• Another uncle, Charles Eckart of Piedmont, is identified with the sugar importing industry.34

• At 1921 Thanksgiving dinner, 3014 Clay Street, San Francisco.33

• My grandfather was Charles Franklin Eckart (1875-1934) who lived for many years in Hawaii and managed a sugar plantation. My grandfather had three sons, all born in Hawaii: Charles Gorham (my father), Robert Carlisle (not Crockett as identified in your letter) and Thomas Gordon. My father and his two brothers are all deceased.454

• ECKART, CHARLES FRANKLIN, manager Olaa Sugar Co., Ltd., Olaa, Hawaii; born June 18, 1875, at Marysville, Cal.; son of William Roberts and Harriet Louise (Gorham) Eckart; educated in public schools in San Francisco, Cal., and University of California, degree M.S., 1905; married Edith Morgan Clay, March 1, 1904, in Honolulu, Hawaii; children, Charles Gorham, Robert Carlisle, and Thomas Gordon. Began professional career as chemist for the Paauhau Sugar Plantation Co., 1895; chemist experiment Station of Hawaii Sugar Planters’ Association, 1896-1900; director agricultural and chemistry Exp. Station, H. S. P. A., 1901-1908; general director experiment station of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association, 1909-1913; manager Olaa Sugar Co., Ltd., since 1913. Regent of College of Hawaii short term during organization. Member of Pacific Club, Hawaiian Chemist Associaiton, Hawaiian Engineering Association, Fellow American Geographical Society, Gamma Eta Kappa, Sigma Chi, Skull and Keys fraternities, Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science.448

• Charles Eckart of the HSPA Experiment Station invented an asphalt impregnated paper for mulching plants in 1914, and used it to suppress weeds on the sugar plantations.455, p 4

• Among the local people are C. F. Eckart, director of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Experiment Station. Mr. Eckardt [sic] went to the Coast on a health trip. Mrs. Eckhardt [sic] is not well and she remained behind.455, p 1

• Mr. Eckart is manager of the great Olaa sugar plantation.
Mr. Eckart is the son of Mrs. W. R. Eckart of Palo Alto and the late W. R. Eckart, the famous engineer.456

• Charles F. Eckart was truly one of the pioneers of the modern Hawaiian sugar industry, for to his credit goes not only the creation of that wonder cane, H-109, but also that of being the first man to cross pollinate sugar cane successfully, an agricultural practice on which the cane sugar industry in now so vitally dependent.457

• I noticed that my grandfather C. F. Eckart’s education (degree & date) didn’t seem to fit his bio very well. It’s listed as MS 1905, U. of California. That’s about 10 years after he arrived in Hawaii and with no BS preceding it. According to my uncle Thomas G. Eckart, his father’s MS degree in 1905 from U. C. Berkeley was an Honorary Degree. He did a couple of years at Cal then left for Hawaii and got a job as a chemist. He was also offered a Doctorate by the same institution but declined because he didn’t want to spend the time doing a thesis.458, p 1

• In the first place let me say that you and Bob are really two very lucky young men to have found employment at this time. Just how lucky you are I doubt if you can realize. Anything in the way of employment these days is something precious which should be nursed and fostered. The situation up here is so appalling and critical, financially, that from one day to another one doesn’t know what to expect. I am not an alarmist but I often wonder what the outcome will be.
As an example my cousin, Charlie Carlisle, who a short time ago was worth millions of dollars and had no cloud on the financial horizon, is now reduced to an extent which is pitiable. He and his family are having a hard time making both ends meet. The bottom has dropped out of the cannery business to the extent that Uncle Ed Hume is trying to sell his house in order to pay taxes. My own income has been cut to the point that we’ve had to give up our servants and economize in every way possible. I even spend most of my time at home in order to save street car fare. The worry about property and other taxes which must be met is a constant bogey.459

• Here is a brief run down on some Eckart history in Hawaii. It would be interesting some day to prepare a summarization in a little greater detail. Your grandfather, after completing his junior year at U. C., departed for Hawaii in a sailing vessel; year, I think, was 1895. He took a position at Hakalau Sugar Co. on the Island of Hawaii as a chemist. In 1909 he was made the first director of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Experimental Station in Honolulu. His work in soils, plant foods and sugar cane breeding was brilliant in the world of sugar cane culture. Actually he was the first man to successfully breed sugar cane and one of his seedlings – H109 (will all development records in his unique handwriting) – became famous throughout the Territory and actually saved the Hawaiian Sugar Industry in replacing a variety called "Lahaina" which was being wiped out by root rot disease. H109 was not only tolerant to the disease (resistant would be a better word) but was high in sucrose and had all the desirable characteristics in fiber, growth qualities, etc. His outstanding work was recognized by the University of Calif. and he was presented with a Masters Degree in Soils and Plant Science. The University rules were temporarily suspended in order to do this – as he had not graduated and did not hold a Bachelors Degree.
In 1913 your grandfather was made manager of Olaa Sugar Co. on the Island of Hawaii – just 10 miles from Hilo on the way to the volcano. He held this position until 1920 at which time he became consulting Director of American Factors. It was at Olaa that he invented the Paper Mulch to improve the growth of sugar cane (and all plants) and to control weeds. And at Olaa he built a paper mill to manufacture this paper mulch which was used in the fields. The paper was made of [unclear] – the waste pulp of the cane following sugar extraction. He experimented in our back yard at Olaa and found that tobacco, tomatoes, asparagus, pineapples etc. etc. etc. all made fantastic growth when grown with paper mulch. Jim Dole – a family friend – often visited us at Olaa. He recognized the value of paper mulch to the production of pineapples – observed in our back yard – and offered Dad $50,000 for Territorial Rights for pineapples (patent). Dad was primarily interested in sugar cane and sold the rights to Dole. Dole eventually made many millions from paper mulch royalties, when all the big packers – Cal Pack – Libby and others went into pineapple production in Hawaii. Paper mulch is still a must in pineapple culture in Hawaii.
In 1925, we all moved to Oakland where your grandfather devoted his full time to the promotion of paper mulch throughout the U. S. About 1927 he sold certain rights to the International Paper Co. for $100,000 – and things were going great. Then came the depression and the paper mulch business came to a stand still. In March of 1934 he passed away following "Bright’s disease." He was a most remarkable – and wonderful man.460

• [excerpts] Thank you for your interest in our company and for taking the time to contact C&H Sugar Co. I forwarded your message to Keith Olsen, who is the historian at the Crockett Museum. He conducted some research and I will send along an article that he found. He also mentioned that you should be able to find out much more information if you travel to Hawaii. This article describes Eckart's activity in starting a pineapple development on Lanai:
"The next step was the development of paper mulch, which was accomplished by Charles F. Eckart,* director of HSPA 1901-1914, and subsequently manager of Olaa plantation. He hit upon the idea of covering the freshly prepared soil with thirty-inch strips of waterproofed mulch paper made of bagasse and spacing these so as to coincide with the center line of pairs of rows of plants about 20 inches apart, leaving a narrow strip of uncovered soil between. An airplane view gave the fields the appearance of a convict's back. Pineapples (or cane) were then planted by punching holes through the paper, two rows to the strip, and sticking the plants through these holes into the soil. The advantage of Eckart's "on-the-row" mulch over the "tween space" planting is evident but, as frequently happens, when an improvement is wrought, accessory advantages, not anticipated, are achieved. Thus the improvement over the old practice of planting between the strips of paper, consists in the accessibility of the uncovered strip to mechanical cultivation, while at the same time providing a shield against the weeds. The paper enables the roots to use the top soil without competition from weeds. Furthermore, it keeps the soil warm and moist and makes the deficient rain water of Lanai do double duty. It prevents leaching of fertilizers and finally creates a condition favorable to nitrification. Where five pineapples grew before, six grow now and they thrive even in dry years. Hawaiian Pine's former fields of 80,000,000 annual plantings can now produce the equivalent of 96,000,000 plants. The patent for this mulching system was acquired by Hawaiian Pine and the royalty contributions to date have amounted to nearly $2,000,000.453

• H-109 CANE’S INVENTOR DIES ON THE COAST [excerpts]
C. F. Eckart Also Developed Paper Mulch; Sons On Way To Funeral
The death Wednesday in Berkeley, Cal., of Charles F. Eckart, former island resident, ended the life of one of the outstanding figures in Hawaii’s agricultural life.
To him is credited the development of H-109 sugar cane, known as “Hawaii’s wonder cane,” and the invention of paper mulch for use in pineapple cultivation.
He was born in Marysville, Cal., June 18, 1875, attended the University of California and there began his life work as an agricultural chemist and technologist.
Mr. Eckart was the first agriculturist in Hawaii to grow sugar cane from true seed, accomplishing this when he was director of the H. S. P. A. experiment station. The cane H-109 was one of many seedlings developed by him. This cane was tried out at Ewa plantation by the late George F. Renton and has virtually supplanted the former standard variety, known as Lahaina.
His paper mulch process has gained world wide recognition. The paper is used here by the pineapple industry in the pineapple fields, the paper being anchored to the soil and planting stock inserted through holes. With the ground covered by the paper mulch, weed growth is checked and moisture preserved in the soil.
Mr. Eckart is survived by the widow and three sons, Charles G. Eckart, who resides in California; Robert Eckart of Hilo and Thomas Eckart of Kauai. The latter two sons left for the mainland today on the Lurline to attend their father’s funeral. Their wives are with them.
Mr. and Mrs. Eckart, after Mr. Eckart’s retirement in 1921, resided in Honolulu until 1926 when they went to the mainland to live. They were visitors here in September, 1931, with their niece, Miss Eleanor Eckart.451

• 1910 Census: Honolulu, Hawaii. Age 35, b CA. Director, Experimental Station. Parents b OH.461
• 1920 Census: Olaa, Puna District, Hawaii, TH. Age 44, b CA. Manager, [unclear]. Father b OH; mother b CT.452
• 1930 Census: Oakland, Alameda, California. Age 54, b CA. Retired. Father b OH; mother b CT. Age 23 at 1st marriage.462