Early Theatrical Shows Mr. I, Komor, of 92. Amherst Avenue, has watched Shanghai grow nee 1806" when he frst came here time. Once a year every nation represented in Shanghai gave a ball except for the French, who from Hungary for Kuhn & Ca. He has seen many changes, but that which seems to impress' him most {snot what has changed, but what has remained unchanged—to wit, the tram and systems. Not that there were any trams or buses in 1896, but the years went by much
life was afer and simpler, "even faster 'Mr. Komor' thinks, and Considering the Mixed Court riots of 1906—the tram-tines started in 1907.
"Everything cost. about one-third what it does to-day," he said. "Rents and taxes were just one-third. Shang-hal was alittle village, bounded by Range Road, the Point, Bubbling Well Road, and Jessfeld. We used to go out atter our work was finished and @rive in carriages to St. George's, where we would leave the carriage and walk in the country. Everyone kept a carriage, because a pony w: th mafoo cost only $18 a month, The atreels were very narrow, and still are, but otherwise they have changed very much, because in those days there were very few European women in Shanghai, and the Chinese girls hardly ever came out into the streets."
Mr. Komor said the tram-line bid fair to be a failure. None of the Chinese would ride in a tram at frst.
Shanghai. It arrived in 1801 and belonged to a Hungarian named Leinz. It was repaired once by the Shanghai Dock Company, and. was Licensed for a carriage. Tt was a great attraction for the Chinese. Just bout this time the Shanghai residents puton an amateur circus; Mr. "Chuck" 'Burkill was a lady rider in tights, and very well. "Mr. Lehmann. was the manager. Everyone in' town di something, except for me—I watched. Avyear later T brought out @ Hungarian gypsy orchestra; it. played at 'Astor House and was very' popular. Unfortunately the gypsies took. 1o drinking and gambling: Shanghai was wide-open then, and it was all tod easy. One after another died. think only six of the gypsies went back to Hungary.
The "North China" Review "By this time dramatic troupes were beginning to come over. One time there arrived an Aus company in a production of "Trill fand the "Northchina Daily News gave it a very good review, so good that I went to see. the performance. Never in my life had I'seen such play. Trilby herself, who shoul have been eighteen, was played by a Woman of over forty, who was very obviously going to have a baby quite soon. No one could act at all. American sailors in the gallery threw eggs and apples and oranges at the stage, and stil they went on acting, with Svengali in his long beard roaring up and down the stage. Next morning when Bob Little came "see me—he was editor of the *North-China" then—1 demanded three dollars from him.
Why?" he said.
'Never mind,' I told him.
"You owe me three dollars."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.