To see what Hawaii was like in the early 1920s, view this silent movie www.onlyinyourstate.com/hawaii/1920s-hi-video/
Beautiful Hawaii
By Clyde L. Williams, H.A. 2C, U.S. Naval Hospital, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Aloha! From Mid-Pacific come the word Aloha! meaning Hello, Welcome and Farewell! One hears it upon their approach of Hawaii, also when they are leaving. On my arrival here a few months ago from San Diego, California, I heard that beautiful word (ignorant of its meaning however). I did not understand what was meant by Aloha, but as some of the officers walked down the gang plank a dozen native women threw leis (wreaths of flowers which also meant Aloha). Then I understood their meaning. The Royal Hawaiian band was playing. The docks were crowded with hundreds of people of all nationalities, some greeting friends, some selling leis. While most of them were there to see the ship come in. It is always an interesting occasion to the Islanders.
The Hawaii of to-day is entirely different than most people fancy it. Instead of grass huts and Hula-girls ruling the coral lined beaches, it is an up-to-date territory ruled and governed the same as our states back there. Honolulu, the capitol city and greatest port in the territory, is almost as modern as any mainland city. It has a population of over 90,000, and the Oahu Island on which Honolulu is situated has an area which is greater than that of Paducah, or about the size of the state of Connecticut.
The harbor is large enough to harbor many ships and one can always see ships from the Orient, Europe and America. Not only is the harbor valuable for harboring privileges but it is beautiful as well. It resembles a half moon in shape owing to Diamond Head on the South East. Diamond Head is the visitors’ first sight of land when approaching Hawaii. And on the West lies low marshy lands sloping back to the low, cloud-topped hills which present a never to be forgotten picture.
The dreamer who has dreamed dreams and longed for a visit to this Paradise of the Pacific would find some of his dreams shattered should he visit here, yet he would find things which he had never let enter into this thoughts, things both modern and unique.
The object of the sailing of the U.S.S. Jason to this delightful place was to transport 200 aviators, officer sand men, and several air and sea-planes of different types for the maneuvers, which were held at Ford ??(word obscured), which is the aviation base of Pearl Harbor. We arrived July 18, 1923, after nine days at sea.
While at sea we had one of the best times I’ve ever experienced. The weather and water were both fine, while on board there was a round of amusement all the while.
On August 3rd I was transferred to the Hospital and changed my rate to Hospital Apprentice an on August 25 the ship sailed for Hilo on the island of Hawaii, 200 miles from here. So the fellows could get a peep at Kilauea Volcano, which is one of the greatest active volcanoes in the world, but owing to the severe storm that swept the territory at that time and the tidal wave that followed the cloud-burst which did damage to the extent of $400,000, this you can see hindered the transportation and very few of them were fortunate enough to see the volcano, which is 36 miles from the port. On Sunday they came here to load the automobiles and planes. And on August 28 the Jason sailed for San Diego, being sent away with as much demonstration as she had received six weeks before. I did not go on this interesting trip although I did have the opportunity to go, but wanted to go when I could stay a few days so as to get a better survey of the volcano and Hilo.
To get back to the earlier part of my experiences I will proceed and relate as well as I can so me of the things to be seen. When we left Jason on our first liberty and walked up Fort street towards the business district of town (leaving behind steam-ship office buildings and dimly lighted Oriental ships) we noted a modern electric-car line, also the nice brick and stone buildings on both sides of the street, the streets and roads are made of asphalt and were crowded with hundreds of modern vehicles. On the side walks we met hundreds of people of many nationalities busy about their every day affairs. Also the mad rush of women on their Saturday shopping tour. By this time we had reached the center of town which is only four blocks from the harbor’s edge. As I gazed around me I began wondering if we had come to an island town or that Captain Mallison (who is from Washington, N.C.) had changed his course into a semi-circle and loaded in some port on the West coast instead of some port in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and when I had settled in the Young’s Hotel for the night, which reached the length of a city block with its modern equipment—information clerks, bell boys and all other conveniences, I felt entirely as if I had never left the shores of California.
Hawaii’s customs and tradition in the days of Kings and Queens has long since been forgotten. A new light has dawned upon these people who for years lived in ignorance, yet a peaceful and love enchanted life (and who could not in Hawaii). They are now provided with good laws, churches and chapels of all denominations, all but the Methodist Protestant, that I have been unable to find here or in any of the cities that I visited in California. However, there are M.E. churches. The schools are too numerous to mention and I believe they have as good a school and some with better systems than some of our states can boast of. Also, Universities, one in particular that I will mention, “The University of Hawaii” numbering among its graduates people of all nationalities.
Then there are public playgrounds for the children which are not only at the school houses but are numerous throughout the city, and at all times you can see the kiddies at play even though it may be raining. There are also many beautiful parks which are more interesting than many of our parks. There is the Aloha amusement park, here is all kinds of amusement and dancing. And then the Kapiolani park, which contains a zoo and many more things too numerous to mention; this park was named in honor of the late queen who lost her reign in 1893. Both of these parks are situated along the beach at Waikiki.
The museum which is very interesting and contains many are and wonderful things, both strange and interesting—most of these were kept and saved from old Hawaii. A few things that drew my attention most was the throne room (or rather an imitation) with the great chairs arranged as in days gone by. And next to this was a collection of the kings’ unforms and armor, also the queens’ gowns and robes and costumes. There was a large skeleton of a large whale which was many feet long and several feet through. Also the images of people showing how they lived in days past and their methods of preparing food, and that was similar to our olden times when we had no way to make our flour but crush the wheat by hand until sufficiently fine enough for flour.
Last of all for the amusements that I will mention is Waikiki Beach, which is four miles from Honolulu and can be reached by electric cars and numerous hard surfaced roads, the beach is one of the best I have seen anywhere. And at all hours during the day and even at night you can see bathers and surface-riding and canoeing. The large pleasure seeking crowds that swarm the beach throughout the year find much enjoyment in canoeing and surf-riding. Waikiki joins Diamond Head and the palm cocoanut and hua trees and so forth are along the beach, their shades making it more comfortable and enjoyable for the bathers.
For the theater going people there are three or four first class movie houses and one vaudeville house. I dare say that the movie films produced in California are shown here long before they reach old North Carolina. While in San Diego it was my privilege to witness William Fox and his company of actors make pictures which since then have been developed and was shown in Honolulu a few days ago.
The beauty that is afforded both in Honolulu and vicinity are not comparable anywhere. Everywhere you see beautiful gardens and most every variety of flower. And many of the houses are covered with vines and boxes of flowers and ?? the lawns it is the same way. The stately ?? of tropical fruit, ?? colored flowers everywhere, lakes of water lilies, hedges of beautiful colored croten and ?? trees with their thorn-like branches and bean shaped fruit. The cocoanut trees are wonderful. Hardly any grow straight up, but they have a slope of an angle of about 30 degrees. It isn’t difficult for a native boy to ascend who will pick a fresh nut for you for 10 cents. Then the comical shaped Hua trees which have thousands of little trunks or roots growing out from the larger trunks, and hang downward until they reach the ground, then take root in the soil and spread out. They say if they are turned and trained and have good attention that a small hut can be formed with these roots, but if allowed to grow wild or unkept they become almost an impossible barrier. Another thing that is interesting and consoling, the vegetation is not poisonous and no poison reptiles or frogs to harm anyone while visiting any part of the island.
An odd thing attracted my attention during the first few days here. The sun was shining as bright as could be. Hardly a cloud was to been overhead, yet it was raining showers of “liquid sunshine” as it is called. I was quite astonished at this at first but have since learned that it is a common occurrence. And along with these you might say cloudless showers, one can see a rainbow almost any time during the day, and always there is the ocean blue and shimmering in exquisite beauty with a dim reflection of the rainbow shining through its transparent waves.
A few weeks ago a few friends and myself went on a sightseeing tour and went to many places of interest and saw many wonderful things. One place of most interest that I will relate was the Pali (meaning precipice) we had been to another part of the island and come to Honolulu for lunch and started for the Pali immediately after lunch. We started our upward climb at the edge of the city on an exceptional good road which wound itself around the steep hills in the most suitable places for a road. And in a very short while we were quite a distance above the city. About half way up we tarried a few minutes on account of a hot motor and to view the city and surrounding country and ocean. Sometimes we could see the faint outline of a ship either coming in or going out. Then looking across to the West we could see down into the one time active volcano “Diamond Head.” Then we proceeded to our destination. Upon reaching the top of Pali we came to a narrow pass. Looking down you could see several hundred feet, and the green foliage and vegetation and flowers were all great to see. It rains up there frequently and keeps everything fresh and cool and the atmosphere smells as though you were in a rose garden. You must remember that all along the road on either side there are pretty little bungalows perched on both sides of the road, and in some cases even on rugged rocks. And wondered how these people managed to live on such a high elevation (particularly in some places) and survive.
After we had taken pictures and viewed the numerous beauties, we then decided that a few of us would take a walk down to the Mid-Way club house. We found it difficult to walk in the narrow paths it was so steep and the constant rains kept the paths slippery. However, we arrived at the club house in due time, some with badly soiled clothes and a few bruises. Here we had refreshments and were furnished amusement and music by some of the Hawaiian boys and girls. I used to hear so much of the Hawaiian musicians and it is true for most all can play some instrument.
This would not be quite complete if I did not mention climate and industry. As most people have read and know that this is a tropical climate, but is unlike Panama or the Philippine Islands or any other tropical climate. For here the weather is exceptionally good and extreme heat or cold is unknown. The northeast trade winds blow continually for nine months and the showers of rain are rain similar to our April showers over there. The wet season is generally from September until February, but up until this time we have had hardly any rain.
As you can well imagine Hawaii is industrially a busy and progressive territory. They manufacture iron, lumber, and fertilizer and canned goods and many other things. But the result in agricultural opportunities are limited only by the extent of available land. If the land was plentiful it would be much different in agricultural industry, for labor is plentiful and cheap, for immigrants have been coming both from Japan and the Philippines for a number of years for no other reason than to work on the plantations. For they consider the salary paid them as big money. After they have saved a few hundred dollars some go back to their homes for they can live on an American dollar for a good many days in the Philippines and Japan. But the greater number remain here and take a homestead and become fairly good citizens, some going into different business while others continue to work on the plantations.
The chief productions are sugar cane, rice, pineapples, bananas, some cocoanuts and sisal. The plantations have their mills, railroads t5hroughout the fields, and all the fields are irrigated. The mills and fields are equipped with all modern machinery and labor saving appliances. It takes a crop of sugar cane 18 months to become fully matured, and as most people know, it requires plenty of water, so the grounds are irrigated everywhere, and they manage to have their water running in various ditches throughout the fields. The water is turned into the rows of cane by the laborers, and when a sufficient amount has been run, it is then turned into another direction. The output of raw sugar cane for the 1923 crop will be over 120,000 tons.
To cultivate pineapples and for the best developments it is just the opposite to the growth of sugar cane, for they require an elevation of several feet similar to tobacco land there, and requires very little water. And takes from 18 months to two years for a crop to mature. It was my privilege to visit Libby McNeil & Libby LTD cannery a few months ago, and it was quite interesting to see the giant machines peeling and slicing the fruit. And on long tables on either side are native women packing the sliced fruit in cans, then they go through a cooker on to a preserving machine. They are then run through a sealing machine and then through a cooler. Then across to the packing houses where they are labeled and packed and shipped to all parts of the world. We were furnished a guide who explained the different machines and how they did their work. But owing to the noise of the machines we were unable to hear very much. They employ 1,500 men and women in this one cannery during the rush season, and about 300 employees throughout the year. The shipment of cases of pineapples for this past year will be over 5 million.
I imagine that the reader is becoming tired of this, but will make a few more remarks about Hawaii. For once a person sees these islands (and one must see them to know them) they will want to take them for their place of abode in reality. I sometimes wonder when I am to leave here if I will regret to go. But will have the days I spent in Beautiful Hawaii, as my most cherished memories. I was reading a poem recently written by a tourist, Mrs. George E. Walker, wh had been visiting here and was returning home and which I thought was worth adding to this story:
“Oh Isle of Beauty in the sea!
Where Eden’s Garden still should be,
No farther will I sail upon my quest!
To dream of stars above Pali.
Enchanting spell of Waikiki
A Paradise wherein my soul could rest.”
Later when I become more acquainted with Honolulu I will try and write of Honolulu itself, its people and their ways. And probably a little about the Oriental section of town which comprises more than two thirds of the entire city and industry. Also when I have the opportunity to visit the volcano, which I think will be in March, I hope to be able to relate to you the rising and falling of the lava that is noticeable each day.
Very sincerely,
Clyde L. Williams,
Naval Hospital,
Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii
From page 2 of The Courier, Asheboro, N.C., Feb. 21, 1924
