The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-02-18
ONCE PROMINENT,
BUT NOW PENN|LEss

LOS ANGELES, February A Cal
ifornia pioneer. a brilliant attorney
admitted to practise in eight states
and thrice around the world, at the
age of seventy-eight John F. David
son tonight found himself moneyless
and stranded in this city. He applied
to the Associated Charities for aid.
The authorities will try to place him
as a companion or in a like position
where his attainments and wide
knowledge may be useful.
Davidson, after a varied career,
came to this state early in the seven
ties. and in 1876. while living in San
Francisco, was admitted to practise in
the Supreme Court. his certificate be-
ing signed by Chief Justice w. T. Wal
lace and others. From there he went
to Honolulu and practised fifteen
years In 1899 he was induced to go to
China in behalf of American merchants
to handle important litigation. He
made plenty Of money, but miasma
almost killed him and his wife and
they had to leave. A business asso-
ciate betrayed and robbed him of most
of his fortune. His wife died. and now
he is alone and penniless.
I&SIS& ~ - v y " " y y ~
title of the father of the California
wine industry
"My compensation will be large, of
course, even after ali claims are salts
fed, but | can honestly say that / will
have earned every dollar of it. have
expended thousands of dollars and given
much of my time for six years and most
of my time for the last three years TO
this sake contest. to the exclusion of
other business. | have travelled four
times between Honolulu and New York
and Washington and argued the case
twice before the United States General
Appraisers and four times before Uni
ted States Circuit Courts and Circuit
Courts Of Appeals. We have examined
twcnty-seven witnesses for the import
ers and ross-examined thirty-six wit
ncsses for the government in New York,
in Washington, in Cincinnati, in Chi
cago, in Milwaukee, in st. Louis. in
San Francisco and in Honolulu and the
testimony made a printed volume Of
nearly eight hundred pages. With the
exception OF the first case before the
Appraisers we have won every time.
aud feel absolutely certain Of de-
cision In our favor from the San Fran
cisco Circuit Court Of Appeals.
'What pity Il is that Harry John
ston could not have been here TO enjoy
his one half of this fortune. But his
widow and little girls shall have every
dollar that would have come TO him II
he had lived.
"The money when II comes will
probably remain in Honolulu. There is
no place in the country where prudent
investments are safer than they are
here. The financial stress in Atlantic
States may cause a recall of some capi-
tai invested here but will bring 10 YOU
no smOkeless chimneys, no silent faeto-
ries, no deserted shafts. People may
economize in raiment, on ornaments, in
furniture and in table luxuries; but
sugar is an article of food, three pounds
of which costs 10 more than one pound
of meat. A community Of less than
twenty thousand voters which produces
thirty to forty millions of dollars worth
a year of a non-perishable food product
which the country needs and must have.
and which product is carried with water
transportation from the place Of produc
tion to the great seacoast cities of the
world, will never retrograde in legiti-
mate prosperity as may mainland cities
which are dependent upon mines and
furnaces and factories
"Revision of the tariff7 Oh you need
not worry about that. The growers Of
cane sugar in the South and of beet
sugar in the North win take care of
that