THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1938.
A WHISKY
'PYE'
AT
SUNDOWN
A drink with
SPARKLE and ZEST
and TANG.
by
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,Henry Jacques Band I Lot a Song go out of my Heart-F.T.
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Poor little rich Girl
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Hongkong Telegraph.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1038,
SALUTE TO
CHINA'S VERDUN
Gallant Tchan, Verdun of the Far East, falls after holding the might of Japan's Imperialism impotent for three
moro
months.
Personalities of Old Hongkong
Mr. Henry Charles Sirr
Fow men were more pessimistic about the future of Hong- kong than Mr. Henry Charles Sirr, a brilliant if somewhat erratic Irish barrister and author, who spent a few troubled years in the Colony during its carly years. He was a sincere if inexact impressionist, and his literary efforts were intended to present a picture of life in the Far East as it was at that time.
MR.
did not seem to "hit it off" any
GRIN AND BEAR IT.
By Lichty
Pielitey
9+18
TR. Henry Charles Sirr kong as a thriving Colony and was born in County port. Not so sanguine in his Cork, Ireland about
hopes was Mr. Sirr, however, for the he had been here scarcely a year year 1815. He was 8 before the lofty expectations member of a wealthy and at the time of his arrival became influential family who saw changed to an attitude of the that he received the best greatest gloom and disgust. He possible education, sending too well with the local commu- him to the University of nity, and those who had cases Dublin, where he graduated in court were wont to patronise B. A. in 1838. His college his brethren at the Bar. studies were intended to It was perhaps this feeling of prepare him for the profes being isolated that embittered could bring out his book. One is speedily assured that the sion of law, and after his him, and he determined if he may wonder why, if he disliked Colony, was the sole reason, for successful admission to the ever left the Colony he would Ilving here so much, he did lines such as these
appear in.
Ce 1338 Sy United Tradun kyseessa,
"Before we start, I'd like to know who's going to drive-you or your mother?”
ed in the East, Mr. Sirr was bably is that
as long as
B
of
Irish Bar, he determined to "expose" it in a book. Like not earlier depart for "greener the book: "We deem it go out to the Far East, lured many others who have sojourn pasturea" and the answer pro- duty that we owe our follow-men no doubt by those won- obsessed with an urge to write, thought there was any chance of the insalubrity of China ho to speak truthfully and plainly drous tales which were and this "yen" as it would be of earning a comfortable living generally, but especially being circulated about the termed in modern slang occupied here, he was determined to stay. Hongkong, for had we but one opportunities to be found in Her Majesty's newly opened Crown Colony of Hongkong.
More Lucrative Career
BY T. PAUL
Mr. Sirr arrived here on May GREGORY
of the
Eastern Posses.
and as soon as that failed, he sincere friend, who had told us felt that the community was to the honest truth concerning that blame, and it was time for him charnel house Hongkong, not all to leave.
the wealth of the East would
The real reason, however, for have lured us thither." his sudden departure for Home in 1848, was
the apparently
Biased Remarks downfall of Mr. Percy Caulin-
court
His description of Hongkong McSwyney, a fellow has since become famous, for countryman, and like himself a there is scarcely a writer upon barrister. Mr. Sirr felt much the Colony's carly history who sympathy for Mr. McSwyney, has not quoted his biased re-
Whatever the outcome of the 29, 1844, in company with Sino-Japanese War, Tchan several other young barristers should go down in history as a who had come to the East in all his leisure hours. He pro- who in a few brief years had marks at some time or other. To name with fame enduring even search of fame and fortune. All ceeded to fill note-books with all fallen from a position of wealth those who live in our present- than that gained by missions as H. B. M. Consuls to which would aid in penning ignominy, and determined to almost ludicrous that scarcely a were armed with official com- sorts of statistics-material into a state of the most hopeless day flourishing Colony it seems Taierhchwang, where the "in China, but no sooner had they what he thought would be the "hake the dust of the Colony century ago, according to Mr. vincibility" of Japan's Army, arrived in Hongkong than they must "damning indictment" of from his feet." At any rate the Sirr, this beautiful island was was first proved a myth.
decided that after all a far more the Colony which scarcely Tchan is, or was, an obscure lucrative career was to be se- twenty years later was to earn book had now arrived, and pro- fetid, brolling spot." But those time for the publication of his nothing more than "an arid, little rail town on the Kiukiang- law, and proceeded to throw of Britain's
cured in the profession of the proud title of being the "Gem vided, with little more than, Nanchang Railway. Japan cap up their government appoint- sions."
a who wish to pursue the subject trunkful of manuscripts he ar- further should read Mr. Sirr's tured Kiukiang 3 months ago ments and set themselves up as
rived in London. The long anti- two volumes to be found in the and boasted that the fall of practising barristers. He was
cipated Record Of Deaths Hankow and the severing of the admitted to the practice of law
expose of Hongkong's Public Library, and while they frailties Wig મ two-volumed will be amused at his remarkable The vital statistics of the in- affair entitled "China and the candour in discussing the Colony Messrs. S. MOUTRIE & CO., LTD. Canton-Hankow Rallway would at the first sessions
quickly follow. But obscure 1844. This was a historic occa- fant Colony were his especial Chinese : Their Religion, in which they live, and amazed little Tehan provided a defence sion, indeed, and some of those interest, and he took a rather. Character, Customs, Manufac- at his ruthless condemnation of
first barristers who were
(London, 1849). it, they cannot avoid being im- that startled and disheartened mitted to practice at this time number of deaths which then All the minute statistics which pressed at his obvious sincerity.
ad sardonic delight in recording the tures, etc.," the invaders and roused the
to malaria, or he had no painstakingly collected This work, it may be mentioned,.. admiration of the world. Its profession for many years in the "Hongkong fever" as it was then in Hongkong appear in the work, was not the only literary attack,...
were associated with the legal occurred due ultimate fall was inevitable, but Colony. Most of them, too, called. A hatred not only of and although from a perusal the author made upon Hong- Japan's victory took three costly achieved successful careers, and Hongkong but of China gener- of the title one may be inclined kong, for in the Dublin Univer- and bloody months to achieve.
numbered ally consumed him, and he could to wonder what connection the sity Magazine, of July 1847, Bombarded as no city in the the eventual prosperity of Hong-1
among those who had visions of scarcely bide his time until he work has with Hongkong, one may be found a rather amusing skit on the Colony's first G. world has been bombarded be-
10. C., Major General D'Aguilar fore, gallant little Tehan has dis-
GENTLEMAN OF THE ROAD who heroically attempted--but appeared from the face of the of any battery, naval, military
failed lamentably-to curb the earth. Only those who control or air force establishments
HAVE many visitors to my wee He was looking much the same as strident matutinal street calls or blacksmith shop, which stands at usual, Oflyish and fresh. At the and hawkers' cries which disturb Japan's purse strings know how anchorages, or of any British the extreme north of the village back of his head his bar turned up the slumbers of so much the cost of its destruction warships, with apparatus cap- They come and they go. My roaring was shabby, but with a strong pair modern resident.
tinkers, beggars, vagrants, tramps, words for the want of cutting. Ho able of reproducing such de-are attracts them as a candle attracts of boots on his feet. His face and
a moth. At least, It is a feasible eyes were those of a meth-drinker Unfavourable Reception fences may be imprisoned for a excuse for an introduction. month. Even the entering of pause by my ever-open door, for iny It is only natural that they should defence works without reproduc- glowing fire is the first thing that It is serious offence in' tion devices is an offence that bellows are the first thing that strikes meets their eyes and my rouring Hongkong to sketch, draw or may net imprisonment.
their ears as they enter the village photograph any defence works. Moral; Better to be
after having tramped miles and miles of wonderful landscapes without see- An Englishman, who unwitting- now about that photograph than ing a living soul. ly contravened the Defences, sorry later. (Sketching Prevention) Ordin-1
1939
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DON'T TAKE
THAT PHOTO
'The
A
or
their names
arc
TRYING TO
sure
add
many n
but I had never seen him under the influence.
As for Mr. Sirr, he seems to He took out a blackened can and
made no more suc- smil packet of ten, and asked if have
while he waited. I asked him how his book by the public did not would bell some water for him. cess as an author than he had He talked to me of things in general as a barrister. The reception of business was with him. He sold it good with him because life was good. anticipated, for, all things said was good. Business was always prove as favourable as he had
and done, the average English- like inhabitants from another world. He told me that eight days before iota whether Hongkong was 08 man at Home did not care one
Footweary and forlorn they come,
mere he had been in Inverness. That is
too
ance of 1895, was before the
From my door I see them. specks at fr on the long ribbon of 150 miles from Perth, and Perth is bad as Mr. Sirr affirmed it to be Court yesterday for taking FIND A WAR
a rond, but growing rapidly larger fully 20 miles from my blacksmith or not. The world was photographs at Stanley.
and larger, as if my fire were beckon-shop. He walked all the way, pedd-large, and Her Majesty's posses- ing them to friendliness and comforting his wares by day, sleeping usions too far flung, to worry Chinese definition of Defence greatly to the worries of editors
place Dames
der hedges and in lodging-houses by works in the Ordinance is such dealing with the flood of "copy" land, England, Ireland, and
night.
about a little dot of soll "out They come from all parts-Scot- The named places in the Highlands somewhere that the authorities
near the coast of any
Wales, that were strange to me. He seemed civilian can effect arrests
on the Sino-Japanese hostilities. But the majority are Scots, and when to know every road and byway of Chiney," and after all, life in for any offence committed in the
Yesterday, an unofficial source dialect from which part of Scotland esting
they speak know at once from their neighingas, and he was an inter-good old England was all that
speaker, uneducated vicinity of naval, military or alr; nese troops of Sheklung, imper-
reported the capture by Japa- they come.
but really mattered. Intelligent. They ask a bent from my fire; or in a Perth lodging-house. He spoke literary inclinations
He had spent the previous night force property. It is not per- tant railway contro 35 miles light for their pipe from my dre; or, speakes of home. After all, they going to turn out any too pro- Mr. Sirr when he saw that his a bolling of water from my fire or missible to photograph or
of lodging-housco as an immigrant
were not sketch batteries, field works, later another
from Canton. Half-an-hour if it is raining, a little time by my were the only home he had known fitable, immediately sought and fortifications, naval, military or
messago semi-fire to dry their shubby clothes--al-for the best part of a lifetime.
ways something from my fire. officially confirmed the capture]
obtained a government appoint- air force premises, naval anchor of Shekiun. But the Sheklun tromi ne, vter my fire has introduced anouid her summer was here again, alleged to have experienced a
I asked him if he And invariably settling
never thought down. He smiled, ment in Ceylon. Hore he was ages, or even British warships. which was semi-officially cap-us; anything from a pipeful of baccy A bed in summer was cheap enough. rather checkered career, Photography, from the Peak in tured was not the Sheklung of water to a making of ten.
to an old pair of boots; from a drinks A silent Highland hillside, and away after a fow short years in that practically any direction would
rumoured to have been captured. bo a contravention of the Regu: It was an obscura village on the begging, because will ¡lations.
from all cares. A better
bed,
he
and
They have made perfect the art of sald, than ever woman made up. part of the East, ho retired to hardly an Heather for blankets and a starry his Homeland where he died in
highway to Tooncheng, which only to get rid of them. A cake of settle down?
exception I and myself helping, If sky for a roof. Why should he obscurity and penury at the
The penaltics are high. Any also fell. The Japanese claim soup is about the only commodity His water bolling, he made for the comparatively early age of fifty- person-It does not matter who to the capture of Sheklung, the
for which they never nak.
door; never even begged, for a match. two-the forgotten author of ther he is British or allen-who railway city, was. not officially road who, except for the services for, and he said Edinburgh. He was
But there is one gentleman of the asked him where he was making the first book about Hongkong. contravenes the Regulations may confirmed up to the time the of my fire, asks for nothing. Tien native of Edinburgh, and Uked to *Sco the writer's articlo on Mr. be fined $500 or, spend three "Tolograph" wont to press with ves by selling the usual smallwaren look his "ain folks" up occasional Percy Caulincourt McSwyney in months in prison without the its
the "Personalities of Old Hong- First Edition to-day, him only at very irregular intervals. Gentleman of the road, with no kong" series; in the Hongkong option of a fine. Even a person although original reports of Itse walked into my shop the other relatives in all the world, but no found in the immediate vicinity fall appear authentic,
day, the first time for the best part trouble to anybody! ***Telegraph of Wednesday, July. at a year.
Steve
of the door-to-door hawker. I see ly.