The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-06-26
TOUR THROUGH
THE CANE FIELDS
OF HAMAKUA
By Sol. N. Sheridan.

III tne IRE OF man, rs nttle whlie.
Two days, in vehicles various and over
roads that are muck of dust where
they are not gnarled with rocks, may
come to seem like a lifetime-and then
some. We were two days from the
plantation of Honokaa to Hilo, aud by
the courtesy of Manager Gjcrdrum of
Honokaa we were relieved of the neccs-
sity of making that distance on horse.
back.
They do things in large and lordly
way, these plantation managers. My
friend, otherwise known in Honolulu as
the politically wicked Mr.. Achi, once
made reference in speech on the
floor of the Senate of Hawaii to the
"Sugar Bar-rons with the accent
on the last syllable-meaning the own
ers of sugar plantations.
My friend, Mr.. Achi, as usual, was
mistaken. 1t is the managers of the
plantations who keep baronial state
Take, for example, Mr.. Gjerdrum of
Honokaa. You como to his place, look
ing rather like n tramp on horseback,
tired and dusty and sore and feeling at
war with all mankind-yourself rather
more than with any other. If you
come, as i did, from Waimea way, over
the new road and down past the home
steads in the forest, you will have rid
den down "A rocky causeway that is like
stone staircase whereof mischievous
Titans have removed every other stair,
and your tired, footsore horse will have
so shaken you mt the end of long day
that you will fall rather than dismount
at the gate of a mansion set ON hill,
from which CLEAN many electric lights.
NATURES NOBLEMAN.
And you will be delivered into the
hands of tall, handsome man in white,
who looks like Nansen, and has in his
nature that gentle Morse strength that
will serve to the end-and do no man
harm. You will be delivered into his
hands, and will be perfectly. content to
rest there. 1t was only in the most
casual way, sometime during the sec.
ond day at Honokaa, that | learned
that Manager Gjerdrum had sent the
horses that had carried us from Wal
mea. The knowledge came as no sur
prise. 1t seemed the natural and proper
thing for him to do, mere matter of
course. He was the kind of man who
sends horses and men, here, there and
everywhere, to do his will.
His welcome to Honokaa was of the
same large, lordly kind. He was the
ruler of the land, and we were his
guests. Wherefore, we felt that we had !
acquired an interest of proprietorship, |
by right of his hospitality. And that,
| take it, is the perfection of tact.
Manager Gierdrum is the real ruler
of the plantation on Hawaii that car.
ries the largest burden of homesteaders ,
in proportion to its area. He carries
that burden as he carries all the rest.
Indeed, if ] were capitalist with
money to invest, ] think / would put
it in Honokaa because of Gjerdrum.
HOMESTEAD WORKERS.
The Honokaa settlers have their
on the uplands and at din
ner, after we had been shown into
comfortable rooms and had bathed com
fortably in the Manager s house,
lad very nearly written castle--on the
li1l, the talk turned upon sugar, of
'ourse, and plantation matters and the
The Manager was warm
n his praises of the Portuguese set
lers. He would not have complained
+ they had turned out badly, but was
plainly glad to have the men that he
lad, although there were not enough of
hem to do any work in the fields.
They were employed, for the most part,
bout the mill and with the teams.
They have their own little cane L
'"t'h'S UP lhtIt' ne hHiu, ana tine
women and children take care of them
vhile the men ride down here to work
n the morning and ride back again at I
light. / pay them between 1913 and !
400 ton for their cane, standing in /,
he field, we paying all the cost Of
utting and transportation to the mill. 4
md we give them all the seed cane
hey want. There is no profit in ii. In
hct, we generally make loss in deal. n
lg with the homestcaders. But II Gu. 4
'urages them" c
The Manager Is sure of at lenst that =
ANY laborers, which is consideration n
these times when all the plantations NJ
70 short of labor. Aud that fact a
iould lend color Of kindness to the =
limitation spirit in approaching the OF
bor problem IN search of solution. X
he Manager of llonokaa has seen the
orn coming, long way On, and has
'aped bis course by the longor Wow lp
ln the hands of such man, Il wuy 70
u nt nll surprising 10 rise on M ~