0
February 25, 1905.]
BALL AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
The Ball given at Government House may be regarded as the largest held in the Colony this season. Between 1.100 and 1,200 invitations were issued, and the attendance was very large indeed. His Excellency the Governor received the guests in the drawing room, shaking hands with each as they passed through to the Ball room. Dancing was timed to commence at 9.30 - but the stream of guests was such that his Excellency was detained quite half an hour, and the programme was prefaced by a couple of "extras."
It was shortly after ten o'clock that the Ball
The was opened with the State Lanc rs. Governor's set was made up of His Excellency and Miss Noel, Admiral Noel and Mrs. Hatton; the Rear Admiral and Mrs. May; Mr. May and Mrs. Sharp, Sir Henry Berkeley and Mrs. Dicken, Col. Lewis and Lady Berkeley, Com- modore Dicken and Mrs. Leslie Stuart, and Capt. Arbuthnot Leslie and Miss Berkeley.
Having mentioned the very large attendance it will readily be surmised that the ball room. especially during the earlier part of the evening, was inconveniently crowded. There were twenty dances on the programme which was made up of a dozen valses, four lancers and four two- steps.
Dancing was maintained with great spirit to the end of the programme, and the function, admirably managed in every respect, was a great success.
HONGKONG ENGINEERS' AND SHIPBUILDERS' INSTITUTE,
The Report to be presented at the Fourteenth Annual Meeting on the 28th iust, includes the following items-
:
The Membership is now made up as follows:-~~
Ordinary Members
Associate
Visiting A.
Visiting B.
15
"1
Honorary
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
the top floor, were practically gutted, while nothing was saved in the Tung Loi Lane shop. It was some two hours before the fire could be
got under, and late last night the firemen were still at work putting it out.
The oil and matting shop in Tung Loi Lane, was insured in varius insurance companies to the extent of $16,00, while the shop in New- market Street which was partially destroyed was insured for $3,500.
THE HONGKONG VOLUNTEER
RESERVE ASSOCIATION.
Seventy members attended the practice at the King's Park Range on Saturday. A competi- tion was held between the Married and Single members, and resulted in an easy victory for the latter. The married fired 115 rounds with an average of 19 per round and the Single 38 rounds with an average of 23 per round. The distance was 200 yards and the possible 35. The higest scores were as follows: —
Sir H. Berkely 18 F. B. L. Boley 17.7 L. G. Bird
A. Brown
T
Capt. B. Lawrence 22
T. K. Dealy
C. B. Buyers
21.22
A. Cottier.
21.28
A. Cameron
22.97
20.27
G. L. Duncan
20.28
W. Dobbs
21.23
H.T. Butterworth 24.24
W. H. T. Davis
16.18
.16
J. R. Michael
E. Dougherty J. Douglas
24.27
T. H. Martin
.17.19
A. Moir
W. T. Edwards
...20.1
F. Maxfield
.16
2.1.22 .21 .18.20
.32.33
E J. Grist
20.25
C. H. Grace
21.25
H. E. Goldsmith.
20
J. C. Gow
30.30
L. Gibbs
19.19
E. Ormisto:i
J.. Lewingdon 2121 S. J. Powell ......10 E. V. D. Parr 17
22.30 II. Pinckney.
19.25
F. Fisher
H. H. Gonin ṛtz 24.24 Rev. C. H.Hickling 18.16 E. A. Irving
Hou. F. H. May.. 27-31 L. S. Lewis.. 18.20
II. W. Robertson 21.85 J. Rankin
19.21 21.02
16.22
P. N. H. Jones L.A. M. Johnston
17 23
W. D. Sut'on
C. 1. Kew
21.28 E. B. Shepherd..
18.19 H W. Slade
R. H. King
21.22 G. Stewart
27.20 22.23 2 .21
...212
E. J. Mosós
23.30
A. H.Skeltou
25.26
J. J. Stubbings
26 27
. R. Scott ......
25.29
24
G. E. Thoinas
10.18
66
23
A. W. Whitlow.. J, Whittal!..
1
326
We regret to have to rec rd the loss by death during the past yer of Messrs M. Copeland, A. G. Ewing, J. Logan, A. Mitchell and R. Riddoch, respectel Memb rs of this Institution, Thirty-six Members have been struck off the regular list as being absent or left the Colony.
Sixteen Members have resigned and eighty eight have been admitted to the Institute du ing the year; of the number admittel twenty-one
are Associates.
A circulating library has been started, and there are now a large number of Books available for circulation among the Members.
A Member has kindly presented the sum of $200 for the purpose of purchasing two medals one gold and one silv r, to be presented for the best papers on "The Duties of an Eugin er at Sea. Only Junior Marine Engineers can com pete for thes valuable medals and the Com- mittee hope that a large number will avail themselves of the opportunity.
A
The accounts showed $8,148,50 received in subscriptions and entrance fees; $8.903.69 bar receip's; and $1,720.56 from billiards. balance of $1,889.76 was transferred to reserve
account,
FIRE.
Truly a remarkable place for fires is Tung Loi Lane. The outbreak which occurred on the 20th Feb. is the third we have recorded
from this place within a month. The fire orig nat- ed in an oil and mating shop, and was soon -burning fierc-ly, the sky being brightly illuminated. Showers of sparks were blown by a fairly strong breeze in all directions. The br gade turned ont under Deputy Superintend- | ent Hallifax and Chief Inspector Baker. Two firo engines, also the fire launch, were got to work pumping water and soon a strong pressure was brought to play on the burning premises. The fire, as before s'ated how.ver, had a very strong hold, and before its progr ss could be stayed, caught on to another oil shop in New- market Street. The back portion of this, and
23.23
30.33
H. T. Wilgress 21
A. T. W lker... 20.21
|
RAILWAY TRAVELLING IN CHINA |
The Hupeh correspondent of the N.-C. Daily News, writing of the 1 eh-Han Railway, says:
Rapidity of railway travel and desire to be home before fine weather yielded to more severe but seasonable elements were my reasons for trying the Pel-Hau railway. I was disappointed and disgusted to see that the all- prevalent and most objectionable Chinese squeeze system was associated with this useful modern and convenient method of travel. But so it is; doubtless unknown to the European managers. To catch the train at Chiao-kou terminus, ono must be up long before daylight. Arriving at the station before six, I fouud quite a number of intending passengers crouching down in corners sheltered from the wind waiting for the ticket office to open and the train to arrive. Half an hour before the train arrived the chief porter or station coolie went round to each native passenger and demanded forty cash as a fee for entering the train. Any demur to the squeeze was answered by forbidding such a person to enter the train. A military student made Mr. Porter wish he had not forbidden him to enter the train, or persisted in demanding the squeeze. Second-class native passengers were taxed a hundred cash. The payment of half that sum was-doubtless because a foreigner was near - answered with "What is this, when ticket clerk and all others have to share it " Regula- tions dealing with excessive luggage are doubtless needful. That they should become instruments for porters and coolies to terrorise the poorer and simpler native passenger is an abuse of such regulations and should be stopped. The threat to call a foreigner, etc, was enough to frighten many of the passengers to pay the unjust tax made by porters and station coolies of the two first stations on the line.
I
Mails were entrained through the window of a second class carriage and left more or less to themselves when stations were reached. found in one carriage a compartment with large pigeon holes one usually associates with post offiers. Whether this was the mail department If it were not, certainly more I cannot say. care should be taken of mail matter than now is.
137
If it is, why not use it? Soldiers standing at ease, smartly dressed Chinese station masters, whose two chief duties seem to be looking
-
alike
at the clocks and blowing their whistles; I. P. 0. letter boxes; were all prominent at most stations after we left Hankow, We were late starting from the Concession Station. I would certainly advise intending passengers from near the terminus to get up the extra half-hour carlier, take train at that station, and save the crush which seems usual at the Concession station, The con- venience of the railway as a mode of travel was apparent when I saw a lady, her infant child sleeping comfortably in its cradle, and an amal enter the train. Doubtless mother and infant would be met at their destination, and later in the day would be comfortable in their home several hundred miles from Hankow. The days of hard travel are numbered. Trains and sanitarians are making even the inlands of China less exacting than they used to be as residences.
CONTRABAND PROFITS AT
CHEFOO.
The following bit of special correspondence is said to have been written in Chefoo:-The fall of Port Arthur has not been without bitter consequences for this port; which, during the memorable siege, occupied a prominent place in the World's eye as a news centre; whilst its merchants grew rich in the contraband trade. But to-day, Chefoo is no longer great. Glory has departed from it. The honest merchant contentedly jingles the roubles in his pocket and vows that, should there be another siege of The famous city, be will be a multimillionaire. But still, at times, when he forgets the much boasted humanitarianism of his race, he is wout to wish that Port Arthur was still Russian, and men were being killed there, merely that he The magic might make his millions sooner. in the touch of rouble and yen notes has almost bereft him of his sense of right and wrong and it is very doubtful if he will ever get it back, now that he knows how good "easy" money feels.
At the Beach Hotel, the other night, I overheard a conversation between two Russian officers conducted in English. On said--
Do you know Zimmerman and company have made a million in the contraband trade?
The answer wai :--
"Certainly, an: I know of two other firms in town, each of whom has made nearly as much."
BOXERS.
If the reports that reach us f om the City are true, and we have every reason,/says the Tientsin Times, to believe they are our old friends the Boxers are neither dead por sleepy. It would appear that the leaders have drawn up a more tempting programme than that of 1900. Not only are those who join the fraternity to hav the pleasure of murdering the foreigners and dividing their property; but they are encourag- ed to believe that they may have the satisfaction of helping to turn out the Manchus, and of sharing in the spoils of conquest.
The tea houses hare it that a deep plot has been discovered in the villages around Tai-ch'oog Hsin, and that fifty of the leaders have besi apprehended and lodged in the Hsien jail. The story is that thousands of villagers have banded themselves together to rise and overthrow the presest dynasty, and have gone so far as to find a successor to Kuang Hsu, iu a boy of four years of age.
On the 19th of the 12th Moon, the Viceroy was petitioned by the Magistrate to send soldiers, and a large body of infantry and arrived and bean scittered cavalry have amongst the villages in readiness for the rising should it take place. It will be remembered that Tai-ch'eng Hsien was the place where the first placards were posted in March 1900. Tai-ch'eng Hsien is abɔnt 170 li to the south- west of Tientsin.
That there is a wide spread feeling of unrest in some parts of the country, is undoubted; but we may expect to hear that stringent meas- ures are being adopted now that· Manchus, as well as foreigners, are marked out for destruction.
H