The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-23
HAWAITS SWIFT RUNNERS
MIGHT BE LIKELY CANDIDATES
IN THE MARATHON RACE.

Feats OF Men Who Wsed 10 Garry Malls fol
the KInEs-A Thirty Mile Race "
n Mountain Between a kanaka ant
Flight Horses The Man the Winner
THEY'VE got runners, Kanaka men,
down in the Hawaiian Islands. that I'd bt
willing TO gamble everything | W coulo
make these fellows that compete in the
Marathon race at the Glympian games
look like aluminium milk tickets, said a
chief petty officer OF the navy. who knows
most OF the Pacific Islands pretty well. Il
hit the Hawaiian Islands for the first time
when / was a prentice. and | saw ore oil
those Kanaka hot footers beat a lot oil
good horses in a thirty mile run.
This was in 1853. when Dave Kalakaua.
as the old timers around Honolulu call him
vet, was king Of the islands, At that time
there we're no telephones Joining the islands,
! and State messages and mandates were car
ried from island to island by the inter-island
steamers and rushed into the interior by
these Kanaka unners
These Kanala runners could, and some
of them can still, lope all day and all night
long, like American Indians on the trai!
in the fighting days OF the red men, and
the Kings messengers didn't know what
getting tired or winded meant.
"Fing Kalakaua thought a lot OF these
state runners OF his. He always stuck to
il that they could 60 faster and further
than horses over the rough Hawaiian coun-
try.
I'm this he was disputed by a number OF
the white attaches OF his court. Kalakaua
wagered $1,000 with these white courtiers
hat he could pick out a runner from
among his Kanakas who'd get from Hilo
TO the Burning Lake Of Kilauea. a distance
cf nearly thirty miles. quicker than any
horse and rider could do the trip. They
snapped the King up on this proposition at
ever money.
1T looked to mostly every white mar down
there as IL they had the better OF il in that
bet with the King. The King and a big
party from Honolulu sailed in one OF the
inter-island boats TO Hilo, Oh the main island
Of Hawaii. to see the race.
The King picked out a huge, sinewy
Kanaka. a man about 80, who had been
employed as a State runner at Lahaina. on
the island Of Maui, for a number OF years.
to ESSAY the task Of beating the horses for
him. Eight Kanakas made tho start on
horseback on native ponies, bred from
American CdyubtH- blIOuE butt lOOltus
.lippy little devils. thoroughly used to the
lad lava roads and the climbing.
THE King and his party had gon up
to the Volcano House. at'the top Of Kilauea.
in coaches on the day before 70 see the
finish Of the race and TO be on hand
TO greet the winner. ! was among a party
Of man-o'-war's men from one OF our old
wooden packs In the harbor Of Hilo 20
mike the ride up 10 Kilauea soon after
the Kings ascent 10 see the finish.
a1N. .Aal Nrnna Hill IN 30 che = n ~
Kilauea has been greatly improved since
that time, but II sure was the bad trail then.
IL was only wide enough for one wagon
and II was a climb Of about IS degrees all
the way.
THE trees that lined the road used 10 get
blown across the trail in big windstorms.
aud The coach drivers counted 1t Il paFt
Of their job TO jump from their seats every
time they came TO these Instructions and
shoulder them out Of the way. This work