Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 7, 1 July 2009 — Kēlā Mea Kēía Mea [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kēlā Mea Kēía Mea

Within the dozens of Hawaiianlanguage newspapers published during the 19th and early 20th centuries were often found engaging columns titled Kela Mea Keia Mea. These features carried small tidbits of news and interesting happenings from

places throughout the islands. With that same mana'o, this modern-day eolumn is published with the idea of bringing to the readers brief bits of interesting and sometimes lesser-known histories. These "news bites" have been eollected during the course of research in newspaper, manuscript, correspondence and other archival collections around Hawai'i. The sources are both Hawaiian language and English. It is hoped that, like its many predecessors, this eolumn might inform, entertain and perhaps even spark discussion. Me ka ha'aha'a no. ■ Hawaiian Islands. May 1841. Several prominent graduates of the school at Lāhaināluna have recently formed a Historical Society to record, preserve and teach about traditions and histories of things past. At a recent meeting, David Malo presented on the history of the reign of 'Umi. His work on the topic produced a forty-eight-page manuscript. ■ Honolulu. March 28, 1865. A letter arrived in the islands this week from Monnon leader Brigham Young addressed to "His Majesty L. Kamehameha the Lifth, King of the Hawaiian Islands." Sent from "Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory," the letter seeks to explain the coming of missionary Lrancis Hammond and several other families from the Utah Territory to the Hawaiian Kingdom. Young writes that Hammond and the others "will therefore endeavor to teach Your Majesty's subjects, who may listen to them, practical salvation." ■ 'Iolani Palaee. Honolulu. September 25, 1887. "Hala ia Pua'lii o

Hawaii." Yesterday's Nupepa Kuokoa informed that His Highness Prince Edward Abner Keli'iahonui, brother of Prince David Kawānanakoa and Prince lonah Kūhiō Kalaniana'ole passed on Wednesday afternoon at the Palaee. The Prince has been attending St. Matthew's School in San Mateo, California,

but recently took ill and was sent home to the islands. He was born at Ka'ala'a, Honolulu, on May 13, 1869, to David Kahalepouli Pi'ikoi and the late Princess Victoria Kekaulike. He was baptized by Bishop Staley and attended Punahou prior to heading to St. Matthew's. ■ 'Iolani Palaee. Honolulu. March 2, 1892. Her Gracious Majesty Queen Lili'uokalani, always a strong believer in the importance of education, will be hosting the hnal lecture in a series on Literature and History given by Mrs. Llorence Williams. We are told that Mrs. Wilhams is the first native librarian in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. An expected seventy to eighty ladies will gather in the Throne Room of the Palaee to learn more about the Lrench Emperor Napoleon. ■ Honolulu. December 15, 1893. At the Provisional Government Counsel meeting yesterday Cecil Brown called attention to "the necessity of the exqueen being made a prisoner of state." Attorney General W.O. Smith, Brown and President Dole discussed the matter before deciding to wait on such action for the time being. Dole expressed his conunitment to Brown's idea that "at the first intimation from the Representative of the United States of an intention to restore her to the throne, she would be taken into custody." ■ Ronald Williams Jr., a graduate of, and teacher at the Kamakakūokalani. Center for Hawaiian Studi.es at UH Mānoa, i.s currently worki.ng on a Ph.D. i.n Hawaiian Hi.storv at UH Mānoa. Contact hi.m at ronaldwi@hawaii.edu.

By Rnnald Williams Jr.