Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-09-26
DURAN Dinner
Will Be Served
Fourth Estate
NeWSpapermen Are Invited to
Feast on Rare Fruit of
lava Tree

Tonight Alexander Hume Ford is
giving DURAN dinner" to the press
of Honolulu, the two guests of honor
being Mr. c. Morgan of the y. S.
W. tourist bureau (who is being en-
tertained by Ford today, and young
David Hunter, whose father, Percy
Hunter. organized a Honolulu Press
Club five years ago. The press club
of old had its home. until it was torn
down, in the public service building.
Hereafter it will be rendered a new
home in the Pan-Pacific rooms.
Just what is DURAN dinner" Is
it likely to become a great society
stunt? is Ford starting something
new that will be popular in the DURAN
dinner? is being asked, and Ford says,
Possibly not, but who knows?"
What is a DURAN? It is the fruit
OF wonderful tree that grows in ia
va. Outside c. Java there is but one
DURAN tree and that on Kauai, the
property of George Wilcox, who sent
with an accent on the "scent") the
two lone products OF his tree this year
to Ford, having long promised him
that the moment they were ripe he
would ship them out of Kauai. this at
the demand of the residents of that is
land for while the DURAN has the
reputation of being the most delicious
tasting fruit in the world, it is also
known as the most evil smelling, put
ting the festive polecat to Shame at
his own game and making limberger
by comparison smell like the sweetest
odor. Small boys never steal it-Dr.
Brigham please note. 1t is said that
those who can taste the DURAN before
smelling 1t long for this food forever
after. but those who smell first avoid
any land in which the tree grows and
watts the fragrance of its fruit to the
air.
Unfortunately for the business dis
trict of Honolulu one Of the durians
got busted en- route. The Inter-Ts-
land people took the big tin box with
the durians from the Kauai steamer
and. covered it with canvas and sever
al loads of sawdust, sending in the
meantime a hurry call to H. H. Will
liams, and messages Of coincidence to
Ford, to whom the package was ad-
dressed. Ford understood, and sent
his secretary. Joe Stickney, for the
durians Ford had forced DURAN on
Joe in Java, so he was wise, and took
long rope with him, at the end of
which he dragged the package to the
Pan-Pacific rooms. G. Morgan Of the
Sydney tourist bureau was Just as
cending the stems. He remembered
Ford in ioviaI health, and at once took
out his handkerchief, young Hunter
ESCAPED through a Back window and
Ford at once applied one of the close
pins he had provided for the press din.
ner tonight to his nose and smiled.
Alone and unaided he removed the
squashed DURAN and placed its re-
mains in a jar Of forInaldehyde Then
the perfect fruit was Theoretically
sealed until 1t is hauled up by a rope
tonight from the yard and placed on
the table-after everyone has eaten a
real dinner. -.@ -.
The DURAN will be opened after
dessert and those who remain for five
minutes pay no initiation fee to the
Press CLUB: those who taste become
honorary members without dues, and
he who eats most will automatically
become president of q press club that
will stand for anything. Ford says
that the DURAN tastes like ground wal
nuts and .pulverized young onions. Joe
Stickney states that even in Java
Ford was asked to remove his DURAN
from the hotel to another island. How
ever, DURAN dinner is novelty, and
those present tonight-if Ford can
ind
the new stunt-will probably be able
to talk of the one such affair ever
likely to happen In Honolulu.