Announcements—More than just lost dogs and store sales.
Cover Image: Masthead of Ka Nupepa Kuokoa published on June 29, 1865.
When you think of newspaper announcements, you might think of a reward offered for a lost pet, this week’s store discounts, movies and when they play at the theater in town, or details of an upcoming club meeting. Announcements however were at times emotional displays between man and wife.
Image: Hawaiian hale pili with family in front. Pre-1900s. Bishop Museum Archives, SP 223192
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Image: “HOI MAI HE AU KOOLAU AKU IA.” Ko Hawaii Pae Aina, August 26, 1882, p. 3.
COME BACK, THAT IS KOʻOLAU WEATHER1
Know all men, my wife, Mrs. Puakailima, left me and our bed. He who gives her credit, upon him is his loss. I call out to her, “Come back, that is Koʻolau weather,” and if you do not return, I will bring suit upon you before the courts of this Nation, or before the Jury Term [Kau Kiure] of February 1883 at Nāwiliwili, Kauaʻi.
Edward Palala.
Wanini,2 Hanalei, Aug. 17, 1882.
1“He au Koʻolau aku ia,” or “That is Koʻolau weather” refers to the stormy weather of the windward side which is likened to the distress caused by a headstrong person.
2Wanini is an older name for ʻAnini on Kauaʻi.
Image: “MOE HEWA I KA PO.” Ko Hawaii Pae Aina, October 7, 1882, p. 3
SLEEPS RESTLESSLY AT NIGHT
Know you all who see this, “Sleeps restlessly at night.” I am Mrs. Puakailima, the wife of Palala, the one who announced recently of me in Issue 243 of Ko Hawaii Pae Aina. How I left him and our bed, and forbade me to make debts in the name of my dear husband. Therefore, I shall not listen to what you say. For our marriage bond has not been undone.
Mrs. Puakailima,
Wanini, Hanalei, Sept. 12, 1882.
Image: “OLELO HOOLAHA.” KE AU OKOA, June 6, 1865, p. 3, as seen online (digitized from microfilm)
ANNOUNCEMENT.
Know you all who look at this document, I am Kekoi, the wedded husband of Haliimaile, of Kapālama, Oʻahu. I have been told and it is very clear that my wife, Haliimaile secretly sold her inherited land from Kapalu (m). Land Commission Award Number 2222, Royal Patent Number 2082, to Kekai (m), her man who she acquired unlawfully; on the 5th of June, 1865, while the two were living together in sin, and my wife left our bed at Kapālama, and resides in town, I did not hear anything nor did I know anything of this sale or why it was done. Therefore, as per the power invested in me by law, I reject this deed of sale of my wife, it is not valid; it will not be finalized. Kekai may not enter that land from this time forth.
KEKOI,
Wedded Husband of Haliimaile.
Kapālama, Oʻahu, June 16, 1865.
Image: “OLELO HOOLAHA.” KE AU OKOA, June 6, 1865, p. 3, as seen online (digitized from microfilm)
ANNOUNCEMENT.
KNOW YOU ALL who look at this document; I am HALIIMAILE (f), the wedded wife of
KEKOI
of Kapālama, Oʻahu. I announce in the open, so that you all know, I sold and transfered my portions of land that Kapalu willed to me, to KEKAI (m) of Honolulu, Oʻahu, for the lawful sum of $50.00, which I received from KEKAI, from a lawful purchase that was satisfactory in my opinion. However, you have seen the announcement that Kekoi, my dear husband published in the “AU OKOA” of the 10th of June, 1865. In his announcement of that day, he denies, “My [sic] sale is not valid in the least, and it will not be finalized, and Kekai cannot enter that land;” according to my dear husband, “I have lived with Kekai in sin.” I deny this to you all. These words of my dear husband are false and is libel. You know the truth of why I sold that parcel of land of mine to Kekai, and that is why it has been accrued to Kekai and his heirs for all time. And I stand and fend off the words of my dear husband, in all cases brought to the court by Kekoi, as stated in Section 1294 of the Civil Code.3 And I strongly refute his statement; Kekoi is no way able to enter and take what is growing upon those land of mine which I transfered to Kekai by sale. And Kekai is able to arrest a person or persons who trespass upon that land that he has accrued, should someone oppose him, along with my dear wedded husband; Kekoi is a man who does not take care of me to this day, from the day we were married; he would give me some clothes, and then take them away. So becomes the good nature of those who are married.
HALIIMAILE,
Wedded wife of Kekoi,
Honolulu, Oʻahu, June 27, 1865.
3Section 1294 of the Civil Code reads, “She [the wife] may also be so authorized to make sale of any estate, real or personal, of which she is seized or possessed in her own right, and duly execute all legal instruments, necessary for that purpose.”
Mrs. Kaluahine remains silent in response to the two complaints from her husband Akai. He finally resorts to divorcing her.
Image: “OLELO HOOLAHA.” Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, January 29, 1870, p. 3
ANNOUNCEMENT.
Let it be known to all men of all ethnicities, I am the one whose name is below; I am reporting in public,
Mrs. KALUAHINE
my wedded wife has left me and our bed, and she has gone elsewhere. Therefore, I prohibit the haole, the Chinese, and others who have wealth, do not give her credit, and if someone should give her credit, upon her is your loss.
AKAI (Chinese)
Kauhako, South Kona, Jan.10, 1870.
Image: “OLELO HOOLAHA.” Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, May 6, 1871, p. 3
ANNOUNCEMENT.
I AM the one whose name is below, I prohibit everyone from giving credit to or welcome my wife,
KALUAHINE,
because she has left our bed and our children, and she left to “ride sidesaddle,”4 leaving behind the goods of the boy from Peking. Those who give credit to her, I will not pay those debts, upon them is the loss.
AKAI (Chinese),
Kauhako, South Kona, Apr. 28, 1871.
4“Noho kāpae,” or to ride sidesaddle figuratively means to have an illicit love affair.
Image: “HOOLAHA HOOKOLOKOLO.” Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, July 11, 1874, p. 3
CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, of the May Term thereof, A. D. 1874, Hawaii S. S. AKAI vs. KALUAHINE Libel for Divorce.
In the above entitled libel for divorce, it is now ordered that a decree of divorce from the bond of matrimony be entered in favor of the said Akai, of the cause of the willful desertion of the said Kaluahine for three years, to be made absolute after the expiration of six months from the date of this decree, upon compliance with the terms thereof, unless sufficient cause shall appear to the contrary.
And the libeilant is ordered to publish an attested copy of this order in the Hawaiian Gazette and Ke Kuokoa for six successive weeks, the first publication to be within one month from the date of this order, that all persons interested may within six months show cause, why said deree should not be made final.
Witness, Hon. A. F. JUDD,
[L. S.] Presiding Justice Supreme at Hilo, Hawaii, June 27th, A. D. 1874.
D. H. Hitchcock, Clerk.
The above is a true copy of the decree in the case of Akai vs. Kaluahine.
Attest: D. H. Hitchcock,
Clerk of the Circ. Court 3d Jud. Circ.
Hilo, June 27th, 1874.
Might this be the same Kaluahine a few years later?
Image: “I NA kanaka…” Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, July 21, 1877, p. 3, as seen online (digitized from microfilm)
To all men, from this day and from here on, I will not pay for the debts under my name by my wedded wife, that being Kaluahine living in Kohala, for she has left our bed.
KE (Chinese),
Halawa, Kohala, June 25, 1877.
This post is part of He Aupuni Palapala: Preserving and Digitizing the Hawaiian Language Newspapers, a partnership between Bishop Museum and Awaiaulu with assistance from Kamehameha Schools. Mahalo nui loa to Hawaii Tourism Authority for their support. Learn more about this project here.
