Posted on: Wednesday, September 15, 2004

OUR HONOLULU

By Bob Krauss
Advertiser Columnist

"The most interesting business district in Honolulu at present is ... the fish market district."

Anybody who has been down to Chinatown lately will agree with this opening paragraph in a story that appeared in The Advertiser 100 years ago on July 7, 1904. In that year the Oahu Market on Maunakea and King streets had just started, along with City Market. What's fascinating to me is the detailed description of the markets in operation.

The story says, "A Chinese owned the lot, valued at $20,000, and upon this he put up a market building which did not exceed $10,000 in cost."

All 58 stalls rented at auction for a premium because they were in such demand. The premiums "nearly cover a great portion of the cost of the building. From his 58 stalls, (the owner) receives a rental of $15 a month, netting him over $10,000 a year in rentals.

On an investment of $30,000 an annual return of $10,000 a year is regarded as enormous by financial men. ...

"It is surprising how much money is spent there. A conservative estimate is that every day in the year $1,000 is spent in the two markets for meat, $500 a day is spent for fish, and perhaps $300 a day for fruits and vegetables."

About 75 commission dealers, all Chinese, controlled the supply of fish. The Japanese did most of the fishing. They turned their catches over to the Chinese, who took 10 percent for marketing the fish. The fish dealers had been in business for years. It was impossible for a newcomer to join in.

The markets opened at 5 a.m. and ran until 6 p.m. Most of the patrons were Chinese, Japanese and Hawaiians.

Hawaiians, according to the story, divided their purchases equally between the fish and meat stalls.

A small Chinese girl sauntered along the fish stalls examining the gills of fish. She passed by those that were white (stale fish) and paused by gills that were red (fresh fish). After she selected a fish, the fish seller wrapped it in a ti leaf tied so that the stalk served as a handle to carry the fish home.

"Someone earns a big revenue in ti leaves each year," the story reported. "The ti grows on the mountains. Anyone who wishes may gather it without hindrance and it can be sold to the fish commission men at 50 cents a bundle. Thousands of bundles of the leaves are used each year."

Probably the most expensive fish on sale was the red mullet because Hawaiians favored the flavor. It sold for $1 to $1.50 each.

The common mullet sold in greater quantities than any other fish in the markets.

Fruit on sale included watermelon (50 cents to $1 per melon), pineapples (bought for pickling), breadfruit, mangoes, eggplants, alligator pears, limes and bananas.

Reach Bob Krauss at 525-8073.