Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-10-02

to 90 up where the Hilo market now
Is, swinging inland. and they accord
ingiy proposed to the Hilo Railroad
Company to exchange certain rights
ot-way. An exchange deed was exc
cuted between the two companies,
which nave here. produce il more
particularly because the map shows
the situation very clearly. Later on
the suggestion having been made from
responsible sources that the govern
ment was approving too many loca-
tons, rights-of-way, etc. cutting
through government lands there he
ing up to that time II such applica-
tionsl, as shown in letters on file in
Mr.. McCandless' office, is was thought
that il would be preferable to put
them in the form of a formal grant
which could then go on record, and be
filed with other conveyances OF gov
eminent land. Accordingly. in 1903,
Henry l.. Cooper then being superin-
tendent of public works, a computa-
ton Of all the approvals that had been
made up to that time of rights-of-way
and station sites occupied by the rail-
road company was put into one grant
and a formal deed made to the Hilo
Railroad Company thereof by Mr..
Cooper. We had another map attach
ed to this grant showing the changes
incident to the exchange with the Ko-
hala-Hilo Railroad Company. (Shows
map to Secretary Fisher and Mr.. Ash
ford, and explains the different loca-
tons, ETC., referred to in his state
ments above.)
Fisher: That is to say, Mr.. Thurs
ton, as a result of the exchanges be-
tween the two companies, the Kohala-
Hilo Railroad Company acquired prop
erty on the side of the shaded black
line shown on the map, which is to-
ward Hilo Bay. So
Thurston: Toward Wailuku River.
Fisher: Whereas the Hilo Railroad
Company retained the portion on the
other side of the shaded black line,
which is toward the corner of Front
street and Waianuenue street. Is that
correct? .-...... ~
Thurston: That is correct. There
still remains the Postoffice lot on the
corner, which was not conveyed to
either company. H..
Fisher: The. Postoffice site was not
conveyed to either company. Is that
correct? z,~ 81
Thurston: That is correct
Thurston: To proceed, shortly af.
ter this the Kohala-Hilo Company got
into difficulties, financial difficulties,
and the lot granted them was sold at
public auction and bought in by a
private party by the name of Hum
berg. He attempted to get title to
it before the Courts, but failed to get
a registered title. He thereupon at.
tempted to sell the title to the Hilo
Railroad Company, it being at that
time evident that the Kohala- Hilo
Company was apparently going out OF
business; and the Hilo Railroad Com.
pany took up the project of trying to
extend the line north from Hilo. The
Hilo Railroad Company bought the
title from Mr.. Humberg, paying q
nominal sum therefore, being the
amount of his claim against the Ko-
hala- Hilo Co. The question then
arose as to whether or not the Hilo
Railroad Company had acquired a
good title through Mr.. Humberg, the
grant to the Kohala-Hilo Company be-
ing made for railroad purposes only,
and it having passed out of the rail-
road company into the hands of a
private citizen; and the question was
whether or not the title would there
by lapse. 1t seemed to be pretty
good question to look up and settle,
before anybody else raised it. And
we then brought the matter up be-
fore the then Governor.
Fisher: Who was that?
Thurston: That. was Governor
Frear. At that time the Federal
Government had acquired a lot for
the Federal building, and an appro-
priation was made by Congress, for
the erection of the Federal building,
including the postoffice. The lot &C.
cupied by the postoffice would not
then be needed for this purpose. and
the Hilo Railroad Company accord
ingly applied to. Governor Frear and
the Superintendent of Public Works,
for grant covering both
the lots which it and the Kohala-
IIilo Railroad Company had previous.
ly had; and also including the corner
where the postoffice site was located,
as the reason for not granting this
corner to the company had now pass
ed. The Hilo Railroad Company had
perfected plans for extending north,
and would require the entire lot, of
approximately an acre, both for rail-
road and public reasons. for a rail-
road site. The matter was under con-
sideration for some, time, and finally