The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-19
WHAT 4 RECENT
VISITOR OBSERVED
IN HONOLULU

Andrew J. McWain, editor of the
Batavia On. ", Daily News, who
spent his hor eymoon here, has publish
ed an interesting article on Honolulu
of which the following extracts are
offered:
Honolulu, Hawaii, Jan. 30-Before
visitor in Honolulu has been long
in conversation with a resident of the
beautiful city which lies on the shores
of the mighty ocean, fanked by varie-
gated mountains, it will be impressed
upon him that Honolulu is the Paradise
of the Pacific. Not only is it regarded
by loyal Honolulans as the Garden Of
Eden of this particular near-tropieal
cline, but it is looked upon as the most
attractive spot in the whole world.
Loyalty is the Honolulan S long suit
and he will not admit, even for the
sake of argument, that anywhere on
the globe there is place that can
compare with this mid-ocean island of
Oahu. In a pamphlet advertising Ho.
nolulu it is said:
Nowhere else are such pictures of
sea and sky and plain and mountain;
such magnifcence of landscape, such
bright sunshine and tempering trade
winds; such fragrant foliage, such bril-
liant colorings in bush and tree, such
dazzling moonlight. -
\ ~
Picturesque drives radiate from Ho-
nolulu--along the seashore, up and over
the mountains and through the valleys.
The macadam highways, substantially
,e,4p 4al
so excellent as to be great surprise
to the tourists who drive over them.
81 had no idea the roads here were
SO fne,' said an oil man from the
States. ~ left my automobile in Los
Angeles, thinking would have no use
for it here, although it would have cost
only $37 to bring it down on the steam
er. One day I went around the island
in a livery auto and it cost our party
$40, and the run lasted only about six
hours. [ would have saved lot of
money by bringing my car.
About 800 automobiles are owned in
Honolulu and the number is increased
every time a steamer from the Coast
arrives
Mayor Fern is good deal Of bar.
barian. Years ago the natives buried
their dead in tombs in the side of
mountains. One day not long ago Fern
paid a visit to the tomb Of his an
eestors. In the skull of grandmother
a few generations removed he found
a couple of teeth in a good state of
preservation. He took them out and
had them placed in cavities in his own
jaw, where he is said to be wearing
them now. Of other ancestral bones
he had buttons made, wearing them on
his waistcoat.
In all respects Honolulu is a splendid
city. 1t is tropical beauty and it
does business of considerable magni-
tude.. 1t has all the features of a
modern mainland town of its size. It's
street railway service is excellent. The
streets are fairly well lighted. but as
many business houses are closed at )
p. m. and as few of them are open in
the evening the city at night seems
rather gloomy, except in the japanese
and Chinese sections, where longer
hours are kept.
On the trains and in some of the
hotels in California in November and
December what was called the Christ
mas cantaloupe was on the menu card
among the fruits. In Honolulu it was
discovered that it was Hawaiian
product, the papaya. There are paraya
trees, which look something like cocoa
nut trees, though not nearly as tall,
and the growing fruit looks something
like the cocoanut. The papaya tastes
quite a bit like the muskmelon or can
taloupe, but is not as sweet or savory.