The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-01-06
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO.

close Of the year it is usual to review
its operations. We propose TO do so
briefly upon this occasion, combining
ourselves mainly to events in these is.
lands.
The year 1885 set in rather unfavor-
ably.-The price of sugar had fallen,
merchants were loaded up with goods,
money became scarce and the rate of
| exchange threatened 20 seriously Grip.
pie the business classes. Building and
improvements came to standstill, and
! skilled labor sought other fields of
employment. The most gloomy fore
bodings were INDUCED in, and men other
! wise courageous and intelligent caught
the respondent fever and only saw ruin
staring them in the face.
| The tide turned, however, when Col.
onel Spreckels put in an appearance
and regulated exchange, to be followed
in May last by the opening of bank
of savings and deposit by Colonel
Spreckels and Mr.. VIM. G. Irwin, which
was ever since preserved the monetary
equilibrium, and restored confidence and
courage to our business men.
The old established bank of Bishop &
Co. followed the example of its young
and vigorous rival and likewise offered
interest upon time deposits. In this
way not only did Spreckels bank reg
ulate exchange, but it secured for the
working classes and people of small
capital a premium upon their thrift,
which before that time had been denied
them.
In round numbers it may be stated
that the imports of foreign merchandise
for the first nine months of 1885 fell
off nearly one million dollars compared
with the corresponding period of 1884,
while domestic exports had increased in
the same period by nearly three quar-
ters of a million. 1t was therefore
evident that business equation would
soon be reached in a business com
munity constituted as this one is. And
the improved tone of business and
more hopeful outlook that now prevail
are evidences that this point has been
almost touched, and that the coming
year will be one of greatly increased
prosperity.
The cane crop for 1885 is the largest
ever harvested on these islands. 1t is
variously estimated to yield from 95,-
600 to 100000 tons of sugar. Rice was
a poor crop. Bananas were a paying
export at the beginning of the season.
Owing to increased production it will
be necessary to establish connections
beyond San Francisco if banana cul-
ture is to be extended and pay. A
large amount of capital was invested
during the year in labor-saving and
improved machinery for the treatment
of sugar.
Space does not admit touching upon
the political and social features of the
closing year. AS whole, it may be
said that with all the apparent and
real dullness of the year, 1885 was a
period of steady and substantial inn
provement. The new year opens with
brighter prospects for all. May they
be realized.
Queen Kapiolani's Birthday.-The
fifty-first anniversary of the birth of
Her Majesty Queen Kapiolani was
celebrated in Honolulu in a becoming
manner From Z to 8 o'clock a. m.
the Royal Hawaiian Band played an
excellent program in the Palace
grounds. At noon a royal sallte was,
fred from the shore battery at Kaka-
alSo. The Queen Is Own assembled in
their Armory at 10 o'clock, and headed
by their drum corps marched out to the
Makiki recreation grounds. After a
short interval of rest. the company,
which mustered nearly 100 strong. went
through series of military evolutons
under command of Captain O'Connor.
At O'Clock grand luau was held in
the Armory.
Charley Peterson, the faithful look
out Mt Diamond Head, wishes to ac-
knowledge the kindness of the Rev.
Alexander Macintosh, Mr.. A. Jaeger
and Pilot Mcintyre in sending him
sundry New Years presents.
One of the boldest and most sue.
cessful robberes that has taken place
in this city for a long time was per.
petrated at the General Post Office,
Saturday night. The two safes were
robbed of over $4,000 in gold. silver
and certificates. Marshal Soper offers
reward of $500 for information lead.
ing to the detection of the robbers.
On New Years Day six-oared boat
race took place over the Spar buoy
course between two crews of the Myrtle
Boat GLIB, as follows: Stranger.
Torbert, A. Robinson, W. Monsarrat,
G. Purdy, w. G. Wilder, @. J. Mccarthy.
Alice M.-G. Wilder, A. Brown, G. T.
Wilder, w. c. King, S. Monsarrat, A.
Branch. The Alice NJ. reached the
Spar buoy first, but the Stranger grad
ually took the lead and won easily.
The losers had to pay for dinner for
all the contestants.
On Sunday afternoon. at the resi-
dence of Hon. S. NJ. Damon, Nuuanu
valley, the Rev. Dwight Baldwin passed
peacefully away to his long rest in the
presence of his family and friends. The
deceased was conscious TO the last. DR..
Baldwin was born at Durham, Conn,
September Goth, 1898, consequently was
a little over 81 years of age. He and
his wife sailed from New Bedford,
Mass, in the ship New England, ar
irving here June 9, 1881. The de-
ceased was one of the few remaining
of the oldest missionaries on the island.
He leaves three daughters Mrs. w. o..
Atwater, Mrs. W. d. Alexander and
Mrs. S. NJ. Damon, and two sons, Messrs.
II. p. and d. d. Baldwin, to mourn his
loss They were all present at the time
of his death with the exception Of
the latter, who is on Maui
The Khan arrived about half'past
seven O'Clock Sunday morning from
WindWaFd with the rOyal standard dy.|