Mayor’s Luau Great Success

Hawaiian Banquet Finds Ready Favor With Distinguished Guest.

~Pacific Commercial Advertiser, September 4, 1909.

Twelve hundred guests were entertained at the Hawaiian luau given at the Seaside last evening by Hon. Joseph J. Fern, Mayor of the City and County of Oahu in honor of the members of the Congressional party.  It was an elaborate spread and the novelty of the function appealed strongly to the Congressmen but being their first attempt to master the art of eating poi with fingers they ate sparingly of the Hawaiian delicacies.

The Mayor’s luau was probably the largest function of the kind attempted in many years and to the credit of the Mayor, it may be said that it was one of the most successful, for the imued pig and fish were placed warm in the coverings of ti leaves before the guest, numerous as they were.

The luau was given on the lawn beneath the trees between the hotel lanai and the seashore, a perfect location for such a function.  Electric lights in the trees with strings of flags and pennants of many hues formed a festive ensemble above the long tables, a dozen in number, which were laden with Hawaiian delicacies.  There were calabashes of poi, fish and pig in ti leaves, opihis, taro and sweet potato, kulolo and coconut dessert.  The tables were overspread with ti leaves and ferns.  A corps of young Hawaiian women, each wearing an ilima and maile lei over her holoku, attended to the wants of the army of guests, and everything passed off pleasantly.

At 7:30, the hour named for the luau to begin the dancing pavilion and the border of the lawn were crowded with guests.  At this time the Mayor and Mrs. Fern, Supervisor Logan and daughter, Secretary and Mrs. Rivenburgh, received the Congressmen in the lanai.  After all the guests had been seated at the tables other than the Mayor’s table, the Mayor led his special guests in and when all were seated the feast became a merry one.  The Hawaiian band stationed under the hau tree arbor played during the progress of the luau and a couple of flashlight pictures were taken of the festivities.

Following the luau a hula was given on the lanai which was of particular interest to the Congressional party, being the first they had ever seen.  The two young women giving the dance were attired in white blouses and red skirts with red anklets over their bare ankles.  The dances were given to gourd and chant accompainiments, and were generously applauded.

A quintet club furnished music for dancing which continued until almost midnight.

Among the distinguished guest besides the members of the Congressional party were United States Senator Dillingham who arrived on the Alemeda yesterday, Governor and Mrs. Frear, Secretary of the Territory Mott Smith, Captain Rees, U. S. N. ; Major Ray, U. S. A.; Major Dunning, U. S. A. ;Captain Marix, U. S. M. C., and Mrs. Marix, Paymaster and Mrs. Hornberger, government officials from all departments and a very large representation of townsfolk.