The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-06-06
L. A. Thurston Secures Option
On Volcano House With a View
To Establishing In Its Place a
Hotel Worthy Of Attractions
NATa0NACiP ARK WILL .
NEcESSITATE THIS
Health Resort To Rival Paso Ro-
bIes and Arkansas Hot Springs
Is PosslbleymWith Scenic and
Volcanic Grandeur in Addition

HILo, June 2.-One of the biggest
business deals which concerns Hilo and
particularly the tourist traffic to the
Big Island is now pending, but whether
it will be contaminated or not remains
TO be seen. 1t centers in the control
of the Volcano House Company, now
held by Demosthenes Lycurgus, but
upon whose stock an option has beer
secured by L. A. Thurston. If sufi.
cient capital can be interested to take
over the stock of the popular "Mon'
ty," 1t is the idea of Mr.. Thurston to
make the vicinity of the ever active
crater of Kilauea one of the wOrld-re.
nowned health resort.
A Personal Option =
When asked whether it was fact
that he held an option on the control
Of the Kilauea Volcano House, Mr.
Thurston replied that il was fact.
Mr.. Thurston was then Informed that
it was rumored that the option was for
the benefit of the Great Northern
Steamship Company and was asked
whether this was correct. Mr.. Thurs.
ton replied:
"The option is entirely in my own
name and with no other person or con
Germ behind it. l have had no negO-
tiations with the Great Northern Com
pany, nor had thought of their taking
the matter up.
~ will say this, however, that l
think the transportation companies are
more interested in establishing better
hotel accommodations at the Volcano
than any others, for the reason that
a first class hotel plant at the Volcano
will make money for them, whether the
hotel pays or not.
"By this 1 do not mean that il Is
question whether first class hotel
will pay, for have no doubt on that
point"
Asked as to what plans he had in
connection with the hotel, Mr.. Thurston
replied:
~ have no plans specific enough to
discuss, but the situation in general is
as follows
Been Long Interested
"As you are aware u have long been
intensely interested insthe Volcano and
everything appertaining thereto. s
81 organized the present Volcano
Company then erected the present main
hotel building. Shortly afterward the
bottom dropped out of Halemaumau
and for ten or twelve years there was
practically no fire in the crater. Dur
ing this period the hotel lost money
some years and barely held its own
others. I sold out my interest in the
hotel about 1908 to George Lycurgus
who, in turn, sold the control to
DemOsthenes Lycurgus.
Must Be Developed
"Cnder the control of the Lycur
guses the hotel has developed and i'm
proved and has well served the pur
pose of a mountain hotel. The condi
tionS and accommodations are such
however that, while it well meets the
demands of an overnight sleeping
place, and, to II limited extent. a resort
to my mind the situation justified and
the conditions demand the establish.
mcnt Of much larger and better equip.
ped establishment, which will not only
serve the present purpose but be such
an attractive and well appointed re-
sort as to not only draw tourists but
convert the place into health and
vacation resort, that will become world
famous.
This will require a large amount of
capital. Whether the requisite capital
is now available for this purpose re-
mains to be seen, but l am going to
test the matter out T.,
~ believe that the time is ripe for
such Il development ut Kilauea.
Great Scenic Center
'"rhe VOlcanods the center of more
different kinds of attractive scenery;
scientific Interest and of attributes of
health and vacation resort
Islands, and equal to anything that l
know of in the world.
cone item alone which, TO my mind,
is capable of making the Volcano House
Il world resort iST the possibilities in.
cideht I'd tBeNsrhbhur steam baths.
1.-THE prominent position given to the
byron hot springs, the baths at Paso
Robes in California, the Hot Springs
Of Arkansas aud Virginia are we'll
known. These localities possess little or
nothing except the springs to give them
note, whereas the Volcano has the ad
vantage of cool bracing climate; the
active volcano; the wonderful comhi.
nation OF tropical forests and Volcan.
ic wonders all close at hand and the
system Of automobile roads and horse
and foot trails which can be indefinite
Iy extended at comparatively small
cost.
"The setting apart of the Volcano
ms National Park, which Is now prac-
ticnlly accomplished, will also help to
bring into prominence the features
which make the Kilaues region one of
tn" wonder spots OF the world.
NV object is to try and secure the
establishment of hotel and resort con
Quoted upon up-tQ-date lines, Whether
this is feasible or not remains to be
seen, but shall do my best to try and
secure this result.