October 27, 1897.1
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
behalf of all golfers I Golf Club; and on promise Your Excellency that we will endeavour to show ourselves in the future worthy of be- longing to a club so favoured. When in course of time Your Excellency leaves this colony it will be a matter of sincere and deep regret to all of us. You will carry with you the good wishes and good will of the entire community, but no regrets will be more sincere and no good wishes will be more hearty than those which will be felt by the members of The Royal Hongkong Golf Club.
彝
His Excellency's health was then enthusias- tically drunk with musical honours and three times three,
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respected, men in the colony (cries of "Name, Name)," Mr. A. G. Stokes. (Lond obeers.) Looking to its condition and prosperity it seemed hardly necessary to drink to what was already fulfilled, but he would give them the Success and further prosperity of The Royal Hongkong Golf Club," and couple with it the Dame of the able and energetic secretary, Mr. Dalrymple.
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The Hon. Secretary, in reply, addressed the Chairman, His Excellency, and gentlemen of The Royal Hongkong Golf Club and thanked H.E. the Governor for coupling his name with the last toast. He could have wished it had been placed in abler, more experienced, and safer hands. However, having got as far as the " tee he would "take the honour." He much regretted the absence of the Naval members, but had un- fortunately quite overlooked the fact that they might be "engaged in another place "-—cule- brating Trafalgar Day--when arranging the date. He had looked up his diary, but the only item which might have clashed with the present arrangement was the discovery of America by one Columbus in 1492; this, he thought, was going back too far to be a reason for changing the date. He desired to maintain his position in regard to the T which had aroused the indignation of some scribblers. His Excellency had given a most interesting and historic account of the game of golf, and the Chairman had preceded him with one of the most fluent speeches he had over heard in connection with any sport; the ground, therefore, had been rather cut from under his feet; but he would say that in his belief the only Clubs in the British Isles which rejoiced in the same distinctive title as this young but prosperous club, were The Royal Mussel- burgh and The Royal Dublin," who acquired the right to the title in 1876 and 1892 respec- tively.
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Having got to this point the reporter believes the Speaker got somewhat " bunkered" since he is credited with enunciating the question of ladies' golf—a topic of which he is known to fight very shy-with the admission that there might be, in the near future, a possibility for the ladies, if they would rest their souls in calm content, and take what the gods would provide.
In conclusion he said he hoped some would propose the health of the Captain, though it was not down on the toast list; he was a man well able to take very good care of himself, of the Club, and of the Hon. Secretary, and thank- ing H.E. the Governor for the honour placed in his hands subsided into his seat.
and had converted many to their way of think ing upon various subjects. In the love of whisky for example they had made so many converts that the disciples now far outnumbered the original apostles, and in regard to golf they were in a fair way to do the same. Some enthusiasts for the Royal and ancient g me had | played here quietly about nine years ago till the arrival of the 91st Regt." (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) had placed them in the position to found a proper club, which was inagurated on the 10th May, 1889; the club then consisting of about ten persons had now developed into one numbering 250 members. Their original "habitat” had been made under the
His Excellency, on rising to respond, met old Race stand, kindly lent them by the Jockey Club, and looking back to the dark and caver with a warm demonstration, and spoke as follows: nous place they had been glad to frequent he Captain Gershom Stewart and gentlemen of was reminded of the cave dwellers of prehistoric The Royal Hongkong Golf Club, I have to times; but following the natural, course of thank you, sir, most sincerely for the eloquent evolution they had sought for other quarters and discursive speech with which you have just and had been granted the use of a matshed by proposed my health. I am afraid, gentlemen, H.E..the Governor. This they inhabited very notwithstanding your cheers, that I shall not happily for several years until increasing be able to answer it adequately. Your worthy Lumbers and an appalling accumulation of old Captain has spoken of primeval and prehistoric flannel clothes forced them to struggle on for times, let me be a little historical also. The something better; they again appealed to the game of golf, in which we all delight, is, as Governor, who granted them permission to you know, a Royal and ancient game. It is also called the National game of Scotland, and build their present Club house, which with money borrowed from a friend at the table it has enjoyed that title since 1457. A game (Mr. Thomas Jackson) was ably carried out that has existed for 400 years may well be by Mr. Ram. The pressure in the Happy entitled to the term of ancient. Its claim to
Royal Valley had long before this forced them to look
is owing to the fact that it is the -out for some place where they could enjoy a sport of kings, for 150 or 200 years after the date game on Saturday afternoons, and the site I have mentioned (1457) James IV., James V., of the links at Deep Water Bay was jointly James VI., and Charles I. are said to have discovered by Sir Fielding Clarke and Major been devotedly attached to this noble game Bennet, R.E. It was but a desolate spot in The Royal Hongkong Golf Club has still, and those days and largely covered with meteoric happily, a Stewart as its Captain; a worthy boulders and the primeval forest, as it had successor, and he may be a descendant, and if so been from time immemorial. But, continued
a very worthy one, of those four Kings; at all the speaker, nothing daunted, we set to work events if King James VI. of Scotland, who was and imported turf. laid down our greens. James I. of England, were here in the flesh 1 and in time made quite a good place of would back our Captain against bim in the it. But our numbers continued to increase, as Happy Valley for a $10 note. But The Royal also did the pressure of people in the Happy Hongkong Golf Club has for its President an Valley, and as we had in contemplation further Englishman (shall I say unfortunately); there is extensive developments and improvements we a precedent (notwithstanding the Hongkong applied to the Government for a lease, which, Telegraph)_ for that, gentlemen, for in 1834 thanks to our friend His Excellency-I say it. William IV. was patron of the Royal and gentlemen, without fear of contradiction, the Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrew's, and I, for best friend this Club has ever had' "we have the nonce William the Fifth, am the President been successful in obtaining. Being the for- of The Royal Hongkong Golf Club. tunate possessor himself of the best inheri men, I thank you most heartily for this tance a man can receive from his forefathers, great demonstration; I am most hruoured by it; a fine constitution, His Excellency has been Had you "tead " me 1 should have been satisfied, "dined me in this most constant during his term of office here in giving but as you have every encouragement to health preserving, in- sumptuous manner I am more thau grateful. vigorating sport. The maintenance of open Gentlemen, I am very glad that you have spaces is invaluable from a health point of view, been made "The Royal Hongkong Golf Club" Sound health can only be preserved by indulg--with a capital T also-but all the credit is we do not due to me. It was your gallant captain ing in good exercise, and knowing as the small proportion of men who leave the East who suggested it to me. He made the "approach heled out the ball." with a fortune it behoves us all to conserve to shot" and I, as it were, the best of our ability that energy which alone Gentlemen, I am more than sorry that I am not a keeps us ahead of the Oriental. The colony good golfer; there were no links in the West Indies owes a further debt to His Excellency in that when I was there during eighteen long years, but lie has opened up for the purposes of recrea- I recognise, from a healthful and athletic point tion the new ground at Bowrington Gardens. of view what a splendid game it is, one which This was originally moved for by members adapts itself to the exuberance of youth, to the of this Club long ago, and when on the
matured and tempered strength of manhood, and the gentle decay of age. Mr. Stewart has ground of expense the question was shelved for some years, it was again brought to said I am the best friend The Royal Hongkong the front by members of this Club, and we Golf Club bas ever had. I hope you think so
This match was played on Saturday, 23rd Oct., know that it was only owing to the firm too-many thanks for those cheers of coueur-
Let me tell and resulted in a win for the Cricket Club by. attitude taken by His Excell ney on the ques- rence-I am glad to bear them. tion that those sixteen good acres were added you what one of the ablest of England's living | 82 ruus on the first innings, a resnit mainly due We to the batting of Ward and Bowden Smith and to the recreation space of the colony. We Viceroys, Lord Dufferin, once said:
The last named golfers are counted by the outside world a Governors are but fleeting shadows and evan. | the bowling of Hastings. somewhat “dour" and hard headed lot. Well, | escent eidolons that haunt your history, but player made a most successful start in Hong. gentlemen, it is fortunate that we have a scarcely contribute a line to its pages." That |(kong and he should prove a great acquisition
to the Club in the bowling line. Governor with perception keen enough to see being so it is indeed satisfactory to know that
Winning the toss the Cricket Club elected to I shall leave behind me at least one kindly me- that and r our forbidding exterior thore lurk
bat first on a hard and perfectly true wicket, elements of good which are worthy of on- mory, and that my name will be perhaps for ever couragement, For hard headed people a identified with The Royal Hongkong Golf Club, Col. Gordon and E. R. Morris facing the recent correspondence in the Government which numbers amongst its members all that is deliveries of Vallings and Gordon. Morris did not seem at home and succumbed early to Gazette induces us to believe that His best of the youth and maturity of this, colony.
He was replaced by In proposing The Royal Hongkong Golf Vallings's bowling. very warm Excellency has a
heart, and
Ward and the score was quickly raised to 38 if it be only a lady of somewhat mature | Club." His Excellency said he had been some-
what unexpectedly called upon to propose the before Col. Gordon, who had played first class years, he, like every true golfer, is full of tender solicitude for her welfare. (Laughter). | toast of "Success and Prosperity to The Royal cricket and appeared to be well set, scooped a I have enumerated some of the material Hongkong Golf Club." It was a very young curly one of Vallings into the coverpoint's benefits which we have received from His Ex-Club, hardly out of long clothes, but very hands. Hastings was immediately bowled by was popular and populons; Vallings and then Maitland helped Ward to cellency, but there is a further and honourable vigorous; it one in receiving the title of which we are now numerically and financially it was in excellent take the score to 77 before he foolishly ran the prond possessors. It is entirely owing to condition; recruits were pouring in-in fact | himself out through some really smart fielding on the part of Vallings. Ward had Bowden the good offices of His Excellency that we have only two days ago the shilling had been obtained the title of The Royal Hongkong' taken by one of the best known and highly' Smith for his next partner, but after the two
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A few well known hands obliged the com- pany with some excellent songs, and a recita- tion, which were received with much heartiness, and shortly before 11 o'clock the party sepa rated, having spent a very enjoyable evening, and one with which, we understand, the Go- vernor was much pleased. As this was the that His Excellency bore away with him the re- object of the members, we are happy in the hope miniscence of a good time with the members of The Royal Hongkong Golf Club" on the 21st October, 1897.
CRICKET.
HONGKONG CRICKET CLUB V. LADIES' RECREATION CLUB.
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