Blackhead (2)
GERMAN PIONEER MERCHANT
Continuation.
1
Fire Brigade Station, and after some years was transferred to a place opposite the Canton Wharf.
3 At the commencement of 1879, Mr. F. Schwarzkopf came to Hongkong, and joined the business, which was then removed to the East side of the (old) P. & O. offices. Another removal was later effected, the company taking premises at what were Melchers and Co's offices, and on which site the main portion now stands of the Hongkong Hotel. (Now the Gloucester Building) When the Hongkong Hotel extended, Blackhead's shifted next door, to the premises which they recently vacated. There they were victims of a disastrous fire and had to remove temporarily, but the place was fixed up again and there they remained until the beginning of this year (1905), where they rented practically the entire ground floor of the handsome new block opposite the Star Ferry wharf known as St. George's building - a great stride from the days of the old "chop".
"In the latter part of the Eighties, Mr. Smith left Hongkong for Germany, and within a week of his arrival in Genoa, he died. A year previous to his departure, Mr. Schoenemann, Mr. Hoehnke, and Mr. F. S. Schwarzkopf joined the business as partners. Mr. Schoenemann left Hongkong in 1903 in ill-health and died at home shortly afterwards. The business is now in the hands of Mr. Hoehnke and Mr. Schwarzkopf.
The firm is now one of the largest proportions. Besides the business premises of St. George's Building, the firm has soapworks at Shaukiwan, the godowns, etc., in Kowloon, at what is familiarly known as Blackhead's Point, and the large stores and godowns that were the first to be established at Kiautschou when that Colony was ceded to the Germans some ten years ago.
The fact that Blackhead's had godowns near where Holt's Wharf and godowns are to-day is of particular interest, and the mention of the soapworks revives the history of an enterprise which deserved to succeed but eventually failed. More about these soapworks will be given in a further instalment.
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