After 29 Years' Service: Chinese Scholar and Inventor of Phonetic Script:
Keen Sportsman and Special Constable.
Mr, H. T. Hancock, the Standard Oil "Co.'s attorney in the General] Division at Shanghai, retires _on Saturday after 29 years service with the company, With Mrs. Hancock, he will sail on November 3 on the Hakozaki Maru and proposes wintering in the Italian Riviera, Mr. Hancock was born at Portsmouth, England, on September 3, 1872, He was in China for come years before joining the Standard] speaking provinces, the tones are Oil Ca, being employed with the American Trading Ca. in Newchwang and Shanghai. In 1896 he transferred to the Thompson & Bedford department of the Standard Oil Ca. of New York (lubricating oil) and from them went to the refined oil division and was appointed travelling representative for the management, being engaged _principally in looking into trade ce ditions, purchasing property and! opening agencies at Hankow, Ichang, Chungking, Chinkiang, Chefoo and Wahu. He was at Chungking during the Boxer rising and was compelled to make a hurried exit from the city as a refugee. Since 1907 he has been the company's attorney in the Shanghai office.
In view of his experience in the; interior, it is not surprising that Mr. Hancock had more than Fassing acquaintance with the Chin. exe language, but he went beyond learning sufficient for commercial uses and became not only a keen Janguage student himself but a strong advocate of its study by other foreigners in the country. He evolved 'a system of phonetic script for which at first there seemed to be great future, as it was tested in various Mission schools, where the Chinese pupils readily "learnt _its use. However, Mr. Hancock eventually found that its employment, could not be more than local, for the reason that, even in Mandarin. different as well as the pronounciation Mr. Hancock in his earlier years was very prominent in local sporting events, achieving numerous successes on the running track and in the swimming bath. Not long ago he swam 100 lengths of the Swimming Bath Club's bath and the paper hunts, He was a member of the original Engineer Company of the 8.V.C. and, as one of "efficients," received the Municipal Council's' silver medal in commemoration of the Shanghai Jubilee. On the formation of the Spe Police, Mr. Hancock again donned uniform, being amongst the first to enrol, and he was in charge at West] Hongkew and later on at Louza as Head Constable. When he resigned he held rank as Senior Head Constable and shortly afterwards" he received recognition from the Chinese Government in the shape of the Chia "Ho Order.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.