SHANGHAI
131
Institution for Chinese, a Seamen's Library and Museum, a well supplied Gymna- sium, a Wind Instrument Band, paid by the Municipality, which gives concerts in the Public Gardens every day during the summer months, a Race Club, possessing a course of a mile and a quarter, a Country Club on the Bubbling Well Road, Parsee, Portuguese, and Customs Clubs, also Pony Paper Hunt, Cricket, Rifle, Yacht, Racquet, Golf, and various other Clubs for recreation. There are ten or eleven Masonic bodies, with over 500 members. In 1876 a District Grand Lodge for North China was constituted, with Shanghai as its head-quarters.
There are four Docks at Shanghai, the one at Tungkadoo, opposite the city, having a length of 380 feet over all, with a depth at spring tides of 21 feet; the Old Dock at Hongkew, which is 400 feet long and 18 feet deep at springs ; and the New Dock at Pootung, at the lower end of the harbour, measuring 450 feet on the blocks, with a depth at high water springs of about 21 feet.; also Farnham's "Lower" Dock, about a mile below harbour limits. A public company was formed in 1896 to build a fifth and larger dock, which is now in course of construction. All steamers and most sailing vessels now discharge and load at the various public and private wharves. The premises of the Associated Wharf Companies have a frontage of about three-quarters of a mile. The Chinese Government has an Arsenal, Dock, and shipbuilding establishment at Kaou Chang Miao, a short distance above the native city. It commenced as
It commenced as a small rifle factory in 1867. The Great Northern Telegraph Company's cable was laid to Shanghai in 1871, and that of the Eastern Extension Company in 1884, there being now three distinct lines of communication with Europe. An overland line to Tientsin was opened in December, 1881, subsequently extended to Peking, and in 1894 connected with the Russian land lines through Siberia to Europe. There is also a line west to Hankow and south as far as Lungehow, on the Kwangsi border, there connecting with the French Tonkin lines. A railway constructed by a foreign company was opened to Woosung in June, 1876, but after running for sixteen months it was purchased and taken up by the Chinese Authorities. During the short time it was running the passenger traffic alone covered the working expenses, leaving sufficient profit to pay a small dividend. Towards the close of 1895 consent was given by the Throne for the construction by the provincial authorities of a line of railway from Shanghai to Soochow, a distance of about eighty miles. This is now in course of construction, the portion between Shanghai and Woosung being procceded with first. The line is to be extended to Chinkiang and Nanking. A scheme for Tramways in the settlements has often been put forward, but so late as 1896 was refused sanction by the ratepayers, and they have not yet been commenced. There are five locally owned lines of steamers running on the coast and the river Yangtsze. Several manufactories under both native and foreign auspices have sprung up of late years, and would have done so in large numbers long ago had it not been that the native authorities offered strong opposition to any manufactures under the control of foreigners and prevented the importation of foreign machinery. Although the right under the Treaty to import machinery is quite clear, the British Government hesitated to enforce it; but the Japanese, in the treaty of 1895 which closed the war, obtained the insertion of a clause specially authorising its importation. The consequence is that four companies have been floated, one under the auspices of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., one under those of the American Trading Company, one under the management of Messrs. Ilbert & Co. and one by Messrs. Arnhold, Karberg & Co., to build mills of 40,000 or more spindies each. It is understood that other mills, to be under the control of foreigners, are being projected. Cotton manufacture has already made great strides in Shanghai, and with the number of mills working and the still larger number in course of construction, the place is rapidly assuming the appearance of a thriving district in Lancashire. At the close of 1897 there were ten Cotton Mills, either in operation or near completion, containing over 300,000 spindles and capable of turning out 800 bales of yarn per day. Approaching Shanghai from Woosung the extensive mills of the Shang- hai Cotton Cloth Administration (a native owned business) meet the eye the old premises were destroyed by fire in 1893, and the present buildings were completed in 1595. These mills were the first erected in Shanghai, and the ex-viceroy, Li Hung-chang, has a considerable interest in them. Above these on the river side are the mills of Ilbert & Co., Jardline, Matheson & Co., and Arnhold, Karberg & Co., ferred to above; while on the opposite or Pootung shore stands the large and busy mill of the International Cotton Manufacturing Co. There are also a number of ginning factories, foreign and native owned. Much of this cleaned cotton is exported
Digitized by 100g
6*
L