[
    {
        "id": 210863,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1986",
        "page_number": 214,
        "title": "RAS-1986",
        "content_text": "197\n\ndisturbance. Tong A-chick was in charge. Some of the combatants of the previous night were present. They were from the E Shing Society which was a bitter enemy of the Yeung Wo Association, of which Tong A-chick was one of the directors.\n\nThey questioned his impartiality. Tempers flew, threats were made, and blows exchanged. The climax came when a group of armed men rushed into the meeting from the street attempting to break it up. A-chick sought the nearest exit, a window. Flying through it, he landed on a sheet iron awning which collapsed with a terrible clatter.\n\nHis unceremonious exit and consequent clatter stopped the turmoil inside the building, but it roused the neighbourhood.\n\nIn due time the police arrived. The whole lot were hauled into court for disturbing the peace and riotous behaviour.\n\nThe E Shing group tried to claim that it was all due to the presence of Tong A-chick, who had tried to act as mediator. He, as usual, ably defended himself, “reciting every circumstance of the occurrence in a clear and impartial manner, in the English language, with which he was perfectly conversant.”\n\nOccasionally the associations were given a favourable notice in the press. In 1853 a band of desperadoes had been harassing the countryside. A Company of Rangers had captured the leader of the gang, a man named Joaquim, and thus brought an end to the terrorising.\n\nTong A-chick, as representative of the Chinese district associations, presented a cash gift to the Rangers in appreciation. The San Francisco Herald commented: “The Chinese here, although in no manner bound, have with commendable liberality come forward with this contribution of $1,000 in token of their appreciation of the Rangers' services. They have proved themselves in this city on many occasions a liberal and public-spirited people.”\n\nTong A-chick as leader in the Chinese community during its first decade in California guided it through a difficult period. His",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1986.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/jq08c7063",
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    },
    {
        "id": 210870,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1986",
        "page_number": 221,
        "title": "RAS-1986",
        "content_text": "204\n\nCARL SMITH\n\nThe Tong brothers, King-sing and Mow-chee, were strong supporters of any scheme to introduce modern scientific, commercial and industrial ideas to China. They participated in the organisation of the Chinese Polytechnic Institute founded in Shanghai in 1874. Its object, as set forth in the prospectus, was “to bring the sciences, arts and manufactures of Western Nations in the most practicable manner possible before the notice of the Chinese.\" The proposed means of doing so were through exhibitions, lectures and classes, and a library and reading room.\n\nAt the time of Tong Mow-chee's 60th birthday celebrations, it was stated that \"the Tong family had played an important part in the history of the trade relations between foreigners and Chinese in Shanghai, and they may be said to be the leaders of the party of progress in the initiation and development of commerce after the style of foreign countries.\"\n\nAs compradore of the leading foreign firm in China, Tong Mow-chee held important positions in Chinese business associations such as the Canton Guild at Shanghai, the Hankow Tea Guild and the Canton-Swatow Opium Guild. In these organisations he was called on to use his ability as arbitrator when disputes arose. In this his early experience in San Francisco in diplomatic negotiation proved of great help.\n\nTong Mow-chee died in Shanghai on July 6, 1897. A description of his funeral and a sketch of his life was published in the North China Herald. Some of the statements in the biographical account do not agree with contemporary documentary evidence about certain facts of his life.\n\nThe description of the funeral procession depicts a form of Chinese pageantry that has now all but vanished. \"The coffin was of very heavy and expensive wood which had been painted and varnished, over and over again, until the outside coat of the coffin was over an inch thick, which would enable it to defy damp and wet for years. A handsome gold-embroidered red satin pall covered the coffin, which took relays of 32 men each time to carry it. Many beautiful and expensive banners were to have been unfurled for the occasion, but rain prevented it.",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1986.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/jq08c7063",
        "rank": 0
    },
    {
        "id": 211779,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1989",
        "page_number": 194,
        "title": "RAS-1989",
        "content_text": "169\n\nyear after a visit to Hong Kong\" for another run of several weeks. As was usual with repertory companies of this kind their output was vast, ranging from Planché's The Invisible Prince to Shakespeare's Richard III from which the fifth act only (\"A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!\") was given \"somewhat disappointingly\".\n\nOne other touring company is mentioned in the early Shanghai annals: the Thorne Company, which consisted of \"seven gentlemen and two ladies\" whose talents had been \"extolled by the Hong Kong press\", and which came to the Yangtze port in January 1865. Conflicting reports make it difficult to judge whether the group was praised as much in Shanghai as in Hong Kong. According to the Herald it had given a \"successful representation of the Octoroon (by Dion Boucicault, on January 11 1865) and announced a second performance for the 14th\". However, the Shanghai Commercial Record wrote that \"the patronage bestowed on the Thorne Troupe was extremely small. Indeed when they opened on Wednesday evening last (January 11) it was literally to an empty house, for we hear there was actually no one present to view the performance. The company were so disgusted that they left next day for San Francisco\". So many years later there is obviously no way in which we can verify either of these assessments, but it only stresses how unfortunate it is that the sources for the study of early Shanghai are not more abundant.\n\n152x\n\nA special feature of some of these travelling groups should be noticed, namely the existence of benefit performances. Benefits had been known in Britain from the late 17th century; generally speaking the net proceeds of such a performance went to a member of the company, but gradually it was realised that the system had more disadvantages than advantages\n\ne.g. actors were frequently paid low salaries because of the, often highly uncertain, supplementary income that could be derived from the benefits. One of the first to try to abolish them was Madame Vestris in the 1830s, but they existed well into the 1870s. Both the Faylor and Lewis companies had kept the custom. Thus it was announced that on November 26 1864 \"the benefit of J.B. Creswick under the distinguished patronage of the Consular authorities\" would be given; on December 9, \"Mr. H. Birch's benefit took place\", and so on for nearly every member of the company.",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1989.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h",
        "rank": 0
    },
    {
        "id": 211835,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1989",
        "page_number": 250,
        "title": "RAS-1989",
        "content_text": "225\n\n\"Lady Audley's Secret\", for which HED lists the following authors: C.H. HAZLEWOOD (1863), G. ROBERTS (1863) and W.E. SUTER (1863).\n\nC: Shanghai Amateur Burlesque Company\n\nTh: N.N. (I)\n\nR: For the first time we have at our disposal another source than the \"North China Herald\" for reviews of the Shanghai theatre, viz. the \"Shanghai Commercial Record\". In general, though, the reports were in the same vein as those in the Herald had been, but sometimes more information was given and different accents set. Hardly so for tonight's pieces: they \"reflected great credit on the talent of the performers and their endeavour to provide for the amusement of their fellow exiles has we are sure been highly appreciated\" (SCR 7.1.1865). The Herald only published an announcement (NCH 24.12.1864).\n\n11.1.1865 (Wedn)\n\nD. BOUCICAULT: \"The Octaroon\" (1859)\n\nT: Drama (4 acts)\n\nC: Thorne (travelling) Company\n\nTh: Lyceum Theatre (1)\n\nR: Sometimes the availability of two sources does not make it easier to make a judgement about the truth of things. What to think e.g., of the following reports on the Thorne Company: The Herald was short in its weekly summary of 14.1.1865: \"The Thorne Company have given a successful representation of the Octoroon at the Lyceum Theatre and announce a second performance for this evening\" (i.e., Saturday). In contrast, the Shanghai Commercial Record reported in its issue of January 25: \"We have had another theatrical troupe here, calling themselves the Thorne Troupe. But whether it is that Shanghai has had too much of this class of entertainment lately, or that the pressure of the times is so great that people do not care to attend the Theatre, we cannot say. Both these causes combined probably to render the patronage bestowed on the Thorne Troupe extremely small. Indeed, when they opened on Wednesday evening last [this should read January 11 - JH] it was literally to an empty house for we hear there was actually no one present to view the performance. The company, as well they might be, were so disgusted that they left next day for San Francisco where we sincerely trust they will be more successful\" Cf. however, Survey, note $2.\n\n14.1.1865 (Sat)?\n\nAs above?\n\n4.2.-10.2.1865\n\nConcert by Mr. Desvachez and Signor Enrico Grossi. Th: Town Hall of the French Concession\n\nR: The violinist DESVACHEZ returned to Shanghai, this time accompanied by the bass singer Enrico GROSSI who had earlier, in December 1863, performed with the Faylor Company in Macao (see BGM 14.12.1863). The concert had called for favourable comment at the hands of our music critic” — indicating that a more detailed review had appeared in the North China Daily News (NCH 11.2.1865).\n\n15.2.1865 (Wedn)\n\nAnnual Volunteer Concert by the Volunteer Band and the \"Shanghai Amateur Quartet Club**.\n\nTh: Shanghai Club\n\nR: The Commercial Record of 22.2.1865 gave the following impression of this concert: \"The Volunteer Band was assisted by the Shanghai Amateur Quartette Club and several gentleman amateurs. The large room in the Club House was lent for the occasion and we were glad to see it well filled. The gay uniforms of the Shanghai Mounted Rangers, mingled with the more sober dress of the Volunteers gave the room a very gay",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1989.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h",
        "rank": 0
    }
]