Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1913-05-14

planters are happy over it for it has
been some time since we had a good
rain and the sugar cane needs it bad
ly.
You ask about the leis. Yes, there
are several other kinds of seeds used
in making them. There are the red
that | imagine are the same that Won
speak of Mr.. Cutler having. Then
there are brown and black. The black
are really very pretty and are conse-
quently more expensive than any of
the others. Just went in next door
to have look at their leis. They are
beautiful and so many varieties that
they did not have at Xmas. l will be
glad to get you some at any time.
Now for the price. They range from
10 to so cents string. The natives
also make little bag or purse of the
brown seeds that is rather interest
ing. Suppose those are about a dol
lar. If you like | will get you a
chain of each kind and then you can
let me know if you want any more.
The seeds in the chain / sent you are
called Jobs Tears. Why, l do not
know. They grow on a little grass
like plant in rather marshy places
and the seeds grow where the leaf
JONES the stem. They grow about
2 or feet high and grow by the mil
lion, around here. The red seeds
have little black spot on one end.
They grow on tree in a long pod
Now for the surf-riding. Your
surmise is correct. The boys either
go out in the outrigger canoe or on
long fiat board called a surf board,
catch a breaker and come shooting
in to shore. Duke Kahanamoka the
champion swimmer of the world, is
native boy and spends most of his
time at the beach so l expect to go
out surf riding with him some day.
Duke is a great, strong, strapping
! fellow. He is really a fine type of
an Hawaiian. This is the only place
in the world that they surf ride. Do
not see why they can't do it else
where. There is no reason that l
know of why it should be peculiar to
these islands. We go in swimming
almost every Sunday morning
Next Sunday, | have an appointment
with Chinese boy to give me some
instructions in swimming. He is
regular duck in the water. >F
The business people of this 53city"
are white. Most of them came over
as missionaries in the early day and
are now millionaires. They still
squeeze a nickle eve never see a
penny here) until it squeals, unless
it is for sweet charity's sake, then
they shell out very literally. The
trouble is that their wealth Is of SO
recent date that they are not used
to spending money and they do not
know how. Wish / could give them
lessons.
We are ON the Island Of Oahu
and / believe it is next to the larg
est of the group, Hawaii being the
largest. 1t is delightful trip to go
around the island in an auto. Every
one does that, am going soon. You
can go around in a day. ~
You ask what else they have that
is characteristic of the islands. The
"tapa" interests me as much as any
thing. 1t is used and called a. cloth
by the native. 1t is made of the bark
of the mulberry tree and is pounded
together. 1t is used nowadays for
card cases, bookcovers, waste bask-
cts, etc. The tapa is getting very
rare and very hard to get. 1t really
makes very pretty card cases which
wash with soap and water. They
come in very delicate tints such as
light gray and salmon pink. In a
few years it will be impossible to get
tapa at all. Can't think of anything
that could be called Hawaiian" OF
course there are oceans of Jap goods
here. The pongee is as expensive as
it is the states. Have never seen
any other color, however will make
inquiries. The Japanese crepes are
quite reasonable and in such pretty
colors. You see there are so many
tourists here that they keep the pri-
ces up. If you only are on intimate
terms enough with some Jap or Chi
nese he can go and get the same ar
ticle in Chinatown for 10 cents that
you would have to pay 40 cents for.
VIII send you some Chinese candy.
Nothing is cheap here but bananas
and you can get / IL dozen for .
cents.
am living at the Y. M. C9ASnow.
There are about 5000 white people
here and autos galore. One auto for
every 5 white people and one for ey-
cry rs persons including natives,
Japs, Chinese, Portuguese etc. So
MANY women drive their cars here,