The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-12-17
HONOLULU AFTER
FIFTEEN YEARS
Rev. w. B. 0leson Tells of the
Changes Here and in
the States.

ct have been about the city very lit
tie as yet, but the most striking thing
to me, on returning after an absence
of fifteen years, is the change in the
character of buildings" said Rev. w.
B. Oleson, the first principal of Kane
hameha Schools, who arrived by the
Alameda to take part in the celebra-
ton of the twentieth anniversary Of
the organization of ghe schools.
"The business part of the city is an
entirely new city, so numerous are the
buildings of modern design and con-
struction. The building era had just
commenced when 1 left. 1t had but
recently been discovered that your
blue lava rock is excellent building
material. In fact, the discovery was
made at Kamehameha Schools. In the
early days of the schools we built a
sort of a kitchen out Of it, and in the
course of this construction it was dis
covered that the rock had very good
cleavage and could be worked effec-
tivelN This kitchen was, believe.
the first building ever built of this
lava rock. Then Bishop Hall, one of
the Kamehameha Schools buildings,
was built of it, then one of the other
buildings, and then Central Union
church was built of this stone. So
you see that the building era had
started before I went away from here.
Though in the little I have been
about 1 find many familiar streets and
faces, / find everywhere great i'm
movements. There has been a very
great advance on the material side of
life, at least.
f:I have been asked what change
see in the native Hawaiian people I
have not been about enough to form
any judgment as to the native people
in general. 1 met a number of the
young people on the steamer coming
down, and 1 have met great many
since. But they are all young people
who have had the advantage of Kane
hameha Schools, or other schools. They
certainly make a splendid showing for
the race. I think there has been p
great development and advance among
Shese at least.
1.-The development of the schools
themselves has been most ercourag-
ing. But it seems to me the cfowning
I, feature of this development is the
workshops which are to be formally
opened next Thursday. OF course, we
had workshops in the old DAYS, and
they served an excellent purpcae. but
they were small and incomplete, es-
pecially as compared with the new
ones.
THE girls school was just prgjectad
and the plans for the buildings drawn
when 1 left. There had been a vigor-
Gus controversy as TO whether they
should be located where they are Or
in an altogether different part Of
town. where the land was more irnme-
diately suitable. I think experience
/ has justified the present location,
| bringing about unity in the admins
| trative policy of the schools. ] think
| it is an advantage socially TO both the
/ boys and the girls that the schools are
! located as they are. They are close
enough to give some of the advantages
of coeducation without the disadvan-
| tages of that system.
The Bishop Memorial chapel is a
gem 1t was one of the things talked
| of before I left. and hoped for, but not
! realized or even planned.
eI came to the islands in 1873, and
| left in 1888. Before being called TO or
| ganize the Kamehameha Schools / had
Continued on Page Four.)