Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-12-02


the weaker into the stronger races
Of people. Following the year 1878
however, a very rapid increase in pop
ulation "a brought about by the i'm
p~ortation of laborers to meet the grow
ing needs of the planters, due to the
impetus given to the sugar industry
by the reciprocal treaty. These la
borers were brought In by the con.
tract system and were chiefly Chinese
Japanese and Portuguese. OF the
present population So per cent are
0rientals, % per cent hawaiian and
those of Hawaiian extraction, and the
remaining 20 per cent are about even
ly divided between Americans and
Europeans.
Education.
Education is compulsory, free and
universal. The public schools, high
schools and colleges are as good as
those on the Mainland Ga term which
the islanders invariably use when re
ferring to the States), and they are
eagerly patronized by the children OF
all nationalities, and especially by
the native children. 1t is said that 9S
per cent of the present generation
of Hawaiians a read and write.
Some of our party visited the schools
of Hawaii. 1t vas an imposing spec.
tacle to see white children sitting be.
side Hawaiians, Japanese, Chinese.
Portuguese, Russians and other ma,
tionalities-a miniature parliament OF
the world. On the campus at n OF
the schools a most ~impressing exer-
else was held for our edifieation. In
the center of the group of school chill
dren stood a little white boy dressed
in the costume of Uncle Sam. By his
side a little white girl stood, imper.
sonating Columbia, with the folds OF
the national colors draped about her
and a liberty cap set jauntily over
her golden curls. At a given signal
a little Russian boy, clad in the cos
tune of Russia, walked forth and
handed a tiny Russian flag to Uncle
Sam" who, with a bow as g~rotesque
as he thought it impressive, passed the
flag to columbia" who in turn gave
an American flag to the Russian. And
so in their order, came little boys
from Japan, China, Portugal, Mexico
and many other countries, including
one from Hawaii, dressed in the cos
tunes Of their respective countries
and went through this patriotic panto.
mime, and the flag exchanges were
closed when a little kinky-haired ne
gro boy relinquished the Dixie flag
for Old Glory, w%hereupon three hun
bred childish voices broke into the
soul-stirring strains of the Star.
Spangled Banner.
Climate.
Owing to the trade winds which
blow continuously there nine months
in the year, and the currents which
cool the oceans about the islands, the
temperature of the group is ten de.
grees lower than that Of any other
part of the world in the same latitude,
The islands are exempt from cyclones
or hurricanes. During the months of
December, January, February and
March the southwest wind blows dur.
ing the cessation of the trades, and
is the storm wind known as "Makani
Kona" or "hot wind" and, in this con.
nection it was amusing to find that
one of the gentlemen in our party,
who had a penchant for making
speeches of the ~spread-eagle variety,
soon found himself nicknamed by the
natives 'Makani Kona,' which is the
nearest approach their language at
fords to our slang expression, "hot
air."
AS a rule there is a sharp con
trast between the northeast or wind
ward side and the leeward or north
west side of the various islands. On
the windward sides it rains very fire.
quently, while on the leeward 1t never
rains and there is no water except
such as is carried around by great,
expensive irrigating bitches and tun-
nels. But the land, when irrigated, Is
just as fertile and productive as that
on the windward side. At one place
on the Kona coast, where there is no
rainfall and no irrigation, and where
we went ashore one morning before
sunrise to be driven across country
to the coffee plantations, many cattle
were browsing on the mountain side.
/ asked the native guide of our car
riage where the cattle got water and
he told us to watch them closely. We
did, and we saw that they were not
eating, as we had at first thought, but
were literally licking the dew from the
leaves and were doing it rapidly, for
they knew from. long experience that
the first rays of the sun would dry up
the moisture and there would be no
more water for them that day.
The height of the islands above sea
level causes a great variety Of climate,
ranging from torrid heat at sea level
on the lee side of the group, to a
freezing temperature on the snow
capped SUBMITS of the highest noun
tains. On the whole, the climate is
a remarkably equable one, with an
average temperature Of rs degrees the
year round, and is as nearly perfect
as any that can be found anywhere
In the world. At Waikiki Beach, Hon
olulu, men, women, and children battle