The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-06-15


X Kohala. X
4
++t t*+ +t+ X X X X
In those words Mrs. Samuel Parker
today set the waters of Honokane to
flowing down upon the rich lands of
Kohala. The ceremonies of the opening
of the ditch were impressive and very
beautiful. The place selected was at
the head of Halawa Gulch, where the
ditch breaks out through a long tunnel
under the mountain, crossing the gulch
by an aqueduct only to enter the side OF
the mountain again and run sparkling
down into the dark.
Over the entrance to this second tun-
mel an arch had been erected, bearing
the word "Aloha," white ribbon upon
red, with bands of MALE twining down
the sides.
Under this arch the speakers stood,
all hut Governor John Baker. He
climbed the precipitous side of the cliii
beside the tunnel when it came his turn
to speak, and spoke in Hawaiian there
to his own people.
The day was perfect - kohala
weather, a strong cool wind and blue
sky, flecked with drifting clouds from
which fell occasional raindrops. The
rolling uplands shone almost golden
green in the sunlight, and the cane tops
nodded and whispered among them
selves of the water that was soon tc
rush down to them, cool and refreshing
All Kohala, and some parts of Homo
lulu were gathered about the arch II
the head of Halawa Gulch, and upoi
the viaduct; and small boys and Japan
ese laborers and Hawaiian men an'
women in gay colors, picturesque witt
the long leis they wore, hung in cling
ing clusters upon the steep and grass
stones of the gulch, like bees swarme
upon a lchen-covered tree stump. An
TO the chattering of the people, tn
dashiup of the waters running dow
through the spillway and falling int
the gulch far below made rythmici
accompaniment. This was the Hoo
that was to be turned into the ditch I
mark the formal dedication of til
waterway to the purposes of its COZ
struction.
!, The exercises began, appropriated
with prayer. The President John
Hind, of the Kohala Ditch Compan!
Vice-President Sam Parker and Seer
tary Abe Lewis made speeches upon Il
completed work. These were foilow'
by Secretary A. l.. c. Atkinson, VINO
speech electrified the audience, al
after him Governor John Baker W
called and climbed the bank to mai
his speech.
He spoke in Hawaiian and from t
effect upon the natives i'll the croV
pleasingly. In effect, he said that q
Hawaiians had tried once, long ago,
bring water to these lands, ana III
failed. Now the haoles had come, al
all things had yieldedSto them. $50,
said the speaker, "here we have t
water on the land. The trouble was,
the old times, that the Hawaiians h
worked only in the dark, resting in
DAYTIME. The haoles worked in dan
ness and daylight, regardless of
things, and they accomplished results
1t is a fact that, long time ago, O
of the hamehas-probably the II
of them-tried to carry water in ditcl
and tunnels here, his tunnel-digg
digging themselves to the surface
short intervals to note whether Il
were going true to line, but his prog
failed.
After Governor Baker had spok
Mrs. Parker was handed "A bottle
champagne, from which red RIB
Auttered, and, smashing it upon
drawhead, christened the ditch
pulled the lever that sent 2O,OOO,OOu
gallons of water eoursing down
long ditch, a turgid flood that l
ahead OF II all the timbers and dirt
odds aud ends that the workmen
left IN the ditch,
Twenty millions Of gallons daill
The amount OF water now rnaninI
tho ditch, hlltng u 90 depth Of
feet, The carrying capacity of
ditch is 7oOOG,ooo of gallons daily,
this amour, will be- running Ia II \
u 10 completed. Tho ditch, when
SATISFIED, will be- ~ miles loap, and
garry tho waters NJ Honotaae "a
and ils tributaries 10 the lapd
kohala,
That portion Of lhe illeh Viii
snmplelel aud oprnci ll u mllrs
and NJ ihls q mllps aio lpnprls