Shanghai's most picturesque re-' minder of the old days of wooden ships and iron men will pass with the demolition of the present clubrooms of the Mercantile Marine Officers' Club.
The old bauding, at No. 6 North. Soochow Road, rich in traditions of [the men who go down to the sea in ships, is to be torn down soon to make room for a new office building. Temporary quarters for the lub will be maintained at 8¢ Yuen Ming Yuen Road until new rooms on the Jold site are constructed.
For more than sixty years officers: lof ships from the Cay the North from Afri South and Ant-fare tic, and from everywhere acto ships, gathered at the ile Marine Officers' Club to spin yarns and exchange navigation information not always found on marine charts. At first they met above MacTavish' pharmacy, known them as the "stone frigate," but {for the past twenty-five years they have been holdings their meetings in their present quarters which is Jealled by many "the war office."
The membership is composed of two hundred Master Mariners' with and officers' ing notes on voyages the adventures they have encounter-jed on recent trips. On the roll are many men who can remember their experiences on clipper ships, four masted wind jammers, and other leraft that preceded the day steam-driven and electric vessels modation for members and their guests, the club maintains of more than three volumes, n bar that is surpassed by few in the city, lounging rooms, and 18 an" odd assortment of relies gathered from all parts of the globe.
keeping with" the Jelegance of "the old house are mahogany furnishings, dagerreotypes, tintypes, and pictures that trace the unbroken history of the jelub and Shanghai for more than half a century.
many instances information concerning navigation hazards ranging from uncharted reefs in the South seas to icebergs in northern waters has been exchanged to the benefit of those who pass over those leourses. Especially helpful are those pilots in China waters where there are many impediments to navigation that have been as yet uncharted,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.