The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-10-11


Today is the nfnetieth anniversary
of the birth of Mrs. Mary Sophia Hyde
Rice, widow of the late William Harri-
son Rice. of Lihue. Kauai. Grandma"
Rice, as every one delights to call her,
surrounded with her children and
grandchildren to the fourth generation,
enjoys comparatively good health and
is still engaged, through her liberal
gifts and her encouragement, in the
labor of elevating the Hawaiian race.
This estimable lady was born in
Seneca Village, n. Y, her father hav-
ing been the Rev. Jabez Backus Hyde,
who was a missionary among the
Seneca Indians in Western New York.
She is a descendent of William Hyde,
who landed in America in 1888. and is
also a descendent of Mary Winslow.
niece of Governor Edward winslow. of
the Mayflower. We have been per-
mitted to see genealogy of Grandma
Rice which contains a complete chain
of ancestry to Alfred the Great, of
England, a. D. 81, most interesting
and historic document.
Mrs. Rice was married September
%, 1910, to Dr. William Harrison Rice,
of Hannibal n. Y. They decided to
devote their lives to the education Of
Hawaiians, and sailed from Boston on
November IA, 1910, on the ship Glou-
cester, which carried the ninth COM
pany of missionaries. consisting OF
Rev Elias Bond and wife, Rev. Daniel
Dole and wife, Rev. John D. Paris and
Mr. and Mrs. Rice. The voyage was
an exceedingly long one. of one hun
dred and lightweight days, making
two stops one at Rio de Janeiro where
they were entertained Hospitality by
the Rev. MI Spaulding, Methodist
minister, and again at Valparaiso. or
the tedious voyage they merely said
that ''the Captain, Estabrook, was kind
and attentive" They arrived at Homo
lulu May q, 1871. and were made wei
come by the missionaries who had pre-
ceded them.
Mr. and Mrs Rice were first station
, ed at Hama, Maui far remote from
any white population; in fact, in the
midst of purely Hawaiian settlement
Here they remained for three years
when they We're called to take charge
| of Punahou in the summer OF 1874
Let us quote somewhat from Grand
ma Rice's "reminiscences:
after one of those memorable
schooner voyages (Which, thank God
are things of the pasO, we reached our
new home, weary and sad. In my arms
a crying baby, who bore the name Oh
! Emily Dole, but she whose name she
! had, gifted Intellectually, a frleno III
whom L rejoiced as one that helped
me, whose society would have given
grace and charm to our new duties
! had just been carried from Punahou 70
/ the house appointed to all Many OF
. her duties [ was to assume. was e1-
pected to be a mother to ten or twelve
boys with limited wardrobes, which re-
ouired two days of the week for re-
pairs l had also the care or thelf
! rooms To these duties was added
teaching Punahou, the princely glf'
of Father Bingham, was not as no"
an inviting place. 1t was Wlthoui
flowers or trees and connected with
Honolulu without treeless PLAN. lit
adobe rooms were of the simplest cen
struction, and an economy was neces-
sary that forbade adornment WITHIN
Yet we had those beautiful mountains
and the grand old sea to enjoy Ihef
we had a priceless spring. water IRON
which was carried TO Honolulu in denll-
johns. All the cooking for the family
was done in an open fireplace VIII
the help Of a brick oven. The COOK
/ house was separated from the dining
room. The path TO it was without any
/ shelter from the strong trade WlnoS
I which often rushed into the house, car
| rying things hither and thither, anC
| we ourselves at times seemed power
less to withstand the blast. Our table
| was never satisfactory; the price To-
hoard MAS small and No fresh Tegeta