sment of port charges and the custom house
In Kamehhmeha's trading adventures TO
the orient he found his profits very largely
absorbed in defraying the exorbitant port
charges there. which gave him the IDEA or
establishing similar taxes in his own coun-
try In the year 1902 a Chinaman came to
Hawaii, bringing with him a stone sugar
mill for the purpose of establishing sugar
plantation on the islands. Sugar cane was
indigenous but he was unfortunate In the
selection of a site for his works. He 10
Gated on the Island of Lanai. just opposite
Lahaina and the attempt failed. probably
from lack of sufIiciency of water. although
there was more there at that time than
afterward. when the forests We're killed on
by the sheep and animals that were intro
duced.
China was the market for what little
products Hawaii had to export, as sandal
wood. etc, and from there was brought the
first store of clothing and household furni-
f,t,~nr rh0 .alI led 10
Heong San. or sandalwood country. and as
knowledge, of the place grew Chinese inn
migration slowly increased. They found
the archipelago a good place for barter
and that there were other products for
which China afforded a market. They saw
that the lands used by the ahorigfnes for
taro planting were adapted to rice culture
and introduced that industry.
Industrious and Economical.
Bringing with them their sterling indus
trious and economical habits they grad
uaiiy acquired foothold in the country.
Some of them intermarried with the ma
tives and some of them were admitted to
citizenship as early 1912. This was prob
ably to enable them to marry, as law
had been passed prohibiting the marriage
OF foreigners with natives unless the for
eigner took the oath of allegiance, thereby
declaring his Intention to make the Islands
his home. The number admitted up to 1852
was fifty-f1ve.
In the years 1919 and 80 quite number
OF Chinese went to California with the
other gold seekers, but their number on the
islands was not great, as the census OF
1852 shows that there were but seventy-one
located here, and even as late as the census
of 1860 they were SO few that they were
reckoned In with the natives. After 1860
the dearth of laborers began to be felt and
the sugar industry was demanding more
hands In the Hawaiian Gazette of March
H. 1885. the following notice appeared,
which speaks for itself:
"The Honorable William Hillebrand, NJ
D., having been commissioned royal
commissioner of immigration, is intending
to proceed to China and the. East Indies
by the first opportunity. Planters and
others DESTROYS of procuring laborers are
requested to send to the commissioner a
statement of the number of laborers want
ed, whether for house service or field hands,
and what proportion of women they are
DESTROYS of taking. Those who desire to
secure a number of laborers from the first
immigration may do so by depositing the
sum of $40 per head for the required num-
ber Application should be made within a
fortnight. as 1t is not anticipated that the
commissioner will be delayed beyond three
weeks.
"By order of the bureau Of immigration
ID. KAL4AKAUA,
Secretary"
Dr. Hillebrand made a most exhaustive
report on the coolie immigration, showing
that as carried on 1t differed very little
field he decided that Hongkong was the
most eligible port at which to make seiec-
ton. He was extremely conservative. and
endeavored, as far possible to learn the
character of each individual whom he
would allow to engage to como to Hawaii
The result of his mission was that on
the 23d of September. 1865. there arrived
at the port of Honolulu 1919 men. 43 women
and children to engage in agricultural
pursuits. This was the first assisted immi-
grafton of Chinese to Hawaii and the terms
on which they were engaged were, that
they were to have free passage. from China:
81 per month as wages: to be well supplied
with comfortable lodgings. food. clothing.
gratuitious medical services. and the immi-
grant allowed Sundays and ehree Chinese
holidays At the expiration of the term,
Ave years. for which he engaged himself,
he was to return or not. as he saw fit.
Chinese Well Treated
The press at that time states: Accord
ing to the Hawaiian laws, the newly ar
rived immigrant laborer will have full ac-
cess to the courts If hts employer treaes
him with cruelty. 1t at any time those enl-
ploying these men treat them unkindly or
unjustIy. we hope the government authori-
ties will interfere, for through the repre-
sentation of government agent have they
been induced to come hither. Our own
impression Is that we shall soon see many
AanlP hklAlR aaaAlsR