Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-07-15
'REUN|ON o. FOLK III
From SOUTH SEAS 4
pacific Islanders Day Occasion
OF a Big Gathering at
Pennington Resort. "
.pREslD ENT SMITH VI 4 THERE.
Venerable Church Leader Tells of His
ExpcrlcnccsIntcrcslills Program
Is enjoyed by Visitors. <

observation-disclosures Program
Is Enjoyed by Visitors.
Yesterdays reunion of the Pacific
islands missions which took place at
4 Sthe Lagoon was remarkable, for the |
large attendance of former misslonar=
les and members of the Church who |
have come from those parts. This is
( true OF nearly all the missions Of the |
Pacific, and it was noticed that there
was also larger representation than
usual from the Australian mission
The crowds came early and stayed late
and though tired with the exertions OF
the day, everybody expressed tl1em-
selves as pleased with the outing which
Was a great success.
The day was an ideal Pacific 1s1and-
ers day, the warmth giving the suggesT
lion to many of those present of the
humid air OF the sea girt tropical ISL
ands or summer in New Zealand aud 4
Australia. Some Of hose present who
have lately come from those parts,
rsn,embering last winter. said "this ]
weather Is something like the sunny
south,',gand they almost forgot they
we're thousands of miles away from the
palm trees and cocoanut groves of the
islands and the eternal bush Of New
zealand and Australia, which to the
natives Of those parts seem almost
part of themselves and hundreds OF
miles from the ocean which some off
them thought they could never leave
SOME FORMER PRESIDENTS.
In addition to a large number OF
leading elders from the various mis-
z sions the following former presidents
of missions We're noticed in the throng.
i New Zealand: Elders Richards Steven
son and Hoa gland. Tahiti: Elders Cut
\ Ter and Hall. Samoa; Elders Brown
ing and Sears. Australia: Elders tlS T
Elder Noall.. The visitors came from
as far north as Idaho and some were
present from Wasatcl, Sanpete and
Tintic in the south.
Atfeature OF the occasion was the
s presence of several Samoans who cane
Of Hawaiians. These natives con-
structed a Samoan house, which was q
faithful reproduction OF tho regular
native house on the Islands, even TO the
pebbles which composed the floor. Il
was the object of much curiosity on
the part OF the visitors during the day
together With the curios which were
shown. they having only recently been
brought here from the Islands
Naturally the unusual things connect
ed With the islanders lives attracted
much attention, and the program which
was given in the afternoon contained
a number of such features, among
them being the greeting of missionaries
BY the Nao1is, and an exhibit ion Of the
" ,hongi, or rubbing oil noses, the Maori
salutntion. A representation of the
greeting of elders ct the Honolulu mis-
sion house was well shown and was
much appreciated. ..Leis,H the beautiful
floral bands with which from tive M.
memorial the HaWaiians bedeck! Seelr
friends on arrival and departure were
yery much in evidence, and perhaps to
those who have visited theislands help
ed to recall their beauties more fore.
IDLY than any other one thing. samoa
was also represented for the first time
in d dance. which was given Just as II
is done on the islands,.
For the purpose of giving the above
exhibitions stand was specially con-
structed in front of the grandstand.
which was crowded with people when
the time for the exhibition came. AS
the opening hymn those present. sang
High on the mountain top. Prayer
was offered by Elder q. F. Richards
and tile benediction was pronoun Geo, q.
the close of the program by former
President Sears of The Samoan mission.
PRESIDENT SMITH s ADDRESS.
President Joseph f. Smith was t.
have been present at the afternoon
gathering to speak ON "reminiscences u
his first trip to Hawaii. He was de-
tained on the way, and did not arrive
until late in the afternoon. After par
taking OF dinner in company with y Ben
iamin Goddard and his party as the
guests of the Lagoon nlanaeement. ny
nerous' requests We're made Tor FrcSl
dent Smiths address, and shortly altel
O'clock the big crowd adjourned Z
the dancing pavilion. where the PEG
Mo were called up close to the music
atari 4. where they stood while Presl
dent Smith in a short tall, expressed
his pleasure at being present, ana thel
sad:
II believe that John T. Caine ans
myself and one or tWo others are IN y.
pioneers of mission worm the H Fac.
fic In 1854 a company@ef young mel,
cincluding myself, left Salt Lake cat
on our first mission to the islands. w
crossed the desert with mule teams az
took steamer from San Pedro 70 pa
Francisco. After staying there seNera
months in order to get money 70 pro
coed to the islands, we shipped IN
small two-masted. barque.
,rha cautain boasted that he Won't
.rnss ia Honolulu in eight days, but II
made 1T in % days. When we lande
In Honolulu 1t vas q mere HliiaSs
,rhnre were a few dwellings ana mel
canfile houses, but nearly all the nome
syn,.e grass houses. We soon scattere
over all the islands where some ot
STAYED four years learning the IN
euage and trying. to I'LL our missions 3! y
a reference was also made 70 tada lGa
pratt and others going to Iahltl,. alte
which President Smith said SIM
thsn the work has spread TO Same
and New Zealand. The people OF thos
islands are Ishmaelites, and are q
scendants without doubt. OF Lem w
left Jerusalem 600 years before liill I
,rhey are warm hearted frlen.u s. az
they are capable on proves &C, y,
becoming bitter enemies. The eide
find them IN their ministry 70 be warn var,
hearted. true and kind. never NJ. hlle,
of one of these islanders losing laita
me gospel after he had espousea
,l'hey may sin and sever theif CO.
5 nectjon with the Church, but they
NOT turn bitter a.sG nsht the nof
Those who have fallen away, genera ae'',
" humble themselves and ASK 10 =
restored to fellowship. y Is no We
der that the elders are attached 10 :
natives and that they desire TO !. .ke'
up tho acquaintance by means OF the
reunions" & sll, & 81 =
Referring to his visit there last re
ruary, President Smith said " We y.
warmly received by every. one. z y
Royal Hawaiian band met us az !