The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-05-10
PAHOA RUSSIANS
AMBITIOUS TO LEARN
Studying English at Nights
Have Camp in Which Booze
Is Strictly Tabu.

The sixty odd Russians in the camp
at Pahoa, Hawaii, are showing much
anxiety to become American citizens.
Finding that the language difficulty is
the chief obstacle, they are attending
night school in the Offices of the Pa
hoa Lumber Company, whore they are
learning to read and write English.
They do a pretty hard days work in
the mill and lumber yard, but this does
not prevent them from showing up for
study at night, and they are good
pupils.
Many of these Russians have been
asking Sam johnson, manager of the
lumber company, what they shall do
to become citizens of this country. One
of the necessary qualifications, of
course, is knowledge of the American
CONSTITUTION and form of government.
This, johnson says, most Of them al
ready have, probably to sufficient
extent, But they can only express it
in Russian. 1t seems that as soon as
they learn enough English to qualify
them, they will begin putting in APP
plications for naturalization.
The Pahoa Russian camp is very
clean, well-kept place. 1t was built by
johnson for the Russians, and is much
like the better class of plantation labor
camps. The Russians are already Amer
icanized away from Russian whiskers,
for every one of them is either smooth
shaven or wears only a moustache.
They are fine and prosperous looking
lot.
At the camp the Russians have built
for themselves a huge brick and cement
oven, in which the women bake Rus
sian bread. The community kitchen
system has been established, many
families getting bread from this oven
and from the two big kitchens near the
camp building. A big bath is now be-
ing built, with arrangements for hot
water. In addition to the long camp
building there are several neat cot
tages, occupied by families, and more
such structures are going up.
Nothing could be greater contrast
from the sovenliness, filth and laziness
of the Vasilieff camp at Iwilei than
this Russian camp in the lumber region
of Puma. Yet the occupants are the
same. Many of those at Pahoa are
from the Iwilei camp. The latest lot
10 arrive were direct from that place,
Some of them said that they had been
waiting for $500 which they thought
they were to get by not going to work,
and had got tired Of waiting for it and
had decided TO work.
The men are most respectful in their
attitude towards Manager johnson.
Perhaps the fact that one who was not,
was literally kicked out of the camp,
has something to do with it,-be came
back and asked for, and got, his old
job back. Perhaps II Is the strict dis
eiplino aud general hustling air at the
mill But they work quickly and hard.
With an increasing force of them In
the mill, pahoa Is breaking all its rec
ords for turning out work Fred
Church is superintendent, aud he finds
the Russians exeeli0nt material 70
handle.
No booze Is allowed ia the pahoa
camp A RUSSIA who got some WAS
hfad out The men do not seem 20
bother about A. They aro evidently
anxious % hold iheir jobs, make good
and become American citizens
a noticeable feature ~ Che WORK la
the mill ana camp yards j. the friend
illness 81 the Russians aud japanese,
lTheY Warl together ln gangs with per
fsei hafmanY few days aRa b iiuf
alHn Haa huH Hnd lhn meH WHO NaslleA
his aaup6 aHd aaFa hlm other mfaieai
as = lha lfllh hospital n lbo eamh
s4le I've japanese