("Ke Alanui o Kipahulu", Ke Alakai o Hawaii, January 18, 1934)
From the pen of Lincoln Holstein of the County of Maui
“For Ke Alakai”
Greetings.—
The entire island of Maui is encircled by a road on which a car may drive from one side of the land to the other. Except, that is, for the area from Kipahulu to Kaupo. This is because the land is filled with cliffs between these two regions. I have traveled these cliffs, and due to the steepness in some areas, I walked out of fear that my animal would slip and throw me over the precipice. I have lived in lands with cliffs for nearly 40 years, but I have not seen an area with cliffs of the stature of Kaupo’s.
One can dance along the cliffs of Kohala all the way to Awini and Honokaa, but the cliffs of Kaupo are “full-grown”. The sides of the ravines are truly frightful. It is a land solely suited for the koae and other birds of the sky. But the areas beyond the cliffs are inhabited, and the residents of Kaupo and Kipahulu treasure their way of life. This is because it fulfills the desire to live where the feet can roam, with the heavens above and the earth below. And in these districts of Kipahulu and Kaupo the only inhabitants are Hawaiians.
The trouble with these lands is that one cannot travel by car but only by horse to cross from one side to the other. The natives of these areas are so accustomed to the steep cliffs of Kaupo that they ride across them on horseback as if traveling on level ground.
But the reason for writing these lines is that there is some news to report to the natives of Kaupo and Kipahulu, important news.
In the legislative session of 1925, Akoni Tavares, a senator from the County of Maui, inserted an appropriation of $5,000 to survey a route from Kipahulu to Kaupo. This item was approved but was then left untouched for many years. However, on January 3, 1934, this matter was taken up by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Maui. It was resolved that these funds be employed, and the county engineer was directed to move ahead with this public improvement. A. P.1 Low was hired as the engineer to survey this new road, and he quickly got to work, starting this month. By the time the Alakai readers in Kaupo, Kipahulu and Hana read this message, A. P. Low will be at work in the cliffs of Kaupo laying the groundwork for a road that will allow travel between these two districts, where the steep cliffs have hindered easy access.
There are two reasons I am grateful for this appropriation. The first has been mentioned above: the creation of a road that is easy to travel. The second reason is that it provides employment for the road workers in order to earn a few dollars.
Just a little news of Kaupo and Kipahulu.
Your representative,
H.2 LINCOLN HOLSTEIN,
Maui County Supervisor
Below is the text of the original article:
KE ALANUI O KIPAHULU
Mai ka peni mai a Linekona Holstein o ke Kalana o Maui
“E ke Alakai”
Aloha oe.—
Ua puni o Maui Mokupuni i ke alanui, hiki i ke kaa okomopile ke holo mai kahi aoao o ka aina ahiki i kahi aoao, a koe ka apana o Kipahulu e hele ai i Kaupo a no ka mea, he aina pali mawaena o keia mau ahupuaa. Ua hele au i keia mau pali, a no ka nihinihi a ku pololei ma kekahi mau wahi, ua hele wawae ia e a’u no ka maka’u mai ke kumu o walawala ki aku ilalo o ka pali ke pakika ka holoholona. He aina pali ko’u i noho ai no na makahiki aneane i ke 40, aka, aole a’u aina pali i ike ai e loaa ke kulana o ka pali o Kaupo.
He pali no ko Kohala e hele ai i na hula-ana, a hiki i Awini a hele aku i Honokaa, aka o na pali o Kaupo, he pali kanaka makua. He kau ka weli i ke kuhoho o na aoao, he aina kupono wale no no ke koae ame na manu o ka lewa. Aka, ua nohoia keia mau aina me na kihi mawaho o na pali e na kanaka, a ua aloha no na kamaaina o Kaupo ame Kipahulu i ko lakou noho ana, no ka mea, ua hooko i ka makemake o ka noho ana, he aina e hehi ai na wawae, he lani iluna a he honua ilalo, a ma keia mau ahupuaa o Kipahulu ame Kaupo, he Hawaii wale no ka lahui e nohoia nei ia mau apana.
O ka pilikia o keia mau aina aole e hiki ke kaa ke holo, aka, ma ka lio wale no, ke manao e hele mai kahi aoao a i kahi aoao, a i na kamaaina o keia mau wahi, ua like ka hele ana maluna o na lio me he aina palahalaha la ke kulana, mamuli o ka maa i ka hele ana i na piina like ole o na pali laumania o Kaupo.
Eia kahi mea hou e hoike aku ai i na kupa o Kaupo me Kipahulu, a oia ke kumu o ke kakau ana i keia mau lalani, no ka mea, he mea hou ano nui no ia. Ma ke kau ahaolelo o ka 1925, o Akoni Tavares kekahi kenakoa mai ke kalana aku o Maui, a ua hookomo oia he haawina o elima kaukani dala e anaia i loaa he alahele mai Kipahulu ahiki i Kaupo. Ua hooholoia keia itamu, a ua waiho waleia no keia mau makahiki loihi, a i ka la 3 iho nei o Ianuali 1934, ua hapaiia keia kumuhana imua o ka papa lunakiai o ke kalana o Maui, a ua hooholoia e hoohana ia kela haawina, a ua kauohaia ka Enekinia o ke kalana e nee aku imua ma ka hoomaopopo ana i kela hana hou o ka aina, a ua hoolimalimaia o A. P. Low ma ke ano he eneainia e ana i keia alanui hou, a e hoomaka koke kela hana i keia mahina, a i ka wa e heluhelu ai ka poe lawe “Alakai” o Kaupo, Kipahulu ame Hana i keia mau manao, eia o A. P. Low i na pali o Kaupo kahi i hana ai, no ka hoomoe ana i alanui e hiki ai ke heleia ma keia mua aku mawaena o keia mau apana a ielua, kahi a na pali laumania i papa ai ka hele ana me ka oluolu.
Elua mau kumu o ko’u mahalo i keia haawina, o ka mua, ua hoikeia maluna, e loaa ona alanui maalahi o ka hele ana, a o ka lua, o ka loaa o ka hana i na limahana alanui e hiki ai ke ohi i na wahi hua dala.
Ma’u wahi hou ia e Kaupo me Kipahulu,
Ko oukou wahaolelo no,
H. LINEKONA HOLSTEIN,
Lunakiai o Maui Kalana
Footnotes