The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-02-20
THE MOLOKANS REACH HAWAII
Good dShipChina Reach.
es Port With the First
Lot of the New I'm
migrants on Board.


men. women ard children, the
vanguard of what promises to be
an influx of settlers for the Ha-
waiian Islands, arrived yesterday
on the Pacific Mail Steamship
China from California
They were the Molokans, sect
of Russians originally hailing
from the southern part of Russia,
near the border of the Tartar,
Armenian and Circassian coun-
tries, who are widely known be-
cause of their habits of peace
and OF pastoral industry.
With their eyes set on the
promised lands of kapaa, island
of Kauai, in the midst of the great
sugar estate known as the Makee
Sugar Plantation, the Molokans
reached Honolulu with happy
: faces and contentment III their
speech, for they believe that their
journeyings in quest OF land
of plenty are at an end, and that
they will form the nucleus of a
large and ever-growing colony Of
their oppressed people who de-
sire to leave Russia for ever.
GLAD TO SEE HAWAII
When the China arrived off port the
Customs and immigration launch
Waterwitch met her with a delegation
of people interested in the coming of
the Molokans. Chief among them was
James B. Castle, the promoter of the
enterprise and through whose personal
efforts their coming here has been ac-
complished.
Captain Samuel Johnson, Road Su-
pervisor for the County of Oahu and |
captain in the National Guard, himself |
a Russian, an exile from the country |
of his birth. so the report stands, was |
with Mr.. Castle to act as interpreter. |
There were also Rev. Doremus Scud |
der, Theodore Richards, Rev. 0. H. |
Gulick, and Rev. J. L. Hopwood, rep |
sions, who wished to welcome the Molo-
kans who are deeply religious people, !
to the Islands
As the launch came near the steam
er, the Molokans crowded to the rail.
A heavily bearded man in black clothes
was given d prominent place at the
railing and, as soon as he saw Mr.. {
Castle and Captain Johnson. he raised
his hat and saluted them with dignity
Following his action the men and boys
all doffed their hats and caps and those
on the launch did likewise. Every
Russians face was wreathed with
smiles. They felt that those on board
were their friends.
CASTLE THEIR BENEFACTOR.
When the passengers on the launch
arrived on board the leader of the
Michael Slivkoff, their elder.
came forward and greeted the local
gentlemen with enthusiasm. The re-
nainder of the Molokans remained re-
spectfuIly in the background, the old
as well as the young, smiling and gaz-
ing with kindly eyes at the newcomers.
The elder said the people We're all
well and happy and glad to have reach
I'd their land of promise.
II an ve"y glad to see you all here. /:
said Mr.. Castle as the remainder of
central group. This is something 1 /:
ave been working for for twenty years :
fad I hope l may yet see thousands /:
y your people come to the islands to ;
'ettIe down" :
When this brief address was inter- :
'reted by Captain Johnson, there was =
general doffins of headgear and the ;.
who are said to have become :
cry suspicious of strangers since their ::
xile, looked as il they we're ready to <
lace implicit trust in the speaker. for ;.
hey knew that he was the man who <
1ade their coming here possible One x
1oIckan. VINO looked like one of the <
welye apostles made quite a speech <
J return. one sentence. which was <
re Feyrote for all. being as follows: x
we thank you Mr.. Castle for what | <
ou have dore for us. and we are will y
,g to lay down our lives for you x
''T hope they will all like the land <
nd love it so that they may write to ;.
hers 10 come here" was Mr.. Cas- :
e's reply. Il think they viii never y
ant to go away from here" :.
There was more smiling and nodding .
heads as these words We're inter- y
'eted.
GREETINGS FROM CHURCHES. x
Then came Captain Johnson's i'm x
'rtaut task. that of reading in Rus <
an the letter of the Hawaiian Board | <
Missions which welcomed the Molo-
ms to Hawaii. Captain Johnson had
sde n written trSnslation of the let <
beforehand.
- was pretty hard for me to do it. x
ia the captain. ''for I haven't done K
y writing in Russian for many x
ars'' x
rounty Supervisor Lucas came Z
oard with the party and was near Z
continued on Page Sd