Ao Thursday, while the racelotteries were proceeding at the Shanghai Race Club, very handsome presentation was made to Mr. A. McLeod, the late Chairman of the Club, by Mr. B. A. Clarke! on behalf of the members. It took the form of a splendid service of plate, of Japanese silver, cunningly wrought into designs as jwaint as they are charming. The intention of the members was to show Mr. McLeod in some way how warmly they regard him, and how sincerely they admire the sterling and sportsmanlike qualities he possesses in so marked a degree.
Mr. B. A. Clarke, in making the presentation, said that they bad a very pleasant duty to perform that evening, for they had to make a presentation to one of the oldest members of the Race Club, Mr.
McLevd. But pleasant things were very often tinged with a certain amount, of sorrow, and he was sure he was only'expressing the feelings of all the members when he expressed a deep regret that their very old and esteemed friend had given up taking any active part in the affairs of the Race Club. Still, although that was thie ease, he (the speaker) was sure that Mr. McLeod would always be ready to give whatever assistance he could in anything they might ire of him. Mr. MeLeod was very well known to all the older members of the Club, but the younger members might be surprised to learn that he bad been for 25 years a steward of the Rece Club, "He thought that spoke eloquently for what Mr. McLeod had been and still was. He had been chairman of the stewards since 1893, with the exception of those periods when he was away from Shanghai, and he knew that it iva with feelings of sorrow that the members heard at the last annual meeting that he had resigned. During all the years he had been a steward there, no member of the Club had ever gone to him with any question difficulty without coming away (Applause.) He had always been genial, popula personality among them, If, as must sometimes occur, there Was any. trouble or friction among them, there was no man to whom the members of the Race Club went with more confidence than to him. Many a time he had smoothed matters over which might have led to unpleasantness. He had always been a friend of sport in every way. From the time when, as a younger man, he used to win swimming races in Hongkong, when Inter he had hie successes as " leading oarsman both there and in Shanghai, and again when, asa member of the Paper Hunt Club, he had always been in the frst flight across country, he had always been a true and keen sportsinav, There had been no member of the Race Club who had done more, or worked harder than Mr. McLeod, They had no worthier man to fill the posi tion of Chairman of the Club, Any decision he had given at any time was always known by every member to be a just one, More than that could not be said, He (Mr. Clarke) had_kuown Mr. McLeod for many years, and he did not _kuow of any-tone ever having gone to him about any matter without Mr. McLeod gain; into it fully and carefully, looking impartially on both' sides of the question, so thst both parties were satisfied.
Turning to Mr. McLeod, Mr. Clarke said that it was a source of very great pleasure to him that he should be spokesman that night, though he wished that someone more able to do the occasion Justice had been selected. Ho was only voicing the general feeling, however, when he said that the members of the Race Clab had always looked to Mr. McLeod as pillar of strength, He trusted—in fact, he was sure—that as long as he remained in Shanghai Mr. McLeod would be willing to give that advice they all valued so highly. In the name of the members of the Club he had very much pleasure in Presenting him with a service of plate, and trusted he would be long spared to uso it. When he did so he hoped that. Mr. McLeod's remembrances would be of the leasaut days he had spent in the Club. words failed him to' express the gratitude Mr. A. MoLeod, in reply, ssid. the he felt to them all for that very handsome gift. As for the very flattering and complimentary remarks Mr. Clarke had made, he felt them to be quite unmerited, (No! No!) He had beer a member of the Race Club for many years and in his younger days took an active part in its working. But he had only done what every other man would have done—his level best
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.