'Though common enough in courts in France, this custom. has never been wed before in Shanghai, Ib dates back to the year 1906, when it was instituted by the Court de Procédure, In earliest times, pro arties for sale by auction' were announced publicly, and the sale took place in the street. There were many inconveniences in this system, howe fever, ay bidders would crowd around, the offers would become contused, and a spectator at the back of the crowd suddenly might find himself landed with a property costing that ands of francs, A'new system: ther fore was introduced by Henti 1661, whereby bids had to be submitted in writing to the Registrar of the Court, 'The deeds drawn up by prospective buyers, however, were very lengthy, and there wore' other drawbacks to this system, so that the candle system was devised and this has remained a part of French Jaw for well over a century. Tt makes a dramatic scene, 'A. bidder makes an offer, and. the tte candle, placed in a prominent Position in the Court, is it by the Registrar, Breathlessly, the bidder watches the candle flicker, hoping no other offer will be made until the tiny flame dies down, Even it no offer has been advanced by that time, still has to watch two other one: minute candles burn to a Snish, 'The twlumph of the one whose bid' out lasts three candles makes it all well worth while, The Property's Romance Associated with the romance of the Fveneh legal procedure attaching to an atiction was another comunce, oF perhaps tragedy, of the property con-corned. Residents in Shanghai prior to the Great War can remember the exeitomonts and—hospitality of "Mount Pleasant," 9 roulette establishment conducted with the extreme of hospitality to be expected of such 4 comparatively small place as Shanghai, represented by its foreign community. Also, it was conducted strictly "on the square." There came a time when agitations were raised iwninst it und there were two or three raids, resulting In a temporary: closure, but always it opened again the' same style, Eventually, the proprietors parently thought they' had become firmly "established, for they tracted for a truly magnifieen establishment in the same neighbour hood. Architecturally, it was a glory for Shanghai, and possibly the lavishness of its decorations can be in-gained when it is recalled "that two for three cargoes of marble from Moly were lost in war operations at sea, but the proprietors persevered till' they got what they" wanted, A. holed artist way brought out to superintend the decorations, and a noted chef to control. the catering, whilst all other operations were in
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.