The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-12-05
Honolulu Industry That Passed Away

Time was when the signal "Whaler
off port - brought to the streets of Ho-
nolulu from crowded stuffy offices pro-
prietors and clerks of all ages. It
brought women, who could see it, from
their kitchens, and children from the
schools, and it was received with as
much delight as the sight of a vessel
going ashore was in olden days by
wreckers in other countries It meant
news from cup North and it meant
a flow of money into the Golfers Of the
traders. 1t meant sometimes, but not
always, the return of a Hawaiian who
had shipped for a cruise on a whaler,
and it meant that the late H. NJ Whit
ney would publish an extra containing
news of Importance, the news of the
whaling feet.
Naturally the amount of enthusiasm
was to be measured only when the re-
port of the catch was made public. If
a poor one, the boys were often passed
up; but if the catch had been plentiful,
there was sure to be GA Hot Time in
the Old Town. that night and for
as many more as the money of the crew
lasted. Those were good old days in
Honolulu, if the statements of men who
were here are to be relied upon. And
there are some men, not many, who
came to the Islands on whaleships and
who have in the interval of years be-
come solid men of the town.
J. Mort Dat, now of the firm of Dat
and Mossman, was here as boy and
was then, as now, greatly interested in
the movements of shipping His
memory is very clear on the subject of
whaling DAYS and he has fund of
"reminiscences which, if published,
would be interesting reading to the
older as we'll as the younger genera
tion of Honolulu residents. When he
became old enough it seemed to de-
volve upon him to give the first notice
of the arrival of a ship off port and
after his "raising the sail :" came the
hanging of the semaphore over Homo
lulu hale.
Kept the Lookout.
ssMv father had a sail loft on Ka-
ahumanu street which, naturally, was
patronized by the captains of the ships
coming into port. As a small boy L
made the loft my headquarters at all
times during the season and kept a
weather eve on the water beyond Dia-
mond Head. Back of the head there
was lookout and when he saw ship
coming be raised flag. Directly | saw
If I gave the cry Sail, ho,' and up
went the signal on the semaphore. 1t
was nv call that brought the people
from the neighboring Offices and the
signal from those further away. 1t 1t
+urned ont to be a whaler, all was we'll;
hut if it happened to be a schooner
from the other islands I came in for
drubbing of words from everybody
within the limits of civilization. | was
the small boy who was blamed for the
error of the lookout and seldom praised
for his correct reports
Composite the foot of kaahumanu
street was McChesney store and along
side. between the store and Brewer
was plenty of vacant ground Young
business men of the town made 1t their
Headquarters. The favorite sport at
the time was pitching quoits, not the
regularly made article, it had not reach
ed here, so a big washer from the deck
of a ship was used in its place. ! was
too young to be admitted into fellow
ship with P. c. Jones, Samuel Savidge,
NJ. w. McChesney and the rest of the
coterie, so I took my amusement out
by looking on and wishing | was old
enough to play 1t was from that point
the cry Sail, hot was first given. If the
game was an interesting or exciting one
hut little attention was paid to 1t until
the signal 'Whaler off port was shown.
The game stopped instantly then and
the thoughts of the players were cen
tered on the cargo.