The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-12-05
HOLMES
IN CHICAGO
Four Lectures on Hawaii At
tract Big and Delighted
Audiences.
(Mail Special to Advertiser.)

1
people in Chicago who previously knew
little, if anything, about Hawaii have
now learnt something of the scenic
charm of the Paradise of the Pa.
eife;" eight thousand people in Chi
cago now have pulsating through them
the sweet lingering strains of FAloha
De" and other Hawaiian melodies
eight thousand Chicagoans undoubtedly
have a strong desire to make the fur
Their acquaintance of our Islands; and
| thousands more have been at least in
formed that out in the Pacific there
q group of Islands whose beauty has
been indelibly fixed in the minds of
their eight thousand friends. And the
cause of all this is the four lectures
on "Our Own Hawaii" delivered by
Burton Holmes in his Travelogue series
which includes, in addition to Hawaii,
the topics Japan, Java and Paris.
This is Mr. Holmes sixteenth sea-
son, and as he was in Honolulu only
this summer his material and informa-
ton has been brought up to date and
made accurate The illustrations he
used comprise the largest and finest
collection of Hawaiian views that I
have ever seen, and their artistic color
ing added greatly to their attractive
ness. The motion pictures were very
interesting and included some of the
best of those taken by Mr.. BONNIE. Mr..
Holmes did not misrepresent Hawaii
either to its advantage by choosing the
unusual or most beautiful views that
he might have obtained, nor to its de-
triment by making inaccurate state
ments; but, not forgetting to put in
superb slide now and again, he took
the commonplace everyday scenery, the
characteristic typical scenery, and with
this succeeded in enchanting his audi
enee.
As Mr. Holmes first visit antedated
his second by ten years he was in
position to indicate some interesting
contrasts, the most impressive to my
mind being two slides representing
Hotel street looking Eva from Alakea
in 1898 and in 1908, the former show
ing dreamy residential street with a
beautiful blooming red Poinciana tree,
and the second, the modern business
street with its electric cars, the Young
Hotel on the left and business buildings
on the right.
Other pictures represented the ancient
and modern native home, school chill
dren, japanese influence and scenes,
ears in the floral parade, the hotels,
homes, steamer day, golf club, sugar
scenes, Pearl Harbor, public buildings,
royal and coeoanut palms, Haleakala
scenes, Volcano road, Kilauea, etc, and
a rather comical view of Hawaiian lei
vendors which apparently was taken
without consulting their pleasure, for
their faces were completely hidden by
hats and, baskets, something which
caused the lecturer to remark that lei
women resent the camera. The mo-
tion pictures showed Hawaii in action,
and incidentally brought me face to
face here in Chicago with many of my
Honolulu friends. They included the
following subjects: pounding and eat
ing poi, a trolley ride through King |
street, flag salute by children of Kaiu.
lani school in presence of Governor |
Frear and Mrs Z. Wheeler Wilcox, |
Hawaiian Sunday school children, load |
ing cane, extremely good. pictures of
Waikiki beach, surfbOard riding, canoe |
ing, and swimming, sheep scenes on
Hawaii, embarking cattle, and to con-
clude, the vivid pictures made by Mr.. !
BONNIE of lzilauea in action by day and |
by night. The collection was varied |
and typical, and served as splendid |
advertisement of the Hawaiian Islands. |
a quintet of young Hawaiians were
on hand and gave to the audience the |
fascination of Hawaiian music, with !
its captivating, enhancing, and emo
ton compelling melody. 1t is not my
intention to criticize, yet the fact that |
an American harmony song served as
an encore when the audience would
have preferred another Hawaiian song, |
suggests to me that the same thing
is apparent in Honolulu, where more |
and more American ragtime is crowd !
ing out the Hawaiian music at dances
and other social functions where some
years ago Hawaiian airs reigned SUI
pICmely and exclusively.