The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-03-15


touches to make it what it ought TO be.
These include the provision of seats at
| advantageous points along the Pail
road, that walking thither may be en-
eouraged and made easier, and that the
beautiful views on the way up and
down may be suggested. Such points
would be. among others. at the pool;
at the turn after crossing the culvert,
IN the horseshoe curve. when the city
and valley lie below: and at the ex-
IRENE western turn higher up, when "A
noble view of the mountains is UNI
folded. Similarly, footpaths or trails
should be made to points off the main
road that offer exceptional outloOks,
such as TO the knoll near the new dam
and TO the knobs and natural lodges
that are on either side of the road just
at the summit. and which disclose fine
new views. At the summit there should
be provided an appropriately designed
I shelter from rain and wind, and be-
! meath the abrupt bank on the right
! there is a good site for a public con
/ venience station. At the lookout the
homogeneous and hideOus wooden fences
should be removed to make way for n
rough wall of lava rock that would fit
into the scene. With these slight inn
provements, requiring little of the
/ county, the Pail would take the high
place in park lists TO which it Is en-
titled
| Proceeding Waikikiward. the next
great outlook on which l would urge
public reservation is the so-called hotel
site on the summit of Pacific Heights
Thence there is one of the most beauti-
full views to be had near Honolulu. One
| looks down upon Punchbowl, and the
| 1C,- al. xrolI Il
! from no other point. 1t would hei~a
shame if the community suffered this
, outlook, now going seemingly to waste,
to be fenced off in hotel grounds. The
commonest criticism of the site as thar
| for a park, or scenic reservation, is
! based on it's inaccessibility. But an
easy carriage road affordiug charming
| views leads to it in no more time from
I Fort and Hotel streets than one needs
| to go to Kapiolani Park, and because
one cheaply constructed and dangerous
electric road, that followed all the
/ twistings of the carriage drive, has
! failed, there is no reason why better
built road, following a shorter course,
and with the added attraction of a
public park should not pay. Such n
road would doubtless bring the suggest
ed site thirty to fifty per cent nearer
IN time TO the center OF the CITY tHdR
is Kapiolani Park. Ny opinion is that
here is one of the most beautiful and
available park sites of Honolulu, which
is saying a great deal, and that the
reason it has been so commonly over
looked is largely because the slopes OF
which bit forms the crown are less at
traetiS4 in contour than the striking
and precipitous sides of Punehbowl or
than the beautiful rolling hills or than
the higher mountains beyond with their
covering of trees.
The less PERCEPTIONS sides, however,
are an advantage; approaches, that
only needs repairs, are already built for
pedestrians and carriages; and water is
available at once in ample volume.
Since the other scenic reservations re-
quire very little money for their deveI-
opment. as this looks down on the best
residential section of the city, as it is
convenient to the business district, and
as natural conditions are so favorable
that large results must come here from
moderate expenditures, / recommend
the development at this point of the
" show park. The view must always
be its surprising attraction; but the
uneven grades invite terraces; lawns
and flowers can easily be obtained, and
outlooks are suggested by many a knoll
and projection with it's opening of diff
fering views.
Should the park be located here, the
road that climbs the hillside shonld be
made an adequate park approach. Trees
so planted along it's borders as Rot to
interfere with the view will not only
make pleasanter the way but will do
much to give beauty to the hill. As
to a railroad to the summit, it ought
not to follow this drive. A short cog
wheel or balanced car road could be
run up the precipitous Nuuanu side
without marring the slope seen from
the city, or at easier grade and offering
better access to the houses that may be
built on the Heights, could follow the
green ravine in front. Thence it's ex-
tension around the head of the valley,
to give popular access to Tantalus, as
was once proposed, should be accom-
plished with no great difficulty and
with the unfolding of a wonderful pan
Drama of views. Such work would be
a making the most of the inspiring
opportunities you have, work that
would contribute not less to the delighb
of the citizens of Oahu county than to
that of tourists. The one danger in
readily accessible to the people
such great natural reservation as
Tantalus is their possible abuse of it.
But this could be prevented by strict
guard, and it is to be remembered that
the tract belongs to the people, that
there can be no justice in making parks
or public scenic reservations exclusive,
and that very seldom, when the people
are trusted, do they violate the trust
by the injury of their own property.
AS suggested by the foregoing, Tan
talus is the next tract that / urge to
have dedicated to public enjoyment as
a scenic reservation. You are too fam
liar with the beauty of the scene, with
the delight of the long shady drive or
walk through the forest reservation,
With the novel charm and beauty or
he natural fnrest hipher IN with the