Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/698

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TWENTIETH CENTURY IMPRESSIONS OF HONGKONG, SHANGHAI, ETC.

manager of the business for several years, and his geniality and solicitude for the comfort of his guests have had no small share in maintaining and enhancing the hotel's popularity.

ST. GEORGES HOTEL.

On the outskirts of Shanghai there are quite a number of picturesque little hostelries which form very pleasant and popular places of resort in the early evening after the heat and glare of the summer day in town. Perhaps the most conveniently situated, and freely patronised by all is the St. George's Hotel, which occupies altogether some twenty-five mow of land at the end of the Bubbling Well Road. Mr. S. Hertzberg, the proprietor, has spared neither pains nor expense to make the hotel and its gardens as attractive as possible, and there can be no question that his efforts have met with appreciation. Every evening during the summer a band plays in the grounds, and, after dinner, there is a cinematograph entertainment interspersed with songs and musical sketches. Although the establishment is more in the nature of a café or restaurant than a hotel, and caters chiefly for tea and dinner parties, it is not without accommodation for permanent residents. In conjunction with it Mr. Hertzberg conducts a dairy farm, and obtains his supplies of fresh milk and butter from a herd of eighteen Australian and Chinese cows.

THE NEW TRAVELLERS' HOTEL.

The New Travellers' Hotel in the Broadway was built about five years ago, and is calculated to meet the requirements of those who desire good accommodation but are not prepared to pay high tariff rates. The premises are commodious and conveniently arranged; there is a well-furnished dining-room, a billiard-room, two bars, and twenty bedrooms. The attendance leaves nothing to be desired.

The proprietor is Mr. D. Haimovitch, who has been resident in China for some twenty-five years, and has, consequently, a good knowledge of the requirements of a hotel in the East. Although he has been in charge of the establishment for a few months only, he has already effected several important improvements.

NAVAL CLUB HOTEL.

Managed by Mr. E. Shanstrom, an ex-naval man himself, the Naval Club Hotel at 10a and 10b, Boone Road, is naturally a favourite place of resort for sailors and man-o'-war's men of all nationalities, whenever their ships happen to be in port. The present proprietor took over the business in 1901, and when the new building of the Astor House Hotel was completed in 1903 he leased the back part of the premises facing the Broadway. Under his personal supervision both enterprises have proved very successful. Mr. Shanstrom was born in 1873, at Nevada City, Colorado, and before coming to Shanghai served for eight years in the American Navy, rising during that period to the rank of chief yeoman. He joined the local Volunteer Artillery Company in 1902, and is now a sergeant. He is also a member of the Ancient Land-mark and Keystone R.A.C.

THE CHANG SU HO GARDEN.

The Chang Su Ho Garden, with frontages on the Bubbling Well and Weihaiwei Roads, comprises some seventy mow of land and offers manifold attractions. It is laid out with grottoes and artificial lakes connected with the river by pipes, and is beautifully wooded. The trees and shrubs planted back in the eighties for scenic effect have grown to perfection, and from time to time rare plants of all descriptions have been added. In a spacious concert hall, known as "The Arcadia," Chinese theatricals and other entertainments are given by some of the best-known native talent and visiting troupes, and there are also cinematograph entertainments and shooting galleries. From time to time special attractions are provided, such as a balloon ascent, a good band, a pyrotechnic display, or a native procession. The garden, which was formerly the property of a Mr. Groome, was acquired by Mr. Chang Su Ho in 1881. At that time it comprised only 21 mow. Mr. Chang Su Ho gradually extended it and laid it out as it is to-day. The property is now leased by Mr. A. M. A. Evans for a term of forty years, and under the foreign supervision which Messrs. Evans & Co., the agents, have introduced, there are now few places of the kind in which an afternoon or evening can be more pleasantly spent.