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AUSTRALIAN VAUDEVILLE COMPANY AT THE THEATRE.
Our latest visitors have reason for satisfaction at the success attending their opening perform- ance in the Theatre Royal on Wednesday night. Only in the circle could the audience be described as sparse, and that the entertainment met with its unqualified approval was evidenced in the
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND Africa in July last year. Mr. Reid promoted | several good works in Singapore-notably the Indian Famine and South African War Relief Funds; and just before his departure he was the prime mover in the formation of the Singapore
Volunteer Rifle Corps.
commerce.
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[August 3, 1901,
soil turned in a new direction in a land where Nature bountifully provided the remunerative means for productive farming enterprise. But, alas! Fate ordained otherwise with Mr. José Ribeiro. Just as he was beginning to reap the harvest of his honest labour, a severe epidemio educated chiefly at the High School of his cattle breeders in the two Kwang provinces Mr. Reid was born in Glasgow, and was of cattle plague that proved so disastrous to native city. His father was B chartered and which visited your Colony also, to the loss accountant, and the deceased gentleman's of the Dairy Farm Co., as will be remembered, encores that greeted each fresh turn. One good earlier years were passed amid the bustle of made its presence felt even in this isolated feature is the orchestra- the band of the Royal prietor of, and the chief writer in a local
He subsequently became the pro-spot, the subject of the present article. Such Welsh Fusiliers-which opened the first part of illustrated journal called Quiz. After filling any preventive measures could be taken to was the virulence of the epidemic that before the programme with the spirited intermezzo for some time the editorial chair of the Glasgow segregate the healthy from the infected animals, Salome." This part included an opening Evening News, when the Edinburgh Courant and all the most valuable heads had been attacked chorus by the company, "The Belle of New the Glasgow News were incorporated with the and a fine and costly herd of Colonial cows York," and ballads, serio-comic, operatio, Scotch News, Mr. Reid accepted the assistant was lost to its enterprising owner-all save a waltz and end songs, besides a specialty, editorship of the last named journal. In Novem-couple of courtry-breds. Such a discouraging "Richmond Gems," by the Sisters Linwood. ber of 1885, Mr. Reid contested Camlachie, the disaster would have sufficed to thwart the best Perhaps the best turn of all was Miss Annie Moore's "Soldiers in the Park." for which sheservative interest. He visited America, and in
most Radical division of Glasgow, in the Con- efforts for future success; but nothing daunted, was loudly encored, and the last verse of which New York, Boston, and Montreal, made him scheme. This time he has adopted a rather Mr. Ribeiro has tenaciously held to his pet she repeated twice. She and Miss Jessie self acquainted with the details of journalism different and, shall we say, a more cautions, Forde, who sang
Funiculi" very sweetly, and who was
as conducted in that part of the world. Among plan. Instead of importing, as he did on the also encored, were presented his contributions to the Morning Post, Morning first occasion, full grown milch cows, a pretty with bouquets. In view of the hot weather Chronicle, and Nineteenth Century, may be lot of Queensland calves has been substituted. the audience in its repeated demands for selected, as a propos of the subject, his articles So far the experiment of acclimatising the encores were a trifle inconsiderate, especially in the last named paper entitled, "How a Pro- little family of " Colonials" has proved success- in the case of Mr. W. H. Horley, whose vincial Paper is Managed," "Twenty-four Hours ful beyond Mr. Ribeiro's most sanguine expecta acrobatie variation in his song, "My Anna in a Newspaper Offics," and "The English and tions. The calves have grown to a good sizə Liza," doubtless proved a strain on the per- American Press." former. The entire company, which is in
and look in the very pink of condition, and if they continue the splendid progress of continuous occupation of the stage throughout
growth they have thus far attained, it is not too the performance, carried itself with an energy
much to expect that the owner will be rewarded and effect that left nothing to be desired. Certainly they deserve good attendances during
the long years of persevering and waiting before for the heavy losses he has sustained through all their stay in Hongkong, and we hope to see the
his second attempt yields its fruit of success. dress circle as well filled as the lower part of the
Looking at this success, which is within measur- house undoubtedly was on Wednesday night.
able distance of a purely private venture, it is of little or no concern to the public at large. But regarding the farm as an important source whence good and cheap milk can be obtained for dietary purposes, if not for luxury alone, our citizens are sure to hail its success. Your correspondent writes from experience that a sore need will be supplied when this model little farm yields its produce with the regularity it is expected to do under normal conditions.
Thursday's performance fully confirmed the good impression of the previous night, and every turn went off amid applause; but the attendance was again inadequate to the merits of the Company.
The lateness of the hour at which the opening entertainment on Wednesday night finished prevented us from dealing with the second part of the programme in Thursday's issue. This part consisted on Thursday night, as also at the open- ing performance. of nine items, and concluded with a sketch entitled The Rival Lovers. Prof. W.A. Davis's ventriloquial entertainment was clever, and showed him to be in complete mastery of his voice, which was heard now here, now there, in tones sometimes high, sometimes almostinaudible, as the imaginary speaker moved about the stage. This capital turn concluded with a realistic imitation by the voice of the sound caused by a saw going through wood. The remaining items were also of good merit, and, as was the case earlier in the night, were encored unstintedly.
DEATH OF MR. ARNOT REID.
It is with much regret that we learn from the Straits papers of the death at his home in Scotland of Mr. Arnot Reid, late Editor of the Straits Times. The news was contained in a telegram from Glasgow which arrived at Singapore on the morning of the 23rd ult. Both Mr. and Mrs. Reid were known in Hong- kong, and Mr. Reid has on various occasions contributed to these columns. The Straits Times has the following obituary notice
Mr. Reid first arrived in Singapore in October, 1888, when he took charge of the editorial department of this paper. He left Singapore for home, via South Africa, exactly a year ago. On reaching England, he fell ill, and although but little of a personal nature has been heard of him since then, it is presumed that the first attack of illness remained with him till the date of his death.
Mr. Reid worked hard and with ability in Singapore, and apart from being a man of wonderful ability as a journalist, he was possessed of great business acumen. He was a brilliant and capable writer, as the columns of the Straits Times during his period of management show.
Mr. Reid went home four times, first for the benefit of his health, secondly for his marriage, thirdly in a spirit of adventure, when he went across Siberis to Europe-a trip which resulted in his authorship of a narrative of travel: From Peking to Petersburg; and fourthly, via South
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Mr. Reid, as has been stated, became editor and manager of the Straits Times in 1888, in succession to Mr. Adams, who had died a few extinguishing a fire which had broken out in months previously of ferer caught while the old office of the paper, in Change Alley. He continued in charge until the paper changed hands in June, 1900.
MACAO.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Macao, 30th July.
INTERESTING FARMING EXPERIMENT.
Yet so
When a few years ago Mr. José Ribeiro, a well- known and much respected citizen, acquired a large plot of land on the outskirts of the city.
A NEW LIGHTING SCHEME. then in its pristine condition, who would have!
A petition was presented to the Governor ist month by Henry Davidson Woolfe and said that it was but the initial step of a private l'orphyrio Nolasco da Silva, praying that the scheme for the establishment of a farm on privilege of lighting the city by electricity throughly modern and scientific lines? it proved to be, and the latent spirit of enter
might be exclusively granted to them for certain prise of the Macaenses was not slow to assert petitioners are so extensive in their nature, and considerations. The concessions asked by the itself when the prospects of success became the conditions by which the proposed contract seemingly hopeful. Soon the land that lay is hedged in are fallow for many decades under its former owner colony, that the service they undertake to so unfavourable to the ship was taken in hand, and before many establish cannot be considered as sufficiently months had elapsed the thick undergrowth of compensating. When it is proposed "to locate shrubbery within the boundaries of the land and supply fifty arc-lights of 2,000 c. p. and had been removed and worthless trees felled and two hundred incandescent lamps of 16 c. p." it converted into firewood. Then the work of may be pertinently asked if the concessionaires laying the land out for the purpose for which it was acquired began in real earnest, and with the most modern type for the purpose of in their undertaking “to instal a service of businesslike despatch the buildings were erected generating electricity and afford the best and with like expedition completed. They possible lighting," can reasonably hope to light consist of a large cowhouse of brick with tiled the whole city adequately. It is safe to say roof, capable of housing a large number of that Macao is at present efficiently lighted animals, with a miniature segregation camp; considering the nature and extent of its limited a piggery, an extensive poultry-yard fenced in traffic. Combined with efficiency the moderate by wire netting after the most approved style, cost of the present system should in itself gardeners' and caretakers' cottages with out render any change wholly undesirable. In the houses; and lastly, though not the least feature Municipal budget recently published the coss of the improvements, a cozy little bungalow of public lighting is set down at $9,829.76 designed for its enterprising owner's summer for the year 1901-2. and the contract afternoon retreat. When all these improve has been let to one Cheong, Pak. In the ments have been taken within the purview of event of any change being contemplated an even uninitiated visitor in the art of farming during the currency of the contract, it it must strike him, as it did your correspondent, can be terminated on three months' notice that a considerable outlay must have been made being given to the contractay. Messrs. Woolfe in furtherance of a prospective remunerative and Silva's petition was transmitted by the industry. The business instinct animated Governor to the Municipal Council for their the scheme, for in a short time some consideration, and they will be well advised fine heads of Australian cattle occupied if they recommend its rejection in the interest their places in the stalls set apart for of the colony. If the Treasury has any money them. They were placed under the immediate to spare, let it be utilised to the further supervision of three Europeans assisted by a improvement of existing and the initiation staff of Chinese. Swine from Australia and of new public works having for their object Portugal also found their places in the neat the promotion of commerce and public health. little sties, and rare specimens of European In the present state of Macao's internal con- fowls, not to speak of the ordinary Chinese dition the lighting of the city is, as already hens, and turkeys strutted about the yards. stated, as creditable as can be expected. Altogether the place presented quite a pictur esque scene of farm life. It was pleasing to see the energies of at least one of the sons of the
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A SUCCESSFUL THEATRICAL SHOW.
On the 20th instant a very successful per- formance, got up by the non-commissioned