The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-12-29

lOOo.
organize d railroad corporation that
/ brought freight rates to reasonable
| figure. When he failed to obtain
satisfactory contract for the lighting
Of his home in San Francisco, he
founded and established lighting and
power company which spread its ser
vice over the city and brought the
Trivial corporation to terms. These two
enterprises, involving the risk and the
use of millions, were the results of an
unbending determination on his part
not to be vfctimized by monopoly, and
while they ultimately turned out to be
profitable, they identified him with the
public good.
Absolutely fearless as he was,
though deliberate and cautious, he had
broken down all opposition to his vast
projects and had never failed. In the
midst of indefatigable labor, however,
he had ever been among the most APP
proachable of men. His benefactions,
though unheralded, were innumerable,
and no genuine cause ever appealed to
him in vain. AS single example out
of the hundreds, it may be noted that
|
San Francisco were filed with the
unemployed and hundred thousand
dollars were needed for their relief, at
meeting called to raise the amount,
Claus Spreckels was the first to con-
tribute. az can not make speech, -
he said; "put me down for FIVE thou.
sand"
The Spreckels Family.
! Besides his aged widow, there are
: left to mourn for him his four sons
; and one daughter. The sons are John
J d. Spreckels, well known here; g.
A. Spreckels, known Familiarity as
"Gus'; Adolph B. Spreckels, treas
I urer of the Western Sugar Refining
Company and vice president of several
{ large corporations; and Rudolph
l Spreckels, who has very recently been
1 in Honolulu and who must have ar
rived at his father IS deathbed only q
few hours before the end.
/. The Quarrel with Kalalsaua.
5 The incidents in connection will
!, the quarrel between Claus Spreckel
and King Kalakaua, although FIRE
I quently related by those who were
a present and knew the facts, have
! never been published. They are these
J showing that events of historic inn
y portance can originate in things of nc
moment in themselves.
The King, Claus Spreckels and two
u admirals visiting in port, an American
= and Britisher, were engaged in q
= game of euchre at the home of mu
/, tual friend, in 1886. The relations be
= tween the two principal characters
, had been strained trifle that after.
noon, Spreckels having been negotiat.
, ing with the King for the control of
! the city wharves, the city waterworks
; and the city lighting franchise, in ex.
change for which he had agreed to
renew. the loan he had made to the
Kingdom Of 100000 and increase il
to a million. The King, for the first
time in their relations, had demurred
They were good friends yet, however
and partners against the admirals in
the card game.
| In the course of the play, while
/ Berger's Royal Hawaiians played out
, side, Spreckels had dealt to him a
hand containing three kings, an ace
, and one smaller card. Turning it to.
) wards one of the .admirals, he remark.
r ed: eff this were poker have the
winning hand here"
The admiral had three aces in his
own hand and iestingly offered to bet,
at the same time showing his hand.
"My four kings would still win
over your aces" said Spreckels.
"Where is the fourth kingi' asked
Kalakaua.
}, az am the fourth king" answered
the Sugar King, while just then, as
, Kalakaua rose, angered at being
sighted, the Berger musicians struck
up "God Save the King" and Spreck.
els bowed to the band leader.
Kalakaua broke up the game and
left the house. attended by Colonel
George Macfarlane, his chamberlain.
That night the two consulted. The
next morning loan bill was intro
duced into the Legislature, and, in
spite of Spreckels' opposition, the
l measure carried and Colonel Macfar.
lane left on the next steamer for Lon
don TO float the loan.
From that time on, for a couple of
years. there was active hostility be.
, tween Kalakaua and Claus Spreckels.
7 The latter returned his decorations
Later, Colonel Macfarlane and Sprecl1.
els CHANGING to meet in New York, the
latter stated that he was anxious to
make up with the Hawaiian monarch
u He was told that Kalakaua, too, was
+ ready for reconciliation, and there
upon Spreckels wired to San Fran
. cisco to have the Alameda held until
4 he could reach the Coast to sail fol-
h Honolulu.
: Other things interfered with this
trip, however, and it was not until q
Q year later that the rival kings shool
T hands and resumed their friendship.