the Government Central School, now Queen's College, Hongkong. At the age of twenty he came to Chefoo and joined the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company as chief assistant, having, in that capacity, charge of the office. Soon afterwards he was appointed agent of the Chinese Engineering and Mining Company, Ltd., at Chefoo. In 1900 he was re-transferred to the Steam Navigation Company as manager of the establishment, and he holds this position at the present time. Mr. Li has been twice decorated—first, with the Russian Order of St. Ann; and secondly, with the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, Fourth Class.
THE CHEFOO CLUB.
As far as can be ascertained, the Chefoo Club had its origin in the sixties, when Mr. W. A. Cornabé, who then owned the premises in which the Club is housed, transferred the property to a number of shareholders. The structure contains two billiard-rooms, a card-room, a bar, a reading-room, and a library, which for so small a Club is well stocked. There are some fifty members, and they represent between them eight or nine different nationalities. The existing premises are, of course, very old, and there has been considerable talk of rebuilding them at an early date; but so far nothing definite has been decided on. Mr. C. L. L. Williams is the hon. secretary, and Mr. A. Graeber, the hon. treasurer.
H. SIETAS & CO.
The oldest firm in Chefoo is that of Messrs. H. Sietas & Co., which was established in 1861. The Company are general importers and exporters; owners of the Chefoo Printing Press; and joint owners with Messrs. Cornabé, Eckford & Co. of the Chefoo Water-boat Company. They have branches also at Tsingtau and Vladivostock.
CORNABÉ, ECKFORD & CO.
The founders of this firm were Messrs. James Wilson and W. A. Cornabé, both of whom were in business in Amoy. Early in 1864 they established themselves as general merchants in Chefoo under the style of Messrs. Wilson, Cornabé & Co. At first the business consisted of buying produce and shipping it to southern ports, but later on the firm became shipowners and shipping agents. Later still, after Mr. Eckford had been admitted to partnership, the exportation of straw-braid was undertaken very successfully. In 1887 Mr. Cornabé returned to England, and in 1902 Mr. Eckford was obliged to leave China on account of ill-health. The business now consists of the export of straw-braid, silk, silk piece goods, and other local products, and the import of coal, flour, indigo, yarn, &c. The firm hold numerous first-class shipping and insurance agencies; they are proprietors of the Hokee Lighter Company, and are interested in the Chefoo Water-boat Company. They also own one of the largest steam Tussah silk filatures in the neighbourhood. For years there has been a branch of the business at Weihaiwei, and in 1906 two new branches were opened at Tsingtau and Dalny, so that the firm is now entrenched at all the commercial strategic points in North China.
CURTIS BROS.
Mr. F. J. Curtis is the proprietor of this firm of manufacturers' agents and general and commission merchants, established in 1901. The firm are local agents for Lloyds, the China Mutual Insurance Company, the Commercial Union Assurance Company, and the British Dominions Insurance Company, and, in addition to a general import and export business, they conduct salvage operations.
Mr. F. J. Curtis was born in Yokohama in 1869, and was educated at Southampton. After spending fifteen years in the mercantile marine, for which he holds a master's certificate, he came in 1898, to Chefoo, in the affairs of which Settlement he now takes a considerable interest. He is a member of the General Purposes Committee, in which body the general control of the Foreign Quarter is vested at the time of writing, although it is expected that during the present year a municipal body will be formed to administer local affairs.
L. H. SMITH & CO.
The firm of Messrs. L. H. Smith & Co., merchants and commission agents, was established in 1895. The business is now carried on by Mrs. L. H. Smith, widow of the founder, for whom Mr. D. Cappelen acts as manager and signs per pro. Among the numerous agencies held by the firm are those of the Russo-Chinese, and other banking concerns, the Russian Volunteer Fleet, Messrs. Caldbeck, Macgregor & Co., wine and spirit merchants, and various important and well-known fire and life insurance companies of England and the Continent.
Mr. Cappelen was born in 1876, at Tonsberg, Norway, and was educated at Christiania. He came to the Far East in 1897.
