The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-10-29
Thrifty HomeSteaderS
From Whom No
Kicks Come.
(From Sunday Advertiser)
Written for The Advertiser by
A. L. NOSE

Written for The Advertiser by
A L. MOSES,
of Laupahoehoe. Hilo, Hawaii.
l came to the Territory of Hawaii
ten years ago, and since then have re
sided in the districts of Hamakua, Hilo,
and, for a brief period, in Olaa. l was
during that time engaged for six years
as a clerk in three different plantation
stores, and for two years had charge
of the insurance business of the First
Bank of Hilo. Four years ago l came
to Laupahoehoe, taking charge of
| E. w. Barnard s general merchandise
store and coffee business at that point.
For the last two years I have been a
partner and active manager of the bust
ness. am also acting postmaster and
a notary public.
Some of my people were farmers on
| the mainland, and 1 obtained a general
knowledge of farming work in that
connection. Ever since / have been
in the Hawaiian Islands my attention
has been directed towards, and l have
been interested in, the homestead ques.
ton.
Personal Acquaintance.
While IN the several plantation stores
referred to, the adjacent homesteaders
were among the customers of the sew
eral stores, and I became acquainted
with numbers of them.
During the past four years, while
have been at Laupahoeheoe and in bust
ness for myself, my previous general
interest has become specific, for the
reason that among my best customers
are the hcmesteaders residing in that
immediate vicinity, more particularly
those on tho Waipunalei and Upper
Kilau homesteads, which Immediately
oin the Laupahoehoe valley on the
, north and south.
have seen many statements to the
, effect that homesteaders cannot make
living in Hawaii, and that homestead
ing is failure here, so that for severa
years past I have kept a memoran
D dunn concerning individual homestead
| ers with whom I was brought directly
t into contact.
Waipunalei Homesteads.
The Waipunalei homesteads were lait
cut about 1896, in thirty-nine lots
! ranging from six to twenty acres each
About the same time approximately
: dozen other lots, averaging littl
larger in size, situate mauka of tn
; homesteads, were sold outright by tn
;, government and purchased by numbe
: of people who went into the coffee bust
: ness thereon.
The bottom of the coffee marke
a dropped out shortly afterwards, an
u most of the original coffeemen left tn
district. Now that the price of coffe
!, is up again. quite little coffee is CON
9 ing from these lots, but the bulk o
u these upper lots are now in pasture
! having partially been bought in by tn
? makai homesteaders and the plantation
J Thirty Contented Homesteaders.
+ There were originally thirty min
/. homestead lots laid out in Waipunale
n in addition to the mauka coffee lot
n above referred to. Some few wer
n transferred by the original occupant
:. but there are now approximately thirt
7 homesteaders living on these thirty
D. nine lots, all of the lots being no
N owned by them, with the exception G
10 about six which have been gathere
IS in by the plantation. Several of tn
small lots makai have been absorbe
II. by the other homesteaders, as thel
% was not area enough in the small'
10 lots for the owner to make Twin
] thereon.
IN Sixteen Years Occupancy.
n The bulk of these thirty men hay
o. lived on these lands from twelve
is sixteen years, and all of them are no
making a living on their homestead
doing occasional outside work for II
70 railroad, on the government roads, II
~ the plantation, and for myself. The
70 are nearly all engaged in Oversize
re farming, having portions of their HON
NJ stead in cane, corn, taro, vegetable
70 and coffee. They all have pigs, chic
al ems. a few cattle and horses enough fl
be their own use. Quite a number
be them own buggies and Surveys, in whit
IN they drive to church and otherwise u
,d for social and business purposes.
or No Homesteads for Sale.
'e- AS they all deal with me, ha'
during the past four years gained
tv pretty close knowledge of their fna
es cia and business status. OF the hon
al steaders, two are Germans and &
". other twenty-eight are Portuguese
Mt All of them are married and have CHI
We dren; the great majority of whom a
I'd living at home, helping their paren
IN work their homesteads.
m. All the above thirty homesteade
re. are well-to.do, as that term applies
IT. their station in life.
We / do not know of one of them who
va homestead is for sale, or who ey'
az thinks of such a thing as trying
IS. sell it.
ny New and Better Houses
re Most of the originql settlers bu
:" comparatively cheap buildings, Abo
half Of them have made money enouI
es out of their homesteads to build NJ
or and improved residences, and TO put
at barns and other outbuildings. / ha
ID sold the material for five new re
zee donees 10 these homesteaders during I
rs, past -four years, a number OF the
by buildings are worth from $1,000 20 $50
each, besides which there are the OF
- buildings
Purchases Average $4,000 Per Annu
a My ledger accounts with these thir
a lafuaafaadara durfnu aha nuat ia