The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-05-14

resident district is given over entirely
to red carnations, another haunts asst
ers month after month. another big
yellow chrysanthemums.
Steamer day is surely feature of
Hawaii's chief port Yesterday Homo
lulu may have been as lethargic life
less, as the poor faded horses Of the
Chinese hackman waiting there dis
consolately for the fare that never
comes. But today all is different, for
today is steamer day in the marnin!
Behold, a town alive to its farthest
outpost. Automobiles dashing every
where, every seat full. Business
houses hustling, clerks counting sec
onds before the mail departs. At the
postoffice frenzy running high conges-
ton within and without, incoming for
eign mail to be distributed, outgoing
foreign mail to be delivered at the
wharves, island mail transhipped, and
addresses in so many languages, such
Babel outside the windows the
wonder is anything goes right Gold
clinking at the banks, the impassive
gentlemen in the cages handling I'M
one day wealth which would make
the outside world, If it knew, sit up
and take notice. Tourists from Aus
tralia and India, officers from the
Philippines, Chinese and Japanese
notables, fresh-cheeked folk fresh
from THE States" and Canada, fly
here and there, bringing in life not
insular livening things up at great
rate. From these the flower vendors
reap their harvest, share with the
chauffeurs in a renewed prosperity.
OF course the "touriser" desires toI
wear leis (garlands), of course the
traveller wants all the local color pos
sible. He puts a wreath of carnations
about his hat, long garland of MALE
over his shoulder, and starts forth on
the mission of Seeing Honolulu" The
Hawaiian band plays for him, the
water heroes do their best stunts out
in the surf, the very waves glitter and
roll high in his honor the curio shops
present all of the primitive they pos
sess to tempt him, downtown cafe and
seaside hotel have an added sparkle,
townsfOlk are out in careful costumes
Everyone is in hurry, but everyone
IN Cta
cause there is something worth while
to hasten for. The street urchins are
especially alert, and most alert OF
these are the eager elfin newsboys'
the olive-skinned urchins whose shrill
cry of Daily Tar, Plenty News is
now full of meaning, for is not this
Steamer Day and Foreign Mail?
The street car service in Honolulu is
noted for the courtesy of It's employees;
an outsider used to the rudeness that
| is the rule in cities at home, rubs MS
eyes, thinks these polite servants OF
the public must be the Pigment OF a
dream. The idea of a street car con-
ductor listening attentively, answering
politely, putting himself to trouble
smilingly, seems too good to be true.
Conductor and motorman in Homo
lulu are under one great strain that IN
terferes with their equanimity and re-
veals that they are mere men after
all. that they occasionally indulge in
violence of language and act. Japs
newly arrived from Nippon, or just in
from a sugar-mill village, are blandly,
crassly ignorant about street car Gus
toms and restrictions. Individually
and in groups you see them do this in
comprehensive thing-touch the bell,
then Immediately and confidently step
off. Often they are killed; always
they are hurt, for the street cars not
only going buzzing along at a good
pace, but because of the slope of the
streets they have their steps very high
from the ground, and fall from one
of these rapidly moving cars is any
thing but a joke. The number of &C
cidents, one would think, would have
been noised about among the Orient
ais so that by this time they would
have learned their lesson, but even to-
day the closest watch has to be kept
on the Japanese passengers-some
conductors put on worried look the
moment Jap enters the car, and are
on the qui vive to clutch his shoulder
the second he fingers the bell. have
seen a pretty little doll of a jar
woman board car daintily costumed
daintily coiffed, fresh and colorful as
! the flower in her hair, her face alert
, and intelligent, appearing as though
: she could very well take care OF her
self, as though very modern, decided
J ly of the new Japan. And have seen
) this little goose touch the bell and Skin
lightly forth, seen her come dowI
, with great heaviness and force, hei
; poor little rose crushed in the dirt
, her wonderful obi deep in the mire