The second dance of old Mih-Ho-Loongs since the disbandment of the Volunteer Fire Brigade was brought off at the Cercle Sportif Frangais last Friday night, and prov. ed in every respect as enjoyable and brilliant a function as was the case with last year's gathering. Former members of the Mih-Ho-Loong Hook & Ladder Ca., No. 1 8.F.D., to give the organization its full title, are still tolerably strong in number in Shanghai, and last night there was a representative turnout to do justice to a great occasion. In all 41 old Mih-Ho-Loongs were present, and it is estimated that almost as many old firemen from the other companies—Le Torrent, Victoria, Hongkew and Deluge—took part, so that from the point of view of the old brigade the function was much more than a dance, which, however, was announced as the main intention of the proceedings.
The ball-room of the Cercle Sportif Frangais, no Jess than the supper room and stair, was gorgeous in Mih-Ho-Loong colours, red and black. Even the floral decorations, in which the- committee had the assistance of M. Jaoussaume, bore this out, for fuchsias and geraniums in black pots decorated the staircase. Walls and ceiling were generously festooned, and there were streamers from the fans, and lanterns on the platform bore out the motif. It was even prominent on the two lay figures which stood at the top of the staircase bearing trays of programmes These were a very fine representation, done in wood, of C. J. Ashley, the first foreman of the company (1866), and the Kin Lee Yuen fireman. The latter is re-minis cent of the days when the Kin Lee Yuen merchants started their own company, and the brevity noted in their size is exaggera ated in the case of the wooden statue.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.