E. R. Belilios
(1)
Few animal pets imported to Hongkong have received such publicity as the camel owned by Mr. E. R. Belilios.
# Belilios's Camel that in So many tales were told of
after years he was regarded more as a myth than a reality, and some quarters ridiculed the idea that Mr. Belilios ever owned such an animal.
The camel, however, actually did exist, for his Obituary Notice appearing in the Hongkong Telegraph on July 24, 1947.
"We are informed" says the Telegraph "that the animal belonging to the Hon. M. E. R. Belilios strayed away from his stable at the Peak yesterday afternoon. A long search during the afternoon proved fruitless but this morning, the poor animal was found dead about 100 feet below Mountain Lodge, having apparently jumped or fallen from the wall there,
BELILIOS E. R. (2)
Continuation.
The famous Civil Court action of 1897-98 Jewish Community in Hongkong versus the Hon. Mr. E. R. Belilios, C.M.G. has occupied my attention for the past two days. As a matter of fact, the name of Mr. Belilios has been cropping up time and again in these articles. I offer no apology for this. Mr. Belilios played an important part in building up this Empire outpost and his name must, of necessity, figure prominently and frequently in any history of Hongkong.
Mr. Belilios shares with Sir Ellis Kadoorie and Sir Robert Ho Tung the credit for the establishment of so many fine non-Government schools in Hongkong. To-day I propose to deal with the efforts of Mr. Belilios to open an up-to-date reformatory here.
For many years prior to 1897, the fathers of the Italian Mission had conducted a reformatory at West Point. For a time it served its purpose admirably, but as the demands upon it gradually increased, the need for a new building became obvious. At first, the Government came to the assistance of the Mission, patched up the building and heightened the walls, but all to no purpose.
Then Mr. Belilios stepped into the picture, approached the Governor (Sir William Robinson) and offered him $12,000 for the erection of a new reformatory. Sir William gladly accepted the generous offer and on Saturday, January 29, 1898, the foundation stone was laid.
The site was an ideal one, being on high ground behind Kennedy's stables, between the Polo Ground and the spot where the French Hospital now stands.
Among the large crowd which saw the foundation stone laid by Sir William Robinson were Mr. and Mrs. Belilios, the Hon. W. M. Goodman (Colonial Secretary), and the Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart (Attorney General).
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