Directory_and_Chronicle_1891 — Page 445

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KOBE (HYOGO).

Hygo in 1889 was 115,954. The foreign residents in Kobe in 1889 numbered 1,236, of whe767 were Chinese, 249 British, 77 German, and 60 American.

The old town of Hyogo is only divided from Kobe by the river Minato-gawa, which is spanned by a substantial stone bridge. Hyogo contains few features of interest, and the streets and shops are inferior to those of Kobe, its population being much smaller and nearly stationary. The Temple of Shinkoji, which possesses a la ge bronze Buddha, is worth a visit; and there is a monument to the Japanese hero Kiyomori, erected in 1286, in a grove of trees in the vicinity of the temple, which claims some attention from its historic associations. In connection with the Imperial Shipbuilding Yard at Hyogo is a Patent Slip, which will accommodate vessels up to 2,000 tons. Its total length is 900 feet; length above water, 300 feet; breadth, 38 feet; declivity, 1 in 20. The slip is worked by hydraulic power.

Kobe is connected with Osaka by rail, the distance between being twenty miles. This line, which was subsequently extended to Kyoto (the ancient capital of Japan), a distance of 27 miles from Osaka, was formally opened to traffic by the Mikado on the 5th February, 1887. It was further extended to Nagoya in 1888, and thence by degrees to Yokohama and Tokyo, and is now known as the Tokaido Railway. It was opened through its entire length (376 miles) in July, 1889. The connection of these important places with Kobe by rail has naturally tended to centralise trade at this fast rising port. The Sanyo railway is also now open as far as Okayama, fifty-one miles from Kobe, and is being vigorously pushed on to Shimonoseki, its ultimate terminus. Among the exports, tea, rice, camphor, copper, and vegetable wax, take the lead. The value of the foreign import trade for 1889 was £4,354,646; that of the exports £3,171,995. In 1888, the value of the imports was £4,433,444, and that of the exports £2,863,801. The quantity of tea shipped from Kobe-Hyogo in 1889 was 18,245,735lbs., compared with 18,090,740lbs. in 1888. The whole of this went to the United States of America and Canada. Ship- building is an important industry of the port, and a goodly number of iron and wooden screw steamers are annually laid down here.

DIRECTORY

For Government Departments see under G

ABELL & RALSTON, Bill and Bullion Bro- kers, and Agents for E. B. Watson-27

J. C. Abell (absent)

J. Ralston

Agency

Union Assurance Society (Fire & Life)

ADAMSON, BELL & Co., Merchants-7A,

Bund

G. J. Melhuish

A. Drewell

Agencies

"Shire" Line of Steamers "Mogul" Line of Steamers

"Gibb" Line of Australian Steamers North China Insurance Co.

Globe Marine Insurance Company

AHRENS & Co., H., Nachfolger, Merchants

-10

E. Wismer (Yokohama)

G. R. Mosle,

M. Surth H. A. Ahrens

do.

Agencies

Norddeutscher Lloyd S. N. Co. Navigazione Generale Italiana Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society London Assurance Corporation

AMERICAN TRADING Co.-17

C. W. Dimock, agent

I. W. Beauchamp

E. S. Hitchcock

Agency

Economic Fire Office, Limited

BAKER & Co., COLGATE, Merchants—49

Colgate Baker

C. E. Stephens

T. Morofugi

BING & Co., S., Merchants-101

S. Bing (Paris)

A. Bing

do.

D. Dubuffet do.

H. Ernaux

do.

R. Toussaint, signs per pro. H. Renault