(Contd.)
called for such advocacy. Wielding a facile pen, a man of undoubted probity of character, he has left his mark here both in the paper which flourishes to-day and in the name the Chinese still apply to it - a vernacular rendering of his own surname - the See-mit Sai Po, or Smith's newspaper.
The first issue of the Hong Kong Telegraph appeared on June 15, 1881, being published from 15, Wellington Street, at the junction of D'Aguilar Street. Later, a move was made to 6, Pedder's Hill, as the rising land off Wyndham Street was formerly called: premises being taken opposite the Bishop's house, near the present location of the Dairy Farm offices. When Fraser Smith died in 1895 his property was put up to auction, and the Telegraph interests were bought by Mr. J.J. Francis, Q.C., who for some years afterwards directed its policy. The new editor appointed was Mr. Chesney Duncan, who had been the assistant editor. He left at the close of the Nineties to edit a paper in Penang, and was succeeded by Mr. E. F. Skertchly, who had been sub-editor. Meanwhile the offices had been moved to 50, Queen's Road, Central, where Lock Hing's are to-day, and here continued to carry on the traditions of a well-informed popular journal.
Early in the present century Mr. Francis sold out to a syndicate containing mainly Chinese capital, Mr. Lau Chu-Pak and Mr. Ho Fook becoming directors, and the shareholders including Sir Robert Ho Tung and Mr. Chau Siu Ki. Soon thereafter Mr. Skertchly left, and Mr. E. A. Snewin, who had been chief reporter, became editor. He in turn left to take up an appointment in Singapore in 1906, and Mr. J.P. Braga took charge for another year, being succeeded in 1911 by Mr. Alfred Hicks, the paper having that year been bought by Dr. J.W. Noble. Mr. Hicks has therefore been in the editorial chair now for a period of twenty-three years, probably something of a record in local journalism.
The offices in which the paper was published had, in the meantime, been moved to premises at the Junction of Battery Path and Ice House Street, and when Dr. Noble purchased the concern a move was made to 47 Des Voeux Road; but a few years afterwards a return was made to 11 Ice House Street, near Battery Path Junction, and there the paper remained until 1925, when it moved over to the newly-erected Morning Post Building in Wyndham Street, its interests having been some years previously been merged with the South China Morning Post.
It will be seen that Wyndham Street, not only through its newspaper associations of to-day but also by reason of the past, may be termed the "Fleet Street" of Hong Kong: its connection with the press of the Colony goes back to an early period, and at present it has three of the four daily papers located close together on its western side.
The South China Morning Post appeared in 1903, the first issue being dated Saturday, November 7 of that year with Mr. Alfred Cunningham as the first editor and publisher. The original publishing offices were at 15, 16 and 17, Connaught Road Central, but the South China Morning Post Co., Ltd., had been located for a brief period at 3 Duddell Street. That was from April to June 1903, the move to Connaught Road being made in the latter month.
It is interesting to trace the origin of the paper. As early as January 1903, plans for starting a journal to support the Reform movement in China were discussed by Mr. Cunningham
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