The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-10-16

First the Governors San Francisco
Relief Committee" and next the Board
of immigration, got hold of a good man
when they begged E. A Fraser off, for
a while, from his duties at the Crockett
sugar refinery. AS is generally known,
Mr. Fraser went on the labor immigra-
ton mission to Europe with E. R.
Stackable, collector of customs here.
Not much was heard from either Mr..
stackable or Mr.. Fraser until they
had done things, and then not very
much in words though a great deal in
accomplished fact, the latest official
news from the first agent being a ca
blegram announcing the sailing of the
steamship Suveric from Funchal, CAPT.
tai of Madeira Island. with 1926 emil
grants for Hawaii.
Mr.. Fraser, however, found time to
Judge Dole, which the recipient kindly
places at the disposal of the public |
through the Advertiser. It is given be- |
low in full excepting d short personal |
scription of life in the Azores, from |
whose capital he writes, is exceedingly !
graphic with some delicious touches of
hunor He expresses a favorable opin-
nd
he ought to be good judge from his
long intimacy. while manager of the
Hawaii Railroad Co., with sugar plan
tation conditions and requirements.
MR.. FRASER'S LETTER.
Ponta Delgada, Azores, Aug. 80, 1906.
Judge S. B. Dole, Honolulu, H. T.
Dear Mr.. Dole: Mrs. Fraser and I
have been spending the past two
among these attractive islands
on recruiting business for your Board
of Immigration. and we find the expe-
rience of very delightful nature. The
climate, and many of the surroundings,
are similar to Hawaii, and this town
of Ponta Delgada is much as I imagine
Honolulu was twenty years ago. Con-
ditions in the outlying districts are OF
the most primitive nature possible, all
excepting the roads, which are well
laid out, well made and well kept. /
brought an automobile with me, a
good, serviceable sixteen horsepower
car, and we have covered many hum !
dreds of miles with great satisfaction.
You might tell your nephew that it is
a Duryea.
The recruiting of laborers goes on sat
isfactorily, and we have every hope ],
of success. We rather expect to make
our first shipment about a month hence,
taking from both here and Madeira. l
go to the latter island tomorrow for
two weeks and will probably return
by way of Lisbon. It would seem as
though these people would supply
proper class of immigrants; they ap-
pear strong. healthy and good-natured;
their wants are easily supplied and
they are thrifty.
The country rather runs to churches
and military, and the various feast
and military parades con-
stitute about the only life and diversion
there is. Last Sunday was election
day, the voting being carried on in the
churches according to the register sup
piled by the priests. There was con-
siderable excitement, and the Govern !;
ment party, which won, had a big cele- ,
bration in the evening. The usual cries
Of fraud went up and everything SEEM
ed quite homelike.
The donkey is the general utility ami
NAL although oxen are sometimes en-
ployed, and you would scarcely believe
some of the primitive conditions under
which the farmer, or peasant lives
Oxen thresh the wheat by treading it
put on a stone floor; wine is pressed
out by bare feet in a trough; the carts
are all wood, the disc wheels turning
with the axles and, as no grease is
used, the noise is surprising. This
screeching is much desired, however,
as it keeps the oxen in good health
and keeps the witches away Our ho-
tel the only nnsSihIe one in the town