The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-11-29

with one hand and tipped a page wit
had just handed him wireless mes
sage, with the other.
e .'why John Manhattan, are you gon'
!, clean out of your mind?" demanded
o his wife. Here we are miles at SEE
= and you talking of going to the
e theater,'
e But John Manhattan wasn't crazy
nor was ne in an asylum. He was or
e board the newest ocean liner equipped
with an up-to-date playhouse, says
! the New York World.
The last word in luxury afioat-a
? theater in midocean!
This is no rosy dream of the press
agent, nor just scheme evolved in
!, the brain of some o'erconfident manag-
er. 1t is the plain business proposition
of theatrical manager and business
man. He is willing to establish a
theater on the great deep IL the steam
ship companies can see 1t that way,
and it seems certain now that one Of
them will.
i Think of tia premier performance
in midocean! No trying it out ION the
dog" in Poughkeepsie or Trenton
The American theatrical company go
| ing to England or the English COM
pany coming here can polish up the
performance at sea far from the critics
but hold: how about the wireless?
| 1t means one more added luxury of
life at sea-perhaps the final one.
What more can be done?
| People have liked to dub our newest
ocean ferryboats floating hotels.'
hot
are regular city blocks. with offices,
shops. telephone and telegraph, flower
stand and candy; a restaurant, grill
and bar; a library, music hall and
gymnasium; Turkish baths and mas
sage; barber shop, manicure and
hiropodist-people have to have their
sea legs put in shape too; doctor and
dentist; and even a tennis court,
for that is planned for the Europe of
the Hamburg-American line.
All that is needed is a trolley car
and we'll have a floating town across
the Atlantic.
Time 'was-and it wasn't so very long
ago-when people went to sea to es-
cape from things of the land.
If they could get three square meals
a day, have dry bed at night and
perhaps a toddy or glass of wine,
they were content.
They wanted to be away from the |
telephone and the wire. They didn't |
want to see a newspaper. They had
enough of restaurants and theaters.
They had enough of buying flowers
and candy. They hoped to escape the
dentist, and they didn't want any more
of books, more than, perhaps, the
harmless paper-backed novel or two in
the portmanteau.
All they asked for was peace and a
quiet life.
Let US forget the things of the
town." they begged. I'VE don't want
to see a newspaper or get telegram
or hear telephone. We want rest;
we want TO do something different"
And now, today, the man who goes
down to the sea in ship might just as
well stay ashore as far as escaping
everyday life is concerned He is In a
floating Waldorf-Astoria, sea-going
Plaza, a maritime st. Regis. He is
for the time being a passer-by on a
Broadway block gone to Sea.
He has his newspaper every day with
its news from all over the world by
wireless. He can't even get away from
the stock market-he gets daily quota
tions from New York and London He
has telephone in his stateroom that
with all the ship, and he s
gets kilograms from both sides of the l
ocean by wireless.
He doesn't walk up or down stairs /
there is the ships elevator. On his 7
way TO the smoking room he passes the /
flower stand with its fresh posies every h
lay. He has gardenia one evening [
70 put in the buttonhoIe of his claw
hammer coat; the next night when he Y
lines in the Ritz-Carlton restaurant r
lie has big fresh white carnation for :,
lis dinner jacket. /
If he feels seedy he can work up a +
respiration in the gymnasium, have :
little massage and take Turkish bath. =
# he feels inclined TO read he isn't de- !,
pendent upon the few books in his suit :.
'ase. He has a fine library of 5000 :.
yolumes to choose from-everything =
rom history or astronomy to the lat 1.
st problem novel.
If his teeth bother him, here is a a
lentist aboard. He can be manicured 5
'r have his corns pared with equal
ase. On Sunday he can attend divine
ervice. If he wants q box of candy
II corsage bouquet for his wife, or a
he very agreeable lady to whom his o
riend introduced him, he can find a b
lower shop aboard ship. "
Among the latest propositions made L
s one by a New York department
tore here, which wants to equip the
our big express steamships of the
sorth German Lloyd Company with a
apartment store annex.
The firm making the offer points out
hat steamship of the size of the
laiser Wilhelm II. or Kronprincessin
'ecilie has population of about 1900
ersons, who have nothing to do but
ook for bargains.
II only there were a trolley car on .
eek he wouldn't even have to walk .
e could do his shopping just as he >
oes in town. At that, there is the Il
ievator, so he doesn't have to climb =
tairs. So it can safely be assumed a
nat pretty soon he won't have to walk q
ne decks if he doesn't care to.
He has his choice of restaurant now
S well as table d'hote. Or he may
ave a chop and potato at the grill
ust as he might in Broadway chop y
ouse. He can drop in at the bar for a
fa rr-1rA Ar.er