The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-01-28
B. /. Dillingham; Passes Fifty Years In Hawaii
Rises In Honolulu From Sailor To Capitalist
Pioneer Railway Promoter and
Builder Began Life As Sailor
Before Mast

il VI MS arrival here, u. n. billing
~ ham was the recipient of a luncn.
ePn at the Country Club yesterday,
Egiven by bis eldest son, Walter +. Dil,
Bingham. L.
The gathering was most enjoyable
one and was attended by friends of
years standing and by those of the
younger generation who have made
themselves dear to the man who has
done 20 much for this island by hav.
ing faith in the ultimate outcome OF
the problems Of Hawaii and sticking
TO IL. =
The luncheon, which was a simple
one, was made very pleasant by the
relation OF "reminiscences by those
present and many were the stories re-
lated Of the old days Of. Honolulu town
aud the islands. IS, ~
During the course Of the lunch the
guest Of honor spoke Of his long resi-
dence in the Islands and his life as
boy, and how he came TO finally make
up his mind to ego west. y His story,
as related to the interested listeners,
was as follows: 5is I
Mr.. Dillingham; s Address
tive are invited to halt TODAY for a
little rest and refreshment az this at.
Eaetive Country club, and review with
me for q few minutes the fifty years
that have passed since my arrival in
this port. Truly this is most delight.
full resort, where we are famed by
balmy breezes and may bask in glo-
rious sunshine at will Here we view
the broad expanse Of the blue Pacific
tapping our shOres-reminding me of
the day fifty years ago iwhes ia tho
good bark Whistler, commanded b;
Commodore John Patty, we entered Ho-
nolulu Harbor and dropped anchor.
sThis statement might imply that
this was the commandment of my sea.
going life, but such was not the ease.
My attraction for the sea commenced
when ! was alsman boy of ten or eleven
years. AT that time my parents owned
"a home in Sonthboro, Massachusetts.
My father was then captain of the shin
Charles Carroll of Boston. IS
my duty at home was such as gen
eEally falls TO the lot of small boys. A
gOodly pile Of domestic firewood had
been sawed and split and delivered
near the family wood house. While
conveying and piling this wood for sea.
soning, my attention was called TO a
glorious sunset which impressed itself
very WILDLY upon my youthful mind;
principally for the reason that won.
dered IL should ever go West, where
the sun disappeared. @ Al 81 ..Gr.,
Between that date and my thir-
tcenth birthday, my father was induced
to change his sea going life to that Of
IA farmer. His special indneement for
making this chnnge, was the attraction,
Of home and his desire to remove
from his two sons the temptation Of
following his, example in adopting a sea
life. ~. IT
"This desire on my fathers part, so
far as was concerned, was not sue
ccssful. Romantic tales Of the ocean,
and the vivid memory of that setting
sum- filed my soul with desire TO
make one or more ytEages around tho
world. g
Signs Tor First Voyage
cat the age of fourteen and half
gears, with the full consent of my par
ents, my father assisting in planning
Tor my first voyage, ] signed shipping
articles, for voyage around the world
before the, mast on the clipper ship
Southern Cross of Boston. 1t might be
interesting to note that the wages paid
to boys that time was the munifcent
sum of one dollar the MONTH
We sailed from Boston about the
sixth Of June, 1859. We doubled Cape
Horn and arrived in San Francisco four
months later. In that port IL was the
custom at that time to pay of the crew
aud reship another before sailing on
the next voyage. When the boys of
the crew were paid off in San Francis
co for the voyage out, they received
eight dollars the month instead of one,
and another boy and myself were pro
NOTED to ordinary seamen for the rest
of the voyage and received twenty dol
lars the month. The Southern Cross
took in cargo for Hongkong, China,
Manila, and other ports, and completed
the round trip TO Boston in eleven
months and twenty days was in the
Southern Gross altogether. four years.
son June 8, 1868, we were near the
Equator in the Atlantic Ocean when we
were oYefhauled and captured by the
rebel cruiser Florida. Our ship was
fred by her officers, and the captain,
wife, officers and crew of the Southern
Cross were transferred to the spar deck
Of the Florida. The crew were put in
irons and remained on deck; but Capt.
B. p. Howes and wife We're eOurteOuslY
given the use of Captain Months pri.
vate stateroom, A week later the bark
Fleur dc Para from Havre took seven
OF our number, including our captain
and wife, and landed us in Sierra,
Brazil. After a few days, we were for
warded to Pernan,bueo, from which
place we were able, soon after, to work
our passage on to New York, and
thence on to Boston,s where we were
paid of at the Office of Baker & Morrill,,
owners of the Southern Cross.
Ships For San Francisco
"Abont four months later, the own,
ers of this same vessel built another
ship named the Aureola. Again ship
ped for San Franeisco--this time in the
position Of second officer, reaching San
Francisco in the Fall of 1860. Soon
after my arrival ] left the ship and
obtained the position of first officer on
the bark Whistler under Capt, John
Patty. , .....g W. -.
." After my tcmpestuous experiences
in rounding Cape Horn and the Cape
of Good Hone this trim seemed to me