The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-04-09
(From Monday. Adyertiser.l

CASTING back over. a full half century
Of his active life in the Hawaiian
Islands, Benjamin franklin Dillingham;
on TIE occasion Of an anniversary eele-
btation that was being given in his
honor d little over two years ago, gave
thanks to those about him and voiced
his simple creed. ~EGr d. <..e
81 have been !blest, - he said at that
time, with many pleasant experiences
ia my efforts to- cooperate with other
men Of ambition and energy in their
efforts to develop the generous natural
resources OF this progressive country.
For all the words of cheerful uplift
which have received from time to
time; wish ITO express my heartfelt
thanks and sincere Appreciation. Il E
eve are left to realize, there is
nothing definite In life upon which we
can establish our hearts, except the
realizing sense that the great Father
of the Universe holds us all in his
keeping. and we must look to Him for
final deliveranee. !"
While Benjamin Franklin DillinR.
ham's nature was such that he would
have been a dominant figure in any
sphere of action into which fate might
have cast him, It is held that he was
peculiarly fitted for the task that
awaited his hands in Hawaii. In large
measure chance entered into his coming
to Honolulu and it was not until he had
made two visitsto the Islands as O mem.
her Of the crew of a sailing vessel that
he turned away from the sea to make
his home here. AS happens often with
great and simple natures, adventure,
romance and action fill the story Of his
life.
His Early Life z
He was born in the historic little
city Of West Brewster, Massachusetts,,
on September 4, 1874, the son. of Ben,
iamin Clark Dillingham; and Lydia
Sears (Howes) Dillingham;. He went to
school in West Brewster and the fam
lily few years later removed to South
boro. His father had followed the sea
and at the time the family lived at
SouthbOro was master of the ship
Charles Carroll !sof5 Boston, The, bow
was then, about. twelve years old. ~
1t is related that Captain Dillingham;
left his ship to become d farmer 30
that his children; and particularly the
boy Benjamin, would not be attracted
to the sea. He felt that the boy had
botterScarve out a career on shore, but
he made tho change too late, for even
then when the kitrhen wood pile and
the other chores about the home were
tho youths chief concern, he had al
ready begun to dream Of the sea aud
of the far places of the earth visited
by ships. The sea sent its call and the
boy answered. : .' - 2 4
Young Dillingham; did not run away
from home. The father was wise
enough to know that the dali was not
to be denied and ii was With his par.
ents assent that, at the age of four,
teen, the youth sailed away on his first
VOYAGE He was signed up as ships
boy, as member of the crew of tho
clipper ship Southern Cross Of Boston
bound on voyage around the worll
The boys wages were 81 a month
The vessel sailed in the month of June
in 1859. .,1,.
Made Able Seaman
Young Dillingham; performed his du
ties aboard ship In such fashion that
upon it's arrival at San Francisco he
was paid off at the rate of eight dolIars
a month aud was then made an able
seaman at wage of twenty dollars u
month. The vessel went on its way t.
China and on around the world and
arrived back at Boston after an al
sence of eleven months and twenty
days. This was only the first of q mum
Der of long voyages of the young sail
or, for he was on the Southern eros,
four years through most Of tho perioc
in which the Civil War was raging il
the States. 80 ''1-''
1t was an event of that war that
brought about the destructiOn of tn,
Southern Cross and shifted the cOurs,
Of Dillingham; life. While near tn,
equator in the Atlantic on June 6
1863. the Southern Cross was over
hauled and attacked by, the cruiser
Florida Of the Confederate. government
The crew Of the SouthsrhI Gross wa
transferred to the Confederate warshi,
and the vessel in which Dillingham; haC
visited so MARY liarta iof the wOrlc
WIS burner, o.. M
Several days after the capture youn,
Dillingham; and six others of thu
Southern Cross crew, among them Capt
4. p. Howes and his wife, were trans
ferred at sea to the Fleur de Para
bound from Havre to South American
ports. This vessel landed them at 81
ezra, Brazil, and from Sierra they wer,
later taken, to Pernambuco. Dilhng
ham worked his way from Pernambuc,
to New York and then to Boston, wher
be- reported to the ,oTners 'ssof til
Southern Cross, Baker \ Mofrill.' phe
had been building q "heW &sssel, th
AureOla, aud when it was launched Dill
lingham shipped on her as second OF
fc9r. a The 'Aureola sailed for Sa
francisco on its maiden voyage an
arrived there in the fail of 1884
Takes New Berth
In San Francisco Dillingham; left tn
AureoIa aud became first officer of tn
bark Whistler under Capt, John Pat,
The bark sailed for Hawaii.
After my tompestuous experiepc'
in rounding Cape Horn and the Cape I
Good Hope, the trip to Hawaii SCENE
to me like a pleasure excursion" Il
fnaucier said years later, in Feferrr
to that period Of his life.
Among my earliest a"quaintane
in Honolulu" he said, "may be uu,