The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-07-02
DITCH OPENING
GREAT CEREMONY
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Continued From Page One)
Kona coffee was in waiting and Just
struck the spot" with the visitors who
had taken their long ride over a some
what tortuous road in the damp,
chilly morning air.
HISTORIC WAIMEA.
Waimea is place with history. In
fact that is one third of its assets. An
other third is the Parker ranch-that
| immense bovinical park which stretch
es away from the mountains to the
| sea-with cattle and horses and
horses and cattle everywhere. Cows
and calves fill the roads of Waimea-
at least in the early mornings; and
the Honolulu folk had, in addition to
| the humble glad hand, the most COR
dial welcome from cowdom and dog
dom imaginable, as attested by the
! vari-keyed lowing and vigorous bark
ing that came up from a thousand
! shadows. Waimea is an interesting
village. It's past glory is at an end.
Relics of it's missionary" days as
we'll as incidents of monarchial times
remain; but the shroud of peace now
fingers upon this beauty spot, where
the subjects of KINGS and queens once
/ held revels and the medley of hula
songs and psalms arose together to
| heaven Here are the remains of
missionary homes-ancient piles of
stone and mortar and flowers that
were planted by hands long at rest.
The groves out of which came the
sounds of the guitar in the past have
been denuded by cattle, and the pleas
ant lanes and shady hooks have been
obliterated to satisfy the honorable-if
vulgar-impulse of money-making.
} Near Waimea are the Waimea
'homesteads" of which so much was
heard and expected few years ago
: But this is a subject which must be
treated later and at more length. Suf-
fee it to say here that the homestead
ing scheme has not been a success.
Transportation possibilities have been
, so intricate, uncertain tedious and eX-
pensive that truck farming at Waimea
has proved beautiful in theory but
mighty poor scratching in practice.
BRIGHT DAYS COMING.
But the day of farming on the plains
near Waimea is coming. The sun does
not shine on richer soil than is here
to be found. It will produce anything
f to perfection that can be grown in a
. tropical or semi-tropical country.
There will be a railroad to Waimea
some day; the Waimea plains will have
ample water at all seasons some day
And when that time comes the Wal
mea plains will blossom as the rose,
= land thousands of prosperous, content
: ed, happy people will be permanently
n settled there. 1t is wonderful coun
e try! It's possibilities have not been
C touched and in this generation there
will be those to wonder why the dis
S trict had not been developed years be
fore.
But this is DEPRESSING. Just at dawr
. the Honolulu party resumed the jour
ney to the station or the Hawaiian
Irrigation Company at Kukuihaele, Il
miles away. Henry Beckley, with the
ladies'. led the way in big E. NJ. F
touring car. Next came big cal
with the two Thurstons, Mr.. Taylor
and the Stars representative. Inas
?. much as Mr.. L. A. Thurston was wei
y acquainted with every mile of tn,
It country en- route, it is needless to sa!
y that he was of invaluable assistanc,
y to the newspaper men accompanying
= him.
:; A DISTINGUISHED VOCALIST
- During this long ride Through rail-
- by the way) Mr.. Thurston disclosed
" one accomplishment which had neve
been suspected along Merchant stree
in Honolulu. He is a vocalist, and
good one at that. Some may hav
thought that this busy business man
musical impulse had been sacrificed t
the sordid, handspring demands Q
mammoth plantations, railroads, lega
= tangles and irrigation enterprises Blu
n not so. He sings in English or Hs
v. waiian, and seems to be familiar wit
about everything from the oldest me
les TO the latest musical jolt from tn
- orpheum circuit. The chauffeur wa
ID much taken with the singing of MI
Thurston, and could hit the bigges
- rocks every time while the music wa
- in full swing.
= There are two routes from Waime
N to Kul1uihaele, and they form tn
r. three sides of a triangle. One roa
r, is. good but it is the long route. TIL