Max Schlemmer
Encyclopedia
Maximilian "Max" Schlemmer (1856–1935) was called the "King of Laysan" and superintendent of a guano mining operation on the Hawaiian island
of Laysan
, where he lived from 1894 to 1915. Much of the desecration of Laysan and species extinction (such as the extinction of the Laysan Rail
and Laysan Millerbird
) at the turn of the 20th century was a result of his entrepreneurial initiatives to support his growing family.
and immigrated to the United States
in 1871 when he was fifteen. In 1885, he moved to Hawaii
and worked in sugar plantations on various islands until he was hired to oversee a Japanese guano
mining labor force on Laysan in 1894. In 1895, he brought his new sixteen year-old wife, Therese, to Laysan and subsequently had five children with her, in addition to the three from his previous marriage.
during which time a Japanese miner was murdered during a dispute between American and Japanese workers. In the ensuing court case, the existing superintendent was removed and Max returned to Laysan again. The North Pacific Phosphate and Fertilizer Company sold their mining rights to Schlemmer, and he in turn sold them to a Genkichi Yamanouchi of Tokyo
, allowing him to export anything from Laysan. Yamanouchi used this permission to export not guano, which had been mostly depleted, but bird feathers.
With the creation of the bird reservation in 1909, however, these activities became illegal, and Schlemmer was removed from the island. The rabbits that he had previously let loose now became uncontrolled and ravaged the island for food. The US Biological Survey sent a crew to exterminate them in 1913, but ran out of ammunition after five-thousand were killed, leaving a substantial number still alive. Max couldn't live away from Laysan, and in 1915 the government allowed him to return while denying his request to become a federal game warden. With nothing to eat on the bare island, Schlemmer's family nearly starved before they were rescued by the USS Nereus. With World War I
having broken out and the subsequent ameri-German paranoia it cause in full effect, Schlemmer found himself falsely accused of being a German spy using Laysan as his headquarters.
(which survived on other islands afterwards but soon became extinct there as well), the Laysan Millerbird
, and the Laysan Fan Palm. The Laysan Finch
was able to survive by scavenging other dead birds, and the Laysan Duck
survived because its diet of brine flies was unharmed.
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands or the Leeward Islands are the small islands and atolls in the Hawaiian island chain located northwest of the islands of Kauai and Niihau. They are administered by the U.S. state of Hawaii except Midway Atoll, which has temporary residential facilities and is...
of Laysan
Laysan
Laysan , located northwest of Honolulu at N25° 42' 14" W171° 44' 04", is one of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It comprises one land mass of , about 1 by 1.5 miles in size . It is an atoll of sorts, although the land completely surrounds a shallow central lake some above sea level that has...
, where he lived from 1894 to 1915. Much of the desecration of Laysan and species extinction (such as the extinction of the Laysan Rail
Laysan Rail
The Laysan Rail or Laysan Crake was a tiny inhabitant of the Northwest Hawaiian Island of Laysan. This small island was and still is an important seabird colony, and sustained a number of endemic species, including the rail. It became extinct due to habitat loss by domestic rabbits, and ultimately...
and Laysan Millerbird
Laysan Millerbird
The Laysan Millerbird was a subspecies of the Millerbird, similar in appearance to the remaining subspecies, the Nihoa Millerbird. Its dorsal side was brown, and its belly was grayish...
) at the turn of the 20th century was a result of his entrepreneurial initiatives to support his growing family.
Early years
Schlemmer was born in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and immigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1871 when he was fifteen. In 1885, he moved to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and worked in sugar plantations on various islands until he was hired to oversee a Japanese guano
Guano
Guano is the excrement of seabirds, cave dwelling bats, and seals. Guano manure is an effective fertilizer due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen and also its lack of odor. It was an important source of nitrates for gunpowder...
mining labor force on Laysan in 1894. In 1895, he brought his new sixteen year-old wife, Therese, to Laysan and subsequently had five children with her, in addition to the three from his previous marriage.
"King of Laysan"
Schlemmer was made superintendent of the guano operation in 1896. Soon after, he left to open a bar and boardinghouse on KauaiKauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
during which time a Japanese miner was murdered during a dispute between American and Japanese workers. In the ensuing court case, the existing superintendent was removed and Max returned to Laysan again. The North Pacific Phosphate and Fertilizer Company sold their mining rights to Schlemmer, and he in turn sold them to a Genkichi Yamanouchi of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, allowing him to export anything from Laysan. Yamanouchi used this permission to export not guano, which had been mostly depleted, but bird feathers.
With the creation of the bird reservation in 1909, however, these activities became illegal, and Schlemmer was removed from the island. The rabbits that he had previously let loose now became uncontrolled and ravaged the island for food. The US Biological Survey sent a crew to exterminate them in 1913, but ran out of ammunition after five-thousand were killed, leaving a substantial number still alive. Max couldn't live away from Laysan, and in 1915 the government allowed him to return while denying his request to become a federal game warden. With nothing to eat on the bare island, Schlemmer's family nearly starved before they were rescued by the USS Nereus. With World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
having broken out and the subsequent ameri-German paranoia it cause in full effect, Schlemmer found himself falsely accused of being a German spy using Laysan as his headquarters.
Repercussions of the Rabbit Outbreak
Not all of the animals on Laysan were hardy enough to survive the following few years, during which time Laysan degenerated into a veritable desert devoid of vegetation. Many species became extinct in the early 1920s, including the Laysan RailLaysan Rail
The Laysan Rail or Laysan Crake was a tiny inhabitant of the Northwest Hawaiian Island of Laysan. This small island was and still is an important seabird colony, and sustained a number of endemic species, including the rail. It became extinct due to habitat loss by domestic rabbits, and ultimately...
(which survived on other islands afterwards but soon became extinct there as well), the Laysan Millerbird
Laysan Millerbird
The Laysan Millerbird was a subspecies of the Millerbird, similar in appearance to the remaining subspecies, the Nihoa Millerbird. Its dorsal side was brown, and its belly was grayish...
, and the Laysan Fan Palm. The Laysan Finch
Laysan Finch
The Laysan Finch is a species of finch in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae, that is endemic to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It is one of four remaining finch-billed Hawaiian honeycreepers, and is closely related to the smaller Nihoa Finch. The Laysan Finch is named for...
was able to survive by scavenging other dead birds, and the Laysan Duck
Laysan Duck
The Laysan Duck , also known as the Laysan Teal because of its small size, is an endangered dabbling duck endemic to the Hawaiian Islands...
survived because its diet of brine flies was unharmed.