The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-11-02
Honolulu, September 90.

drouS tropical beauty of these Hawaii
an Islands-the Paradise of the Pacific.
There is so much here that appeals to
ones sense of the beautiful and luxu-
RANT in nature. The languorous CHI
mate the graceful, easy hospitality
that abounds, the magnificent vistas of
deep green valleys, set off so artist
calIy by fringes of cocoanut trees, the
enormous sugarcane plantations, the
superb roads thanked by scenery that
would make any park in America ia
nous, and the prodigality of nature on
every hand are only sample subjects
for chapters for any descriptive writ
ing from these South Sea Islands.
When these have been finished there's
still an ocean of material for endless
letters to people who know nothing or
the subtle idyilic charm of Hawaiian
life.
Today l want to tell of the native
Hawaiians themselves. They are a
race unique in the world. They are a
vanishing race like our American In
dams. and I doubt not that many a
child now alive will live to see a scant
few kanakas left in the world. Con-
tact with the white mans civilization
spells decay and death to all races of
the South Seas.
The Hawaiians are a particularly
bland and cheerful race. A grabbed,
sour. unhappy old Hawaiian is a rarity
A scheming, grasping Hawaiian is I'M
known The sunshine of youth ami
mates even the oldest among them, and
except for their white hairs and very
believe the Hawaians feel the touches
of time when sixty and seventy years
of life have passed over them
1t is common to see gray-haired peo-
ule rolling and tumbling on the sward
in play with their grandchildren. An
aged grandparent and his dozen boy
grandchildren will go on a fishing ex-
cursion with a common enthusiasm
and all come home together like
mack of hilarious schoolboys. Hawaii
an parents and their children VIII
dance, play simple games and plague
one another without thought of a dill
erence in ages, for a half day at
time The natives are as improVideht
for the morrow as little children.
Not one [of them in fifty ever mas
food provided a week ahead. And why
should they? There is the sea and bays
all about the island teeming with de-
1icious fish, the fields have never been
tardy in producing succulent taro tub
ers for the national poi Besides. there
are a dozen varieties of fruits always
hanging on the trees for someone to
come and eat Sorrows that would
crush the average person of the Cauca-
sian race fall lightly upon the Hawaii
ans They love their children and par
ents as devotedly as any one can, but
,7esth leaves traces of sadness behlnd
for only a few days. A Hawaiian home
NAV be plunged in the deepest OF gem
nine woe for a day or two at the death
af a child and the following week II
will ring with gay kanaka songs anu
maybe there will be dance there.
Among any people but the Hawaiians
the horrible blight of leproSy Wouiu
80 serious and saddened race.
Hundreds of homes in the islands nave
, commemorative or two among the
miserable beings who have peen trans
,,orted to the Ieper settlement at MO
Iokai island to remain there until
death relieves them from Isolation anu
disease But one would hardly know
unless he examined into the SUBJECT
concerning the prevalence OF lePIoSS
in the Hawaiian islands me natives
never sneak of the disease themselves
no matter how much their hearts may
he breaking with pity for banished and
diseased members of their famllles-
,rbev merely shrug their shoulders ana
tho subject when conversation
yeers that way
rrh 11auaiians love music more than
.,y rare in the South sea. The strum-
Minis, of a banjo or guitar or the
,,-;on notes of a cornet will draw "A
+brone of natives at a time. III the
,pusic is CAV the feet of the crowd VIII
,,resantly begin to move in time TO the
-,,usio E-our out of five of the natives
no % bla IN play some musical lnStru-
want and as one rides along the roaus
tr tha outskirts of Honolulu at even
ing when the days work is done, d
continuous strain of string music iiiaS
be heard from the grass nuts ana ~"
~ cabins of the natives.
At the Claus Spreckels great sugar
plantation of Maui. it is one OF the
articles of agreement with the l9oo ma
live laborers that they shall be pro-
vided with musical instruments ana
place to dance.
A dozen years ago a hand organ man
invaded Honolulu and it is said ne st.
tie natives about crazy with ueilsh'
at his novel and wonderful music
Native men and women could not oe
induced to work for days at Iiile'
and thousands of them 1ollo"eu liio .
hand organ man about all uay ioiie'
AT last the sugar and rice planters io7e
in their anger and secrelly Pdid IN
organ grinder ten times the value
- ,,,,,sicai anparatus to smash the in
-l - emit the islands.