An appreciation of the late Mr. James Ambrose, Sr., who died at Miyanoshita last Friday at the age 81, has been given to the "North-Ching Daily News" by an old friend of his of many years standing. native town of Bath in 1878, and joined the property partment of Evison & Ca,, his chief duties, being in connection with the Propetty of Siv Thomas Hanbury. He soon established a reputation for zeal honesty, in his own affairs as well as in others: example of his character, may be geon in his habit of telling' Sit of any private Purchase of property that he Intended to make, so that there be no chance of a conflict is nicks at an early' period.
His citole of friends in the early days included chiefly 'a.number of ets, while a particular friend was it. D, Jansen, proprietor of the Astor Hotel, Mr. Ambrose would often play billiards at the Astor ith some of the old-time mer= chant skippers.
Mr. Ambrose's chief hobby ~was to go up country in his centre-board yacht Pinafore, which was equip} With a comfortable two-berth cabin, His annual holiday was always spent thus, usually starting at the end of November, Very keen on shooting, he ws quite a fair shot at game, He handicapped, however, in walk feet had been ie out the countryside, as both" jured in his early days in Shanghai, a slab of granite: falling on them and damaging toes when he was inspecting u build. Ing that was being constructed, Ambrose led a comparatively quiet' life, and took a trip home every five or six years, He experienced two exciting episodes, never-
Shanghai on a Glen Line ship, which 1884 he was returning to left Singapore in good onder but, failed to arrive in Hongkong according to programme. Anxiety grew daily and it was feared that the ship had been lost, until she suddenly appeared one day, a week overdue, had com distress ind had stood ross a sail-by her in bad weather, as abe lay' dismasted, for over four days, Then the ship had accompanied the salt: Ing vessel when it was found possible to rig a jury mast when the weather improved. The mate of the a brother of the]
who became Sir Everard Fraser, Consul-Geneval at Shanghai Another exciting time in. Ambrose's life occurred in 1923, the year after he retired, when staying Miyanos! The great earth-and Mr. Ambros had subsequently to make his way to Kobe on foot, strenuous work for a man of his years and physical handicap.
One of Br. Ambrose's hobbies was gardening, and on one. occasion he found some flowers when on trip to Alaska which he thought. would grow in Shanghai, 'They did well, but did not grow not to. the size' to which they grew in their native soil.
the' evenings Mr. Ambrose often repaired to the Shanghai Race Club, He took a moderate interest in racing, and supported the cash sweeps for some 40 years, but Without any success. As he once explained, a fortune teller had said that he would have to work for any money which should come to him, and the prophecy was right.
Many people went to him for ad-vie on property, and found him willing to assist them with good advice. "As a result he found himself on many occasions named as executors to estates when those he had assisted dis Mr. Ambrose was welcomed everywhere and never made an enemy. No-one could wish for a better
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