The Good Templars celebrated New-year's Day by " ancial gathering at the Temperance Hall, Tea was provided at ven o'clock, and euch member of the Order being privileged to invite a guest, company numbering about one hundred assembled, including betwé duty and thirty Indies, he room and tables were Rowers, and the ten was roryed in a mat reflily decorated with evergre
ner which redounded to the credit of the management. The repast over, the Rev. WW. S. Hoyt took the chair, and, after few words of congratulation to those assembled, proposed the toast of The Order." bir, ©. P. Blethen responded, and gave @ brief history of Ue rise and progress of the Order, remarking that a Good Templar was a modern crusader agai drinking custom the iden being borrowed fro Knight Templars, who, at the call of Peter the Hermit, went forth to battle for the Good Lomplarism was a teetotal freemasonry; it was not a benefit sv. the object being to do good rather than receive benefit. They denounced the uso of into: looked upon their use os a and humanity; and to be a wrong on physical and moral grounds, Their order was a family circle, It was good for all, young and old, male and female; and members found mit friends and work which ed them on their way. Ladies wore eligible for any office in the Order, and they had.and were now filling some of its highest offices. Ho then gave a great number of statistics, showing how rapidly the movement had advanced, and coi cluded by welcoming all present to gathering, and by expressing a hope that Visitors: would leave with an impression which would cause" them to return and join the armly of Good Templare it. Shaw then gave: the toast of "Our Guests," and" the Rev. 'J. S. Roberts in
had experienced, wished.the society every eaponding, spoke of the enjoyment they success, and hoped -that similar reunions would often be held.—Mr.. A. Gordon spropoeed, the Dealth ofS Our Lodge puly, alludkig ito. the great interest had always taken' in the and said that with-atten not ha Settlement and "Hongkew also ie. Before any of commenced play-of firm hold, and of the passage, atid the houses-being built of wood, both sides fiercely. Fortunately the up to about the time of the out: break had beau blowing half-a-pale, suddenly dropped almost calm, but the flams nevertheless travelled with great. rapidity through the entire block in which the began, wh progress topped by brick party wall long absence of rain, every was very dry, and i rooms of water poured upon th yerned for more than an hour to have no perceptible effect its checking their advance, and attention was therefore given to preservii the surrounding buildings, from which the occupants had from the commencoment been busily engaged in removing their furniture and other property. The engines wore stationed by M. Charrier, who was in charge, as fullowa:—No, "Deluge," at the Rue clu Consular jetty on the Bund, supplying water to No. 2, which was placed at the junction of the Rue de Guerre and the Rue clu Consular Victoria," also on the Bun ing length of hose, played direct on to the fire; while Nos.-5 and 6 were statiouedon the Yang-king-pang, the former being held in readiness to check possible outbreak yy other direction than that wher en were raging. By midnight, thefite waa apparently and the word was passed for all the engines except Nos. 5 and 6 and the French manual to reel up and retire. 'They accordingly did 20, and went away, but about two o'clock' flames broke out in a house adjoining those in which the fire had previously raged, and it required nearly two hours' active exertion on the part of ths French brigades to extinguish them. At one period, the mecond outbreak seemed likely to render it necessary to ring the alarm bells again, but fortunately this was obviated by the united efforta of the free men, police, some. aailore, and-others, and by five o'clock li danger was over. Altogether some eighteen houses were ither burnt or so much damaged es to necessitate rebuilding.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.