Prominent People | Page 121 | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

December 29, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

John Fawcett Pogue

Maria Kapule Whitney was born October 19, 1820 to the Pioneer Company missionaries/teachers, Samuel and Mercy Whitney.

She was “the first haole girl to be born in the Hawaiian archipelago,” and named for Kauai Chiefess Kapule, wife of Kauai’s King Kaumualiʻi. Maria went to the mainland at the age of six to be educated. She graduated class of 1840 from Mt. Holyoke College.

John Fawcett Pogue son of William and Ruth Pogue, was born in Wilmington, Delaware on December 29, 1814. He graduated from Marietta College, 1840, and Lane Theological Seminary, 1843.

Ordained as a missionary minister on November 6, 1843, he was part of the 11th Company of American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, sailing from Boston Harbor on December 4, 1843, arriving in the Islands on July 15, 1844. Maria Kapule Whitney was also part of the 11th Company and served as an educator.

Pogue, an active, eager young associate, first served at Kōloa, Kauai, until July, 1847, then he went to Kealakekua Bay.

John and Maria married on May 29, 1848. (They eventually had four children, Samuel Whitney 1849-1902; Jane Knox 1851-1932; Emily Elizabeth 1853-1910 and William Fawcett 1856-1952.)

Pogue was later assigned to lead Lahainaluna Seminary; he followed prior principals, Rev Lorrin Andrews, Rev Sheldon Dibble, Rev John S Emerson, Rev William P Alexander and Rev Timothy D Hunt. (Alexander)

The school had been established in 1831 by the American Protestant missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.

It was dedicated to three major principles: 1) to train native men to become assistant teachers of the Christian religion; 2) to spread sound knowledge of literature and science to elevate the Hawaiian people from their present ignorance of these subjects; and 3) to qualify Hawaiians to be school teachers to their own people.

The school began with one teacher, the Reverend Lorrin Andrews, who was also its principal and a member of its board of directors. Four other ordained ministers made up the board.

The school followed the pattern of education in Head, Heart and Hand, with instruction in secular subjects, religious and moral training and also to teach technical subjects such as printing and methods of agriculture.

Not long after its opening, the school became a boarding school and began to earn a reputation as Hawaii’s most educational institution. It was called the Mission Seminary and one of its important objectives was to train Hawaiians for the ministry. (Joerger)

The pupils of the seminary were the most promising youth from fourteen to twenty years of age who could be selected from the schools of the islands. Tuition was free; but the pupils were obliged to provide their own food, which they did by cultivating a fine tract of taro land.

To the Hawaiian people this institution was a university, completing their education for school-teaching, for law practice and civil service, and for the ministry. (Alexander) Graduates of Lahainaluna began to fill their places in Hawaiian society.

In time the graduates of this one institution made up the Hawaiian Christian ministers, scholars, politicians, lawyers, government officials, and the like, who were directing much of the course of Hawaiian life in the Kingdom.

In 1849 the mission decided that it could no longer support completely Lahainaluna. In that year, the school came under the control of the government of the Hawaiian Kingdom. But the mission still preserved its influence over the curriculum and the selection of teachers.

Moreover, the school began to concentrate on secular subjects and to decrease its training for the ministry. This change was primarily undertaken because other seminaries then existed for the training of Hawaiians for the ministry.

Instead the curriculum continued to teach both academic subjects such as literature and science and theology and practical subjects such as bookkeeping and in the manual arts such as agriculture.

Reverend Pogue spent ten years as the principal of Lahainaluna, after he had spent many previous years there as a teacher. During his administration the main building was destroyed by fire.

And it is to the credit of the school and its standing in the Islands that while the Government provided the main support in money, the community responded with donations for the rebuilding project. Three new and elegant, convenient buildings were completed while the Reverend Pogue was still principal.

In 1865, a further change in the status of the school occurred when it was placed under the direction of the Board of Education. Lahainaluna then became an ordinary, government school. In 1866 Reverend Pogue ended his years as principal of the school. (Joerger)

Pogue then went to Waiohinu (1866-69) then later served as Secretary to the Hawaii Evangelical Association. Rev John F Pogue died suddenly of Bright’s disease (chronic inflammation of the kidneys), December 4, 1877, at Laramie, Wyoming, while on a trip to the US; in 1882 Maria and her family relocated to California. She died in Santa Clara on April 20, 1900.

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Pogue, John Fawcett-1875

December 27, 2017 by Peter T Young 5 Comments

Chink Store

It was 15 x 20 foot, at 1523 Alexander Street, just makai of Wilder; it was called Alexander Grocery – most called it the Chink Store – at least for me, without derogatory meaning, without thinking of the connotation of the name. It is simply what we called it. (Even the owner’s obituary also called it the same.)

About 100-youngsters were at its door before school in the mornings and between three to four hundred in the afternoon. It was the favorite of Punahou and Maryknoll students. It also served basic grocery needs of the surrounding neighborhood.

It was built by Ah Chong Liu in 1912; later, Albert and Esther Lau took it over. The Laus previously lived in Wahiawa, where Albert founded Albert’s Cleaners.

Esther, early on, also sold the World Book Encyclopedia door-to-door just to earn a set for her own family, and worked as an employee of the State Legislature when it was located at ʻIolani Palace.

The Laus leased and operated the store for 22-years. “It’s the relationship we’ve had with the children, without them and the store, we couldn’t have brought up our own children as well. We’ve learned as much from them as they’ve learned from us.” (Star-Advertiser Obituary)

“(C)hildren are my weakness,’ says Esther Lau, amazing memories not only for hundreds of names and faces but also for personalities, a real interest in all the youngsters”. (Advertiser, 1963)

The Laus had three children of their own, Linda, Michael and Richard. “Mr. Lau sent all his kids to college on profits from shave ice!” (Piper)

It was “one of my favorite places to walk from school in the 1960s & 70s. The Laus were always so friendly! I never dreamed they and their store wouldn’t be there someday, but I’m happy it afforded the Laus a good life and then some!” (Clark)

“The Laus truly loved that little store and their patrons, remembering numerous by name and countless more by face. A true ‘Mom & Pop store – I trust you, you trust me’ existence, good ol’ face-to-face communication with all, just a ‘plain vanilla’ work ethic which succeeded as they intended.” (Star-Advertiser Obituary)

“When the troops arrive they automatically form two lines … one leading to Mr Lau who presides over the shave ice machine, and another wends its way to Mrs Lau behind the candy, sushi and manapua counter.” (Advertiser, 1963)

“Three ground rules at the store are no smoking, no fighting and no profanity, and the Laus make this all stick by ‘keeping a strong eye on the kids, keeping our ears open,’ and asking offenders to leave.” (Advertiser, 1963)

“I’ve given more lectures in here. Sometimes when I hear the older ones talking about dropping out of school I tell them ‘You’re in a competitive world and it’s not easy.’ I see some of them who left school and I don’t think they are very happy.” (Esther Lau, Advertiser, 1963)

A news article upon the store’s closing in the mid-1970s states, “The Laus are a special kind of people they offered advice, philosophy, encouragement and help where needed, kept athletes on training diets, bucked up potential drop-outs …”

“… clamped down on fighting, profanity, smoking, and corrected sloppy English, a year-round lost and found department, (conveyed) messages between parents and children, made hundreds of small loans for phone calls, bus fares, and food.” (Star-Advertiser Obituary)

“‘If they yell “Hey!” we tell them we don’t ‘Hey!’ then either, and we never use pidgin English. If they say ‘da kine’ I say ‘Da kine! What are your getting in English, C?’” (Esther Lau, Advertiser, 1963)

“During the hours the store is bulging with the young and very young, out front there’s a collection of bicycles, book bags, violin cases, school folders and flight bags bulging with athletic equipment or ballet togs.”

“Then, when they’ve all gone home, the Laus pick up what’s been left behind … rain coats, bands for teeth, glasses, bathing suits, umbrellas, bags and books”. (Advertiser, 1963)

“But no spot would have been so anticipated to visit if it had not been manned by Mr and Mrs Lau. Not only were they both kind and friendly to me, I often thought how pretty Mrs Lau was and wondered why she wasn’t a model or something!” (Denison)

“We’ve learned as much from them as they’ve learned from us. We’re really going to miss this.” (Esther Lau speaking of the store’s closing; Star-Advertiser Obituary) There are a lot of former Punahou and Marynoll students that miss them, too.

Albert died in 1997; Esther died in 2014. They had multiple grandchildren, great grandchildren – and a whole lot of others who became better people due to their attention to and care for others. (Esther Lau’s obituary noted ‘Alexander Grocery’ the way we did, ‘The Chink Store.’)

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Alexander Grocery-Chink Store-Chuck Weldon

December 23, 2017 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Articles of Arrangement

On December 23, 1826, the US signed a treaty with the Kingdom of Hawaii thus indirectly recognizing Hawaiian independence. (State Department Historian)

It was negotiated by Thomas Ap Catesby Jones; he called it ‘Articles of Arrangement’ (he felt he didn’t have authority to negotiate treaties, however, it is generally referred to as the Treaty of 1826) and it was Hawaiʻi’s first treaty with the US.

It “received the signatures of the Ruling Princes and Chiefs, in testimony of their approbation of them, and as a pledge of their sincere friendship and confidence in the American Nation, and their earnest desire to remain neutral and take no part in any foreign wars.” (Jones Report to Navy Department, 1827)

It effectively was a trade agreement between the US and the Hawaiian Kingdom, which was accepted and signed by Thomas ap Catesby Jones, and Kaʻahumanu as Queen Regent, Kalanimōku as Prime Minister, and the principal chiefs Boki, Hoapili, and Nāmāhāna. (Gapp)

“(A)n ornate ratification and promulgation ceremony occurred on December 23 when all the necessary high chiefs could be assembled.” Terms of the agreement were:

Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation, between The United States and the Sandwich Islands, signed at Honolulu, December 23, 1826.

“Articles of agreement made and concluded at Oahu, between Thomas ap Catesby Jones, appointed by the United States, of the one part, and Kauikeaouli, King of the Sandwich Islands and his guardians, on the other part.”

“Article I. The peace and friendship subsisting between the United States and their Majesties, the Queen Regent and Kauikeaouli, King of the Sandwich- Islands, and their subjects and people, are hereby confirmed and declared to be perpetual.”

“II. The ships and vessels of the United States (as well as their consuls and all other citizens), within the territorial jurisdiction of the Sandwich Islands, together with all their property, shall be inviolably protected against all enemies of the United States in time of war.”

“III. The contracting parties, being desirous to avail themselves of the bounties of Divine Providence, by promoting the commercial intercourse and friendship subsisting between the respective nations …”

“… for the better security of these desirable objects, their Majesties bind themselves to receive into their ports and harbours, all ships and vessels of the United States …”

“… and to protect to the utmost of their capacity all such ships and vessels, their cargoes, officers, and crews, so long as they shall behave themselves peacefully, and not infringe the established laws of the land; the citizens of the United States being permitted to trade freely with the people of the Sandwich Islands.”

“IV. Their Majesties do further agree to extend the fullest protection within their control to all ships and vessels of the United States which may be wrecked on their shores, and to render every assistance in their power to save the wreck and her apparel and cargo …”

“… and, as a reward for the assistance and protection which the people of the Sandwich Islands shall afford to all such distressed vessels of the United States, they shall be entitled to a salvage or a portion of the property so saved …”

“… but such salvage shall in no case exceed one-third of the vessel saved, which valuation is to be fixed by a commission of disinterested persons, who shall be chosen equally by the parties.”

“V. Citizens of the United States, whether resident or transit, engaged in commerce or trading to the Sandwich Islands, shall be inviolably protected in their lawful pursuits, and shall be allowed to sue for and recover by judgment all claims against the subjects of His Majesty the King according to strict principles of equity and the acknowledged practice of civilized nations.”

“VI. Their Majesties do further agree and bind themselves to discountenance and use all practicable means to prevent desertion from all American ships which visit the Sandwich Islands …”

“… and to that end it shall be made the duty of all governors, magistrates, chiefs of districts, and all others in authority, to apprehend all deserters and to deliver them over to the master of the vessel from which they have deserted …”

“… and for the apprehension of every such deserter who shall be delivered over as aforesaid, the master, owner, or agent shall pay to the person or persons apprehending such deserter the sum of 6 dollars, if taken on the side of the island near which the vessel is anchored …”

“… but if taken on the opposite side of the island the sum shall be 12 dollars, and if taken on any other island the reward shall be 24 dollars, and shall be a just charge against the wages of every such deserter.”

“VII. No tonnage dues or impost shall be exacted of any citizen of the United States which is not paid by the citizens or subjects of the nation most favored in commerce with the Sandwich Islands; and the citizens or subjects of the Sandwich Islands shall be allowed to trade with the United States and her territories upon principles of equal advantage with the most favored nation.”

“Done in council at Honolulu, Island of Oahu, this 23rd day of December, in the year of our Lord 1826.” Signed by: Thos. Ap Catesby Jones, Ka‘ahumanu, Kalanimōku, Boki, Hoapili and Nāmāhāna.

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Na Mokupuni O Hawaii Nei-Kalama 1837

December 22, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

John MacKey

Merchant ships crossing the Pacific needed to replenish food supplies and water. The maritime fur trade focused on acquiring furs of sea otters, seals and other animals from the Pacific Northwest Coast and Alaska.

The furs were mostly sold in China in exchange for tea, silks, porcelain and other Chinese goods, which were then sold in Europe and the United States.

Needing supplies in their journey, the traders soon realized they could economically barter for provisions in Hawai‘i; for instance any type of iron, a common nail, chisel or knife, could fetch far more fresh fruit meat and water than a large sum of money would in other ports.

Members of the crews of these early visitors were left at the islands either as agents for their ships or their owners, with instructions to learn the language and to collect cargoes of sandalwood, supplies, etc., or as deserters. (Cartwright)

“In the more precise terminology of the anthropologist (a beachcomber) is a regional variety of the world-wide class of individuals called by Hallowell ‘transculturites’…

“… persons who, throughout history, ‘are temporarily or permanently detached from one group, enter the web of social relations that constitute another society, and come under the influence of its customs, ideas and values to a greater or lesser degree’.” (Maude)

John Mackey (or M’Key), the first of the modern Hawai‘i beachcombers, had signed on at Bombay in 1785 as surgeon of the fur-trading vessel Captain Cook.

Left behind at King George’s Sound partly because of ill-health and partly to act as local agent, he soon became Indianized, being described as “equally slovenly and dirty with the filthiest of them all.” He was thus no amateur beachcomber when he landed in Hawai‘i. (Maude)

“John M’Key … was born in Ireland, and went to Bombay in the East India Company’s service. Two vessels (viz. the Captain Cook, Captain Loriè; and the Experiment, Captain Guise) were fitting out in 1785, on an expedition to the North West coast of America; that he engaged on board the Captain Cook as Surgeon.”

“They sailed from Bombay the 28th of November, 1785, and arrived at King George’s Sound the 27th of June, 1786. That being very ill of a purple fever (M’Key) was left behind for the recovery of his health, at the request of Mr. Strange, the Supercargo to both vessels.”

“Mr. Strange desired him to learn the language and to ingratiate himself with the natives, so that if any other vessels should touch there he might prevent them from purchasing any furs, promising at the same time to return for him the ensuing spring.”

“That the two vessels procured 600 prime sea otter skins during their stay here, and left the Sound the 27th of July, intending to sail for Cook’s River.”

“That the Sea Otter, Captain Hanna, from China, arrived at King George’s Sound in August, 1786, and that Captain Hanna offered to take (M’Key) on board, which he refused, alledging, that he began to relish dried fish and whale oil, was satisfied with his way of life, and perfectly contented to stay ’till next year, when he had no doubt of Mr. Strange sending for him …”

“… that Captain Hanna left the Sound in September. That the natives had stripped him of his cloaths, and obliged him to adopt their mode of dress and filthiness of manners; and that he was now a perfect master of their language, and well acquainted with their temper and disposition.”

“He had made frequent incursions into the interior parts of the country about King George’s Sound, and did not think any part of it was the Continent of America, but a chain of detached islands.”

“Mr. Etches assured me that no great dependance could be placed on M’Key’s story, he being a very ignorant young fellow, and frequently contradicting himself …”

“… but that entire credit might be given to that part of it respecting his adopting the manners of the natives, as he was equally slovenly and dirty with the filthiest of them all.”

“His knowledge of the language was greatly short of what he boasted; neither was he very contented in his situation, for he gladly embraced Captain Berkley’s offer of taking him on board, and seemed delighted to think he was going to leave so uncomfortable a place …”

“… however, admitting him to be possessed of but an ordinary capacity, he certainly must be better acquainted with the people here, from more than a year’s residence amongst them, than any occasional visitor could possibly be ; and there can be no doubt but that Captain Berkley found him extremely useful in managing his traffic with the natives.” (Dixon)

“In 1787, or less than ten years after the death of Cook, the Irish ship’s surgeon John Mackey, formerly in the East India Company’s service, was landed in Hawaii from the Imperial Eagle, en route to China, at his own request.” He may be considered the first foreigner to live in the Islands.

“Within a year he had been joined by three deserters – Ridler, carpenter’s mate of the Columbia; Thomas; and a youth named Samuel Hitchcock”

“Most of the early Europeans congregated on Hawaii itself, around the chief Kamehameha, who was quick to realise their importance to his plan for conquering the other islands; there were at least 11 with him in 1794.” (Maude)

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Imperial Eagle

December 21, 2017 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Haili Church Choir

The Haili Church Choir began in 1902 under Harry K Naope, Sr, at the Kalepolepo Chapel, one of the seven branches of the Haili Church.

Naope was a music teacher in the public schools, and received his training in music at Lahainaluna Seminary on the island of Maui. He and Albert Nahale-a, Sr., Minister of Music, helped to create a viable, exciting, and rich choral agenda, in demand for community events.

Until the advent of church choirs, Hawaiian children learned to sing and play instruments from their parents and grandparents at home. Music was an essential part of family devotions, common in Old Hawai‘i.

At that time, the church was the foremost educational facility for most Hawaiians, and congregational singing was their first music “school.” (Haili Church)

The most musically talented adults and young people moved into the choir when it was formed. The majority of them could neither read nor write music, but they had excellent memorization abilities, learned from the intensive person-to-person training received at home.

The result of professional choir training under Naope was the development of not only many famous singers, but conductors and composers, as well. Helen Desha Beamer was, for many early years, Haili church organist.

Since the beginning of the 1900s, it has been the ‘training school’ for some of Hawai`i’s foremost names in traditional Hawaiian music, both sacred and secular.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, church choirs were instrumental in the development of Hawaiian music. While they are not the oldest, nor was the choir officially named until 1909, the Haili Choir, because of its performance outreach, became the most prominent.

Unlike the choirs of today, Harry K Naope, Sr (grandfather of George Naope) had only one sheet of music from which to teach his choir members. He copied the music onto large sheets of butcher-type paper, and tacked these sheets to the walls of the Sunday school rooms. Choir members were required to memorize the songs from these sheets.

Also, because of the unreliability of the church’s pump organ and the lack of trained organists (most of whom were pianists), Naope wrote out and taught both sacred and secular compositions, and his translations of English songs into the Hawaiian language.

Thus, the Haili Choir learned, and became known for their A Capella singing, (without instrumental accompaniment) in the Hawaiian language.

Among the early Haili Choir notables to gain professional reputations were Joseph Kalima, Sr. and his sons (“The Hilo Kalimas”), Enoch “Bunny” Brown and His Hilo Hawaiians, Kihei Brown and his trio, the Nathaniel Sisters, the Brown Sisters, and falsetto star George Kainapau.

Generations of family musical groups also grew up in the Haili Choir, and their descendants today are well known: the Beamer family, the Browns, the Deshas, Punohus, Nahale-as.

Today’s Haili Church Choir is most often accompanied by piano, organ or other stringed instruments, although they still sometimes sing A Capella. (Lots of information here is from Haili Church and Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame.)

Haili Church Choir sing E Kuu Lei Lehua https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xas-ZD3o3xM

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