The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-11-12

/ AAAcS| N4C uSS1S OF THIS SEnelIeF pot o.
the nations The legend is painted
boldly and placarded: More better you
| go round" This tells a story in itself.
There is a japanese quarter in Homo
lulu, and a Chinese quarter, and q big
Portuguese settlement, and still anoth-
er locality given over To the Porto
Ricans. Significantly enough there is
no Hawaiian quarter. It is only q
matter Of time when there will be no
Hawaiians.
This is a depressing thought TO those
who have come TO know the gentle.
lovable, generous. native character. In
1872 there were in the eight islands
that form the group now known as
the Territory of Hawaii 1884 natives
and 14s7 part Hawaiians. BY 1900 the
natives had dwindled 10 29.7S7, and the
part Hawaiians had Increased to 7S4s.
There has been a further decrease OF
natives since 1900 When Capt. James
Cook discovered the islands in 1913 1t
is estimated that they were support
ing population of more than 100000
While the Hawaiians have been de-
creasing rapidly their places have been
taken by a food of Asiatics. In 1872
there were 1888 Chinese in the islands,
and in 1900. 25,7s2 The japanese, how
ever, have outstripped all others.
There is no record Of their presence in
the islands prior TO 1854, when 116 were
enumerated. Six years later their
numbers had increased to 1880, and
six years after this, in 1896, there were
more than D. coo of them The census
of 1900 shows 61,1I5- Throughout the
islands there are more than twenty
different races and nationalities nv-
ing in apparent peace, concord, and
harmony. It is no uncommon thing
to find eight or ten nati0nalities and
five or six different peoples represent
ed in a schoolroom of forty children.
The natiye-born population of the
Territory is made up of Hawaiians,
part Hawaiians.@ Caueasians, Portu-
guese, negroes, South Sea Islanders,
japanese and Chinese. The foreign
born people in the islands distributed
according TO country of birth are from
the Atlantic islands. Austria, Canada,
China, England. Germany, Ireland.
Japan. Norway and Denmark, Pacific
islands, Portugal. Scotland. Spain,
Sweden. and other countries.
THE JAPANESE QUARTER.
There are parts of Honolulu where
a stranger. stroIling down the street,
might readily fancy himself in Maya
saki, or any one of the frequented
japanese ports. There are Japanese
shops. hotels, theaters, residences,
churches and what not. The people
one meets in the streets are all Japa-
nese wearing their native garb. Men
go about in bare legs and tapping
kimonos intent on their business
little children play at
kites or squat gravely on the side
walk among their Japan-made toys.
go pattering about on
their high wooden shoes. From the
teahouses one may hear occasionally .
a strain of unmelodious Japanese mu-
sic, and the thin piping sing-song OF +
the little geisha girls.
One has always heard Of the Japa- !.
nese as a smiling people, and much /
given to a formal politeness with
strangers. This cannot be a general
rule. for / have seen none of the sTail-
ing sort in any of the islands of the
group Driving or riding along the
country roads or over the plantations
we have made it a practise to greet
with some effusiveness parties Of jap
anese. The most we have got in reply
las been a stiff military salute. Gus
-onariIy no heed was paid to the
greeting, the little men Of Nippon
ooking out at US evenly and incuricus-
v through slit eyes.
Twice I rememb Der pleasant excep-
ions. Once on the Island Of Kauai
came upon 3 score Of japanese
urchins looking like so many little !.
1olIs with shaver polls. In response
10 my salute they bowed in solemn
unison like so many little mandarins.
aashing one beautiful grin as their
heads rose to gaze at the curious
stranger. Again in a tiny little shop
n Honolulu where I went 10 buy some
Japanese shoes and stockings, I sue
eeeded in giving the impression by my
clumsy use of what native words and /
oidgin English had at command that |
| had a japanese wife. Once the |
notion was grasped the atmosphere /
cleared amazingly. The three little /
Japanese women in the shop came TO /
nv aid. offering their advice in max /
ing selections. The shopkeeper reduc-
"a his prices by more than one-half. |
An old man smoking one Of the little |
Japanese pipes holding but pinch OF /
tobacco. and needing 70 be refilled af- /
ter each Whit. politely got out a fresh /
pipe and by gestures invited me TO join /
him.
In striking contrast with this surly /
7emeanor and lack Of ctvflity Of the
average japanese met about the is
lands is the frien6Iiness Of the native.
they were on the lookout /
for the visiting Congressman Every
where one came upon them they /
whipped of their hats with flashing
smiles and bright. eager eyes calling
aloha 70 the visitors. At every stop
ming place, even If the pause was only
FOR > few minutes, they had prepared /
eis and garlands Of flowers 70 hang
about the necks Of their guests
They are a simple people, loving
=owars and music and poetry. Life
80 bean nm easy for them The per-