The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-04-09
CFrom Friday Advertiser)

of Hawaii IN the truest sense passed
quietly out OF fife about quarter after
three Yesterday morning at his resi-
denrC at Waikiki. Al death came to
HIM he was surrounded by his family.
He hal slipped into unconsc iousness
nhomt fifteen minutes before death
came. Mr.. Castle had been suffering
from nervous breakdown and insom
MIA during the past few weeks but there
had been no intimation that fatal re
suits might be expected.
\ Among kamaainas and in the business
: Aorld word of the death Of james b.
Castle caused deep regret yesterday.
Born in Oahu of one Of the old fanli-
lies, long q prominent figure in the
affairs Of the Islands, one Of the most
towering giants of industry that tho
Islands have produced, "Jim' Castle
was known to every kapaaina and J.
B. Castle was equally known to the
whole business world.
For many years, practically all his
life. J. b. Castle had been a sufferer
from nervous disorders. These did not
" preclude his intense business activities
nor prevent his success in life though
they caused him much suffering. Fol.
lowing the closing of a large business
deal for the KOna plantation Mr.. Castle
suffered from a nervous breakdown and
retired to his Waikiki home to rest
but he grew worse instead of better.
His friends had known Of his i'll health
but not Of the real seriousness Of il.
Business Houses Close
Several business houses with which
Mr.. Castle had close and intimate con
nortiOns closed their doors In respect
70 his memory yesterday afternoon.
The mayor ordered the city offices
closed also.
James Bicknell Castle was one of the
Mission Children,' Il son of g. N.
and Mary Castle. He was born at the
Castle home in KawaiahaO, now the
Y. w. &. 4. Homestead, November 81,
1875, and was one of a family of ten
children, six sons and four daughters.
Mr.. Castle received his earlier educa-
ton at Punahou and went from there
TO the preparatory school at Oberhn,
hut his education never ended, his in
tellcctual growth was never halted but
continued through his life.
During the early sos he spent several
months in Europe and it was there he
met Miss Julia White, who became his
wife. She was daughter of Nelson
-. w niue, u IudD uIdcIuTeT Oh "NncnPn-
don, Massachusetts.
With Castle l. Cooke
Returning to Honolulu, he entered
the employ of Castle g.. Cooke, where
he very soon developed "a business
capacity of high order, and grew up
intimately connected with the develop
mrnt of that concern as one of the
leading sugar factors of Hawaii.
When B. +. Dillingham; started his
projects for Oahu, including the rail,
way, j. b. Castle, together with his
father and his brother, w. K. Castle,
became identified with the sugar in
dustry, the others being Influenced in
the move by J. b Castle. Eva was
leased by W. X. Castle and J. B. Castle
took up knhuku. This he put on it's
feet and turned over TO Alexander
Young later.
Another master feat of }. b. Castle
was securing the Hawaiian Commercial
and Sugar Company from Spreckels at
cost of $2,00O,00O. Into this venture
he put practically all of his own capital
and all that he could raise
Meantime he haR spent few years
at his wife's former home in Massa.
chusrtts, returning to throw himself
aVHlu lnUO the DuslDeSS aHnlTS OF ia
wnM with his charac teristic energy
Makes Rapid Transit
More than any one else it was }. Il.
Castle who pulled the Honolulu Rapid
Trausit Company out of its troubles and
put it upon it's feet. With the stOnk
selling Mt fifty cents on the dollar and
bankruptcy proceedings threatened, he
put his capital and his energies into the
ri IN ~ lyyi. Of
friends, put it on sound financial foot
ing and helped it on it's way to diVi-
dend paying.
One of the purposes which Mr.. Castle
had in life was the betterment of the
civic population Of the Islands He
wanted white immigration. He wanted
a better class than had been brought.
He favored the idea of central mills
with smaller planters furnishing the
cane. these financed and aided, when
necessary, by the central plantations.
The centrals would furnish the trans,
rOrtation, and sucL needed financing.
II was to carry ont these plans that he
undertook his KOna and WindwaTd
Oahu projects. He spent half million
dollars to carry his theories into effect.
In this connection it may be said he
was the first to advocate profit sharing
with laborers and introduced the plan
on Eva. 1t failed at that time only
because the white contractors employed
Japanese and drew the pro6,s instead
of working for these profits.
But he was not "A man who was con
tent, as long as he had Astounding
health and energy, to sit quietly by
ami enjoy the fruits of success. AS
soon as Hawaiian Commercial and the
Rapid Transit were pronounced sue
cesses he disposed Of his interest in
both to devote his genius to other en-
tcrpriScs. lie WAS ambitious to carve
surrrss out Of localities which had baf-
Ard the enterprise and energy of 9th
rr7, and for this reason, against the
Judgement Of many of his friends, no
put everything he could lay his hands
upon into the development of a sugar
plantation in Kona, on the Island of
llrwaii. and to increase the usefulness
rf the back side of this island. lie
believed strongly that that land ought
TO be made to yield sustenanre and
employment to many people. The linn
its of this notice will not allow re
e A.; .L