Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-09-10

areas AID customs far more than they do in Cali
i'liF@' IN iacL In passing through many of the
villages on the big sugar and pineapple planta-
IONS the visitor is reminded of the country
towns in Japan
II IS the exception in Hawaii when one meets
toaay a native Hawaiian of pure blood. The best
cross Is that between the Hawaiian and the Chi
hese the oriental blood giving that business abil-
ity Whlch the native lacks. Next to this comes
the japanese and Hawaiian blend that produces
many beautiful girls. The energy of the white
man Is greatly impaired by union with the Ha-
Waiian With this blending of races is a complete
breaking down of the usual racial lines In Cali
fornia the Japanese has no social standing. and
a white girl who marrles a Japanese is ostra-
cized- In Hawaii the JaDanese and the Chinese
when crossed with the Hawaiian, has as good a
social position as the whites
This extraordinary cosmopolitanism was shown
very clearly at an entertainment given in Hon0t
lulu. 1t was a variety performance for the benefit
of charity, held in the roof garden of the Alex
ander Young hotel, and all Honolulu society was
out In force. Girls of great beauty with com
pexions like porcelain, had the slant eyes of
the Monaghan; others had almond eyes and the
dusky skin of their mothers others were dark as
southern negroes, with thick lips and bold rugged
features-representatives of the native race which
is fast disappearing. And all these people of va
rious races mingled in perfect amity and good
VIII.
It Is curious to observe the absolute breaking
down of all race prejudice as seen on the street
and at all public places and entertainments
The man who is used to the Jim Grow cars for
Colored people in all southern cities Will be
startled in Honolulu to see a dusky Hawaiian
woman. with her bundles of household purchases.
drop down into the seat beside him on any crowd
ed street of Honolulu or Japanese or Chi
nesc share his seat, with feeling that he is
ar intruder 1t is this absolute assumption of
social equality by what we have come to regard
inferior races that gives shock to the American
visitor to Hawaii But after the first surprise
one is apt to admire this social equality
which takes no count of race or creed or train
ing of color of skin or setting of the eyes.
The two most wonderful sights in Honolulu are
the work of man. These are the Aquarium and
the Bishop museum The first belongs to the city,
and because of the extraordinary variety and
coloring Of the fishes it surpasses in interest the
great Aquarium at Naples. The other was found
ed BY Charles Reed Bishop. wealthy merchant
of Honolulu. in memory of his wife. the Princess
Pauahi who was the greatgranddaughter of the
ruling chief at the time of Captain Cooks visit
and direct descendant of Kamehameha the
Great The museum is housed in a fine stone
building in the center OF The kamehameha school
grounds at Kaliki. suburb Of Honolulu.
The Aquarium is located near the famous Wal
Xxi beach and is easily reached by car ride of
about twenty minutes. The building is unpre
tentious and the tanks are not arranged with
the art shown in the Naples Aquarium. What
fmpresses the visitor almost at the outset is the
wonderful variety Of the fishes and their equally
wonderful coloring. To describe them as they are
lays one open to the charge Of eXaggeraton.
Not only are there fish of fiery red deep blue
light blue orange and other primary colors, but
these coIors are blended in many variations of
stripes and other eccentric markings. Then, too.