The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-09-01
TOURISTS WILL
FLOOD HAWAII
There Are Thousands at Seattle
Who Express Wish to
Come.

"Nothing but lack of transporta-
ton facilities will keep this place from
being absolutely flooded with tourists
during the coming year" This is the
statement made by Superintendent of
Public Instruction Babbitt, who re-
turned on Monday on the Siberia from
Seattle, where he has been doing his
share at the big fair towards boost
ing Hawaii. Inquiries about the ISL
ands, he says, have been innumerable
and for the most part of an intelligent
nature, indicating that the questioners
are really in earnest in trying to find
out all they can about the islands. A
very great many of them have stated
that they intend to come here to see
for themselves.
But the lack of transportation facili-
ties is serious problem which does
not appear capable of immediate solu-
ton. Mr.. Babbitt states that num-
Der of the people from here who have
been visiting the Exposition wanted
to come on the Siberia but were I'M
able to get accommodations. The Ala
media and the China were also booked
full. Mr.. Rabbit himself, although he
had booked two months before, consid
cred himself lucky to get the upper
bunk in little bit of room with two
other men.
The Superintendent is extremely en-
thusiastic over what he anticipates
will be the results from the Hawaiian
exhibit at the fair. He is equally en-
thusiastic over the exhibit itself and
over the excellent work which he says
is being done by the Hawaiian delega-
tion in charge of the exhibit, by the
Hawaiian girls and by the singers and
other musicians. All the people from
here are working hard and their work
is telling, he says.
The pictures, films and Transparent
cies made by R. K. BONNIE, are proving
great attraction. Every afternoon
when the volcano pictures are shown
in the biograph room the place is
crowded and Inc "standing room
only" sign is nearly always hung out.
The fair as whole is a great big
thing, says Mr.. Babbitt-not so big
in size as in excellence and general
effect. And it is being largely at
tended. Before it opened the direc-
tors figured that they could pay ex-
penses if they had an average attend
ance of $1,000 day. With the bad
part of the season behind, the attend.
ance has averaged $4,000, and the
numbers are increasing now that tour
ist travel west is beginning.
The Hawaiian building is In one of
the best locations in the grounds, and
the building itself is good from an
architectural standpoint, while inside
it is gaily decorated with bunting,
flags and leis. The exhibit has from
the first proved a great drawing card.
The Government biograph room is in
the Hawaiian building, and this has
proved good thing for Hawaii, as all
the crowds on emerging from the room
are at once attracted by the singing
of the musicians and drawn in to see
the exhibit, which thus catches great
many more than it otherwise might.
Two lectures a day on Hawaiian sub
ieets are given, the lecturers being Mr..
Knudsen, Mr.. Childs and Mr.. Cooper.
The attendance at the afternoon lee
ture, at which Mr.. Bonine's volcano
moving pictures are shown. is usually
attended by from 600 to 500.
The singers are proving drawing
card, while many requests for the loan
of Ernest Kaai's quintet to other ex-
hibits are received.
The Hawaiian girls, Mr.. Rabbit
says, are worthy of especial mention
for their graceful and gracious way
of conducting themselves. They have
proved big attraction to the exhibit
Every time a guest of horror is brought
into the room, he is attended upon by
the girls, and if his picture is taken,
he invariably insists on having him
self surrounded by them
The Hawaiian fishes have proved so
much of an attraction that special pre-
cautions have been necessary to pre-
vent the crowds from standing in front
| of the tanks and blocking up the way.
Instead of letting them stop at the
tanks of Hawaiian fishes first, they are
directed around the other way, as
otherwise they would get no farther
The relief maps also attract much at
tention.
The school exhibit is by far the best
on the grounds, the Superintendent
contends. Others may be larger but
none are so valuable from an educa-
tional standpoint.
The sugar house proves a constant
source of wonderment to the visitors,
many of whom refuse to believe that
the structure is all made of sugar.
One woman Mr.. Babbitt saw stop and
lick one corner of the building with
her tongue to see if it were really
sugar, while another woman poked her
paTasol through the whole side of the
house to assure herself that she was
not being deceived when she was told
it was sugar.
The koa furniture has taken well
and, if the directors wished to do so,
they' could easily sell all of it when
the fair comes to an end. The sisal
exhibit is also one of the features of
| the building. MANY lumbermen of the