244.
There is great promise that the Hongkong Volunteer Corps will have its own drum and fife band early this season. Several members of the Corps as well as trumpeters and sig nallers, have lately been having steady practice at headquarters and considerable progress has been made. There are one or two very accom- plished drummers and fife players among the members and the establishment of the band has given satisfaction generally. We hope the band will have a highly successful career, as it is bound to increase the popularity of the Corps. Two Spanish gentlemen from Manila came to Hongkong about a month ago to learn English. They were recently having din- ner at the Hongkong Hotel when one of the boys, who had a strong objection to serving anyone with a dark skin, made use of a very objectionable expression in English. The two Spaniards were sufficiently acquainted with the language to know the meaning of the term and they at once showed their wrath by striking him and also throwing some water on him. For this the boy summoned the two men for assault and the case was heard at the Police Court on 16th September. Mr. Holmes appeared for the boy and Mr. Mounsey for the men. The boy denied being insolent and said he was assaulted merely because he had accidentally dropped a piece of ice into a glass of water, causing the water to splash on one of the defendants. The defendants proceeded by way of cross summons against the boy for using insulting language. After hearing both sides the Magistrate ex- pressed the opinion that the boy had been in- solent and had received such treatment as he deserved. Both summonses were dismissed.
The twenty carcases of frozen Australian mutton which were consigned to Messrs. Lane, Crawford & Co. by Messrs. Ford, Ruthven & Co., of Sydney, were all sold on 15th Sept., although they arrived only on the 13th. The purchasers were the Hongkong Hotel, the Canadian Pacific Company, and a number of private residents: The mutton was declared to be of excellent taste and quality and a delicious change from that which is usually retailed in Hongkong. Owing to the fall in exchange the selling price was more than was anticipated, be- ing 18 cents. per lb., but we doubt whether any. one grumbled at the unexpected increased cost. It has been suggested in some quarters that it would be good policy if the army and navy on this station were supplied with Australian mnt- ton. If that could be arranged cold stores could soon be erected to hold 20,000 to 30,000 car- cases and the cost to the general public, provid. ing exchange went up a little. would not be much greater, if indeed it would be any greater, than China mutton. The idea is certainly a good one and has many points to commend it to the consideration of the military and naval
authorities.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
It is a very rare occurrence in this colony for a fire to break out in a European house. On 19th Sept., however, the firemen were sum- moued to extinguish a fire which had broken ont at mid-day on the top floor of No. 5, Wild Dell Buildings, a house occupied by Mr. John Plinston, school teacher. Two rooms on the floor sustained damage to the extent of about $300. The cause of the fire was explained at an inquiry held at the Magistracy on the 21st. Mr. Plinston said he was about to fill a lamp from a kerosene tin when he slipped and fell, thereby upsetting the tin. He was lighting his pipe at the time and the match set the oil on fire. His goods were not insured. Sergeant Macdonald said there were no suspicions cir- cumstances in the case and his Worship released the premises.
It is really not worth the trouble to attempt to escape from Victoria Goal. The other day a prisoner whose time bad expired was induced to change bis coat with another man whose term of imprisonment had not expired and for this he was sent to gaol for six months. On 20th Sept. the principal character in the plot was taken before the Magistrate and charged with attempting to escape from the gaol. Chief Warder Craig said the prisoner was admitted to the gaol on the 9th inst. and his release would have taken place on 20th Sept.. On the 15th inst.. however, he presented himself in the office wearing a jacket which bore the number of a time-expired prisoner's name, but unfortunately for him his description, weight, and height did not properly tally and thus the trick was ex- posed. The Magistrate sent him to prison for six months with hard labour.
May we again venture to call the attention of the Government to the condition of that particularly foul drain on the Praya in front of the P. & 0. Office. On Saturday morning streams of abominably dirty water flowed from it, and the stench was most sickening. Of course there may be some highly refined scientific explanation forthcoming which will easily upset the theories advanced by ordinary people possessed merely of common sense, but until such explanation is given we feel bound to adhere to the opinion that the water was foul and that the smell was a vile stink. Further, we shall, until getting a similar ex- planation, firmly believe that the masonry of the old Praya wall should have been taken away at a
more opportune time than the present; or at any rate that the deep trench caused by the removal of the granite blocks should have been immediately filled in so as to gire support to the concrete backing. If this had been done it is reasonable to suppose that several yards' length of concrete about a yard wide would not have slipped and that the electric wire posts would not have been in such danger of falling as to necessitate their being propped up with bamboo poles. But as we have said, there may be a satisfactory scientific ex-
[September 23, 1897.
Another case of attempted suicide came before Hon. H. E. Wodehouse at the Magis. tracy on 20th September. On Saturday a woman jumped into the harbour but was fortunately rescued by a boatman who pluckily dived into the water. The woman's friends agreed to take care of her and she was bound over in her own
recognizances to be of good behaviour for six months. In connection with various rescues in the harbour this year it would serve a very useful purpose if the boatmen who have risked their lives to save others were given some public recognition of their services. We believe there are some boatmen who have an excellent record of life-saving and some recognition of their acts would not only be most encouraging to them but would serve as an incentive to others to do brave deeds when occasion required.
1
The report of the Committee of the Hongkong St. Andrew's Society for presentation to the sixteenth annual general meeting to be held at the City Hall on Friday next states that during the year five applications for assistance from the charitable fund were received. After full in- vestigation grants-in-aid were given in two de- serving cases amounting to $20.62 and $210 respectively, or a total of $230.62 for the year. The Committee did not feel justified in assisting the other three applicants from the charity fund, but they are pleased to be able to report that in two of the cases employment was found for the men, whilst the third applicant, a young sea- going Scotchman, was found employment after having been kept in board and lodging for a fortnight at the expense of several members of the Society. The balance now to the credit of the Society is $3,047.25 as against $2,791.41 last year, when the sum of $35 was spent on charitable purposes. Thirty-six new members have joined the Society during the year, as com- pared with thirteen during the previous year, being an increase of twenty-three. Reference Concert. The Committee deeply regret to re- is made to the St. Andrew's Ball and Burns
cord the deaths of four members, Messrs. C. E. John Wallace. Hume, John Mathieson, David K. Sliman, and
The Mount Austin Hotel closed its doors on 16th Sept. at noon, when the military entered into possession and proceeded to post their fire guards. The hotel went down with its colours flying, the flagstaff being adorned with no less than two, a large one and a small one, both con- siderably tattered, but which fluttered gaily in the fresh northerly breeze and bright sunshine. The boarders who bave enjoyed the comforts of the hotel have all left it with much regret and the closing of such a splendid es- tablishment can only be regarded as a public misfortune, not only for the colony, but for all the neighbouring ports. It was an ideal sana- torium, answering to the hydropathic establish- ments which are so popular at home barring the hydropathy, which is in many of them a neglige. able quantity. Had it continued in existence as a hotel there was every prospect of its Two women and one little boy were charged achieving financial success, for it was becom at the Police Court on 16th Sept. with attempting year by year more popular and the sum- mer prices might have been considerably ing to commit suicide. The case was rather an
increased. It took the public a long time, extraordinary one. On Sunday evening P. S. Macanlay was on duty on the Praya, near the however, to get educated to the advantages Canton wharf, when he learned that somebody of the hotel, and they only began to appreciate was in the water. Without waiting to divest it at its proper value when they were fated to lose it. So far there has been rather a lean himself of any clothing the officer jumped into
living for two hotels, but now that the Peak the water and very quickly brought to the sur-
Hotel has the field to itself it ought to show To his great astonishment face a woman.
returns that the proprietor can contemplate another woman came to the surface and then
with satisfaction. We only hope that that followed a boy of tender years. Both women
establishment will not share the fate of struggled to get free from the sergeant's grasp,
Mount Austin and also be transferred to
It is with much regret we have to record the death of Mr. G. R. Lammert, which occurred on the morning of the 21st Sept. at the Peak Hotel.planation of all this bungling. Mr Lammert had been suffering for some time from a painful affection of the kidneys accom- panied by fever and a few weeks ago was taken up to the Peak in the hope that the change of climate would reduce the fever and render the
was
disease more tractable. Unfortunately this hope was not realised, and the end came yesterday morning. The deceased gentleman was one of the oldest and best known members of the com- munity, having been resident in the colony for over forty years, during the whole of which time he had followed the business of an auc tioneer, first in conjunction with Mr. Atkinson under the firm name of Lammert, Atkinson & Co., and afterwards on his own account. Having a ready wit and pronounced personality he made an ideal auctioneer, always keeping the attend. ance in good humour. Mr. Lammert married in Hongkong and leaves a widow and a family of grown-up sons and daughters, with whom much sympathy will be felt in their Lereavment. The funeral took place on the morning on the 22nd and was very largely attended. H.E. the Governor was represented by Captain Phillips, A.D.C., and there were also present Sir John Carrington, Chief Justice, Herr von Loper, German Consul, Hon. F. H. May, and Hon. T. H. Whitehead. The service was conducted by the Rev. R. F. Cobbold. The flags of the German Club and of several hongs were half-masted.
but a
Chinese boatman pluckily dived into the water and went to his assistance, the result being that all three were brought safely to the shore. They were taken to the Goverment Civil Hospital, where they were detained until Tuesday evening. It seems that the women are sisters, and the boy is the son of one of them. Both women were in a dire state of poverty, and the mother of the boy resolved to drown herself and her child. Her sister decided to die with her and they therefore jumped into the water with the boy in order to end their misery. The Magistrate adjourned the case for a week and congratulated Macaulay and the boatman on their prompt and plucky conduct. They had undoubtedly saved three
lives,
!
the military, but if the experiment of hous- ing a portion of the troops at the latter is as successful as it is expected to be it is quite on the cards that the War Office anthorities might desire the acquisition of another fine building that could be readily converted into barracks. Meantime, however, it is satisfactory to know that the Peak Hotel is wisely making use of its opportunity and laying itself out to secure the best part of the business that has hitherto been divided between it and the Mount Austin. It is probable that next summer Craigieburn, which is at present let to the Government as a summer residence for the Governor, will be opened to public use as an
annexe to the Peak Hotel.
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