Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-11-03

estimating 1t unless one counted the
dogs and cats present.
A Worthy Parsonage
We drove over and introduced our
selves to the engineer, conductor.
brakeman, steward, parlor car con.
ductor, switchman, fireman, round.
house man, wiper and the wrecking
crew of the shortest free railroad In
the world and he greeted us with a
pleasant SMILE, Considering the num-
Der of important positions he held We
expected him to balk at being photo.
graphed, but he was genial dignitary
was Frank Ornelles. He seated him.
self in the cab of his train and smiled
directly into the camera.
Never a Wreck
You might put this in, too, that
while l have been operating this road
for over eight years l have never had
collision with another train on this
track, which is some record, ha
smiled. He forgot at the time to men
ton that his was the only train on the
mile and a quarter of track, but we for.
gave him because of his smile.
We had in mind to ask him il he had
also made a record by being the only
conductor in the world who had failed
to knock down. fares, but as no fares
are collected perhaps it would have
been out of place. The line was built
from Pearl City to the end of the pc
ninsula when a suburban lot selling
scheme was begun many years ago,
an ! free service was contracted for
between those buying property and the
Oahu railroad. And the shortest free
railroad has been running since that
time without income and will continue
to run so long as folks continue living
on the peninsula. And they cannot be
blamed for residing there, for it is
little paradise in itself. -s,
At Rails End
The automobile travelled down the
peninsula to rails end-where the free
railway tracks run out on a floating
pier and drop into the waters of Pearl
Harbor.
On this landing is the vantage point
for view of Pearl Harbor To the
left across the blue water rose the
great wireless towers of the naval
station, and here and there on the
water itself swayed idle yachts, among
them being the famous transpacific
racer, the yacht Hawaii.
1t was an ideal moment to glimpse
this enchanted inlet The harbor, like
one immense sheet of glass, mirror
plate of Paradise, reflected the rosy
light of the dying sun as it shot its
last shrapnel of sunbeams over the
mountains to the west. Black and
blue these rolling hills lay against the
bright yellow blast, and then as the
great round shimmering globe dipped
slowly into the far reaches of the
Orient the blue haze about their base
vanished and the green verdure stood
out in bright contrast to the darkening
blue OF the waters of the harbor.
The Return Trip
Too soon it was time to leave. We !
bundled into the car and by means of
another road circled the peninsula and
viewed the beautiful mansions of this
secluded spot in the dusk of the tyi-
light. Children ran from the gates to
greet us at every turn, shouting
"Hello!" and "Goodbye!" as the car
glided past. A dog chased the ma.
chine, yapping at the front wheel I'M
til the honk Of the motor horn fright. |
ened him and he scuttIed away with
his tail between his legs, bowling his
horror at the monster that dared to
inyade this sacred Peninsula of Peace. /
Driving fast but carefully, the man
at the wheel promised us one more
sight worth seeing. In Moanalua
Park he pointed out the Japanese pa
CODA and then the car began to climb.
The gears shifted, and up, up, up we /
went till
Salt Lake
Here's Salt lake, in which, though I
there is no known outlet, the water
rises and falls with the tide" he said /
as the car. bounded to the crest over
looking the huge expanse of water te
The west. To the east lay Honolulu.
Its white houses like little fairy lamps
sprinkled among the green of the
trees, and far, far in the distance.
framed against the blue sky and Tie
blue water. sat old Diamond Head. its
uncut rim tipped with the luster of the
sinking sun. It was truly a magnifi.
cent sight, and one that really eli.
NAKED trip that had disclosed scores
Of Wondrous scenic marvels. Long we
gazed upon it. drinking in the chang
Ing colors of the sea, sky and land, IN,
III the last tiny sunbeam had tWinkled !,