The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-01-13
WAIKIKI, HONOLULU
by J. D. Gillian


What would Honolulu be with out
be without Waikiki Beach? Well,
it would be the Understandable saptial
Of the indescribable paradise of the
Pacific, capital of the Hawaiian
group of volcanic islands and stu
ated on the island of Oahu.
Altho not many years known ii
the civilized world, Honolulu has a
history of gripping interest. In fact
all the Hawaiian group is filled with
points of attraction to them who care
for the world outside their own little
fencedOff patch of residential area.
The Hawaiian unknown as to racial
origin was discovered to be one of
the weakest in character and racial
pride. Uneducated as to letters or
science, careless as to his future, in
dolent, sensuouS and sensual, he
easily yielded himself to the seduc-
tiOns of worst elements of his dis
coverers. Capt. James Cook and his
well-nigh lawless crew were sue
cinct examples of the sort of teach
ers the people had in Civilization, "
yet for his libidinous boldness and
immarol outlawery he paid the pen
atty that lies inevitably at the end
of the trail for them who utterly
disregard the common laws Of hu-
man decency.
Like good old Ireland when Eng
land interviewed, the Hawaiian peo-
pie were hopelessly feudal and saw
agely cruel among themselves until
the rise of Kamehameha the Great
who welded the warning ractions and
cemented the various clans under his
despotic but able rule and made the
harbor of Honolulu his capital seat.
A day or so in that splendid oasis
after days and days of having been
''cribbed, cabined and confined"
within the narrow precincts of an
ocean liner thro it be never so ca
pacious, is like having vacation
from the stuffy corridors of the
school-room, after days of examina-
tions. To step ashore after ages of
slippery decks and rolling staterooms
and feel real firm earth under one S
feet is to sense for once at least the
meaning of that Latin term terra
firma." The uncaged passenger does
not want an automobile or street.
car or any conveyance at all. He
wants to enjoy the feeling of the
welcome face of his mother earth, he
wants to walk and run and jump and
wallOW
But one can not see Honolulu thus
in the short time he has at his dis
Dosal, so he must come down from
his heights of ideal desires as to
perfect happiness and complete en-
ioyment and descend into the. sub
luXuries of cars or other methods of
movement.
My friend who had been wire
lessed or otherwise notified of the
arrival of the floating village we
were travelling in was at the spacious
warf waiting our tying up while the
boys in brown were swimming and
splashing all about our PROV and
sides watching for the pennies the
passengers were showering over the
rail- These amphibians dived with
all the avidity and certainty of a
duck following a tadpole and re-
turned with the coin between the
shining teeth, ready for another de-
scent into the watery depths.
At once on reaching the shore and
feeling the unheaving earth a ma
chine was commondeered from the
hands of ready friend and Nuuanu
valley was negotiated. For several
miles this enchanting vale between
the steepest of lava escrapments is
followed till at once we stand at the
top of precipice thta falls a thou
sand feet down to the vast pineapple
fields of C. l.. Libbey.
Here occurred the fight that made
this place to hold such inhuman and
historic interest. Kamehameha was
the ruler of a northern island, Maui,
and took a notion he wanted more
territory. He descended upon the
shores of Oahu landing at Waikiki
Beach and engaged the Oahuans,
who after a short and fierce onset
and attack retired up the Nuuanu
valley toward this Pail, or precipice