Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-10
SCHOOL GIRLS

VHAn Uncle sam done for Hawaii?
" 1t is the oldest Of our colonial
@ possessions. We annexed II
36&3SEI in 1855 and it has been a par,
49, OF us for the list fourteen
years, IL was rich when We got n: il Is
richer today. 1t did big business then;
u does a bigger one now. Its foreign
commerce is almost s7ooooooo per annum.
ana II has more than doubled since We
made this a territory. Hawaii now buys
more than s2i.ecoeoo worth OF goods eyery
Twelve months. and 20 per cent OF this
We supply. The business Is all done in
American bottoms. and the customs re-.
ceipts' which so 10 the federal treasury.
nave already amounted to about SIS 600. /.
"e, In addition to this is a large sum
from internal 7 venue taxes. so that the
Islands not only support themselves and
pay all their expenses but they annually
turn a large sum back into Uncle SANS
toffers. This. should say. is good busI.
cess.
More schools and Colleges.
The Hawaiian islands have grown in
Intelligence since we took hold OF them
Then " per cent OF the natives could
sead and write Now all can do so They
were a civilized country Inhabited by a
civilized people. At the time OF annexa-
tion they had a common school system
like that Of New England, and there were
lS,coo children in the schools. There arc
now seoeo. and compulsory law has
been enacted raising the school age from
j. to u years. ] know OF no land where
the school age Is 80 high. Moreover. the
schools are quite as good as our own.
and they Include in their teaching manual
and Industrial training.
Within the last few years the govern
Lent has established a college Of az-
iiculture. and also experiment stations
devoted to the crops which grow on the
islands. The government has bureau OF
forestry, and II has set aside three for.
est reserves. II has an energetic de.
partment for health, and one island has
been set aside as a home for the lepers.
Others Of the archipelago have been re-
served to keep alive the wonderful bird
life OF the middle Pacific, and the Island
VI Hawaii. the largest OF all. Is soon To
be the site Of a National park which
nil inciose the greatest volcano. known
10 man. A bill to this effect is now be.
icre congress- and the governor of the
Islands has advised that the reservation
be made.
A National Park Of Volcanoes.
Before I 80 further want to tell you
about this volcano park. We have the
greatest geysers OF the world on our
public reservation OF the Yellowstone We
shall have the greatest volcano and the
greatest active crater In this part OF
Hawaii. The whole archipelago is made
up OF volcanoes. IL has altogether forty
volcanic peaks and volcanic ash and lava
abound everywhere. The ven, soil is de-
composed lava. and this in places Is
twenty feet deep making the islands
among the richest on earth.
The island Of Hawaii, the largest OF
the group where congress Is asked 10
create this mark. consists mainly OF the
gentle slopes OF five volcanic mountains.
and Il has among them the Mauna
J.oa. which Is by far the largest volcano
Of the world. There is a crater at It's
top which Is almost as high as Pixies
Peak, and another on one side, the IA
nous kilauea. which Is constantly active
and has great lake OF fire IN its center.
il Is planned to make one reservation
right at the top Of Mauna Ioa and an
ether reservation down the sides Of the
mountains to include Kilauea. KIlauea
Is only fooo feet above the sea, and IL Is
situated on belt road around the island.
and can be reached by automobiles.
Lake of Fire and Brimstone.
Think Of going by automobile right
down to the shores Of a lake Of
fire and birthstone! That ss what
we have in KIlauea. and all around
In the country about are picturesque nit
craters, hanks OF sulphur and lava trees.
tree ferns and forests Of many varieties.
The government will establish a volcano
and earthquake observatory there, and
II Win preserve natural features from
Nandals and business Intrusion.
The crater Of KiIa1ea is eight miles in
circumference and the Dit Of blazing fire
is ZOO feet in diameter and IT lies per-
haps Loco feet below the mouth Of the
crater. II is usually safe, but IL has
had some mighty eruptions, when stones.
and volcanic ashes have been spread
over the country for miles around. In
recent times the lava Is supposed TO have
gone out under the earth to the sea. the
floor OF the crater rising and sinking with
its discharge.
The crater in the other reservation on
the top Of Mauna Loa. measures about
nine and-ene-half miles in circumference
II is pit crater. with walls almost YER
tcai and about go feet deep. When the
mountain goes into eruption it spouts
forth columns Of flames and clouds Of
vspor and the lava runs in streams down
the mountains. The last great eruption
was in 1997. and vas attended by an earth
quake. The one in 1855 raised huge ses,
waves ferry feet high. which broke on IL ,
shore and DESTROYED many Villages.
Uncle Sans bird reservation. which o.