The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-08-03
Bottles Worth
SIS Each Litter
Pacific Ocean
Beachcombing To Recover vaIu-
able 'Floaters' Becomes Craze
atr With Honolulu Folk

DoTTLE, bottle, who 5 got the bot.
IN tlef is the latest game being
played along Hawaii's pleasant
beaches. -. = . .a.s.t. -f..H
Should you chance to see, next time
yon go for stroll along the shore,
several men, women and children
beaeheombinR, or gazing fxedly at
some small black object bobbing In the
water, you are more than likely TO be
right Il you hazard guess that they
are bottle hunting. ...r
Some time ago the report became
noised about the waterfront that the
Japanese government was offering a
reward of five dollars, each for bottles
The rumor created sensation in loca'
Junk circles and air the old bottle men
in townggot busy in the matter.
Investigation revealed the sad fact
hat the Japanese government was not
trying to corner the old bottle market
Of the world but only wanted certain
bottles east overheard from the steam
er Unyo Maru, Of the Japanese Ash
commission, for the purpose Of testing
Dcean currents. -,
Many Bottles Cast Ahoat H. ~
Two thousand of these bottles, each
decorated in such a way as to attract
Intention and differentiate them from
he common or garden "dead soldier -
we're strewn along the, South Pacific
.ome time ago and each is worth O
lve-dOllar gold piece. ~. t.r.k
During the past month three of these
BOTTLES have been picked up between
honolulu and San Francisco and IL Is
ighly prof. able that some Of them are
It this moment reposing' on island
reaches or bobbing about aimlessly
within the three mile limit. -
Inside the bottles is a notice printed
+. n five languages asking the finder to
lotify the fish commission and receive
he reward.
The shortage Of squid and other reef
lelieaeies in the market last week is
attributed TO the fact that the native
fishermen have taken to bottle hunting,
instead of spearing the retiring squid
r collecting the humble but esucuient
mud crab. ~
So far the local stevedOre situation
as not been affected by the new craze,
;hough what would happen should a
ew bottles be found, it is impossible
% predict
1NVAy ohAp vi LOOkOuB
It is stated on good authority that
IN at least two occasions during the
oast few weeks ocean going liners have
been slowed down for the purpose,
doubtless, Of ascertaining whether
loatihg bottle which had been passed
'ore the dollar.bearing sign. f..
Only last week steamer pass
ing another near Honolulu sig
7aled 'Have you got any bottlesf'i
The vessel signaled was Sydney
raft, and the skipper, who is a Scotch
nan, hospitable but not noted for his
wit, had a boat lowered and sent to
the pther steamer with a case of
Scotch.
A party Of fishermen operating along
the reef the other day saw what looked
to be a large bottle floating some dis.
lance away. They padded their canoe
70 the spot, only to see the object dis
appear. 1t was the snout of young
bottle.nose whale (Hyperoodon rostra-
tus) which had been summing itself Just
Neneath the surface and which fed on,
the approach of the canoe.
The search for bottles has resulted
in a much-needed cleaning up of the
Neach, and at some points along the
beach road piles of bottles which have
been picked, up are. to be seen. Thew
are mostly square-faees, however, and
IRE absolutely without re"enue produc
ing Qualities. 49,,