By "Sunn aspen"
One of the biggest difieuties in siting' a history of the S.V.C—in Tact, timest the only. diteulty—is the lack of details i any form other {nie im memariew i the bang certain old gentlemen whose Tone Sears have been spent in. Work oF Zo'many Good easiness that itis well nigh impasse for them to remem Ter everything about every one them: Some nits have eld minute. oer, with volumes" missing here dnd there, and rome have list, no= ting. With the American "Com pany its ferent. Bary in their Biiclence they "appointed an Hise {Grcal"Gommittee, hoy with the thoroughness and attention inva ably displayed. by Americans. in their business dealings, have collate 4 lo upon file of neally typed rec-fords one volume dealing with, the Company in general and the other, for long edited by Mr, W. B. Sauer, with shooting, of which he probably Knows more than all the Company put together. 'The hint is one which Sther nits. might well note and it be regretted, with such an opportunity to soco' all the Tats, that the Company. has hada com paratively brief existence.
Perhaps it is the national aversion to' standing, armies which Kept the merieans for' so long. from iganising on_a permanent basis, be-'Enuse they have always. shown the Keenest desire to lend a hand when there has been serious work to do, though falling jin when the trouble subsided. Now, however, the American Company ' is firmly established and is organisation, had. the mortification of secing their Consulate unprotected finless they solicited outside aid. There were two military prisoners serving sentences in the gaol, so couple of rifles were borrowed from the Municipal Council and these two gentlemen were put_ on guard. For further protection, the Japanese. Consulate Tent the services of a Japanese sailor.
Te was in that same gad that the gaoler was dining one evening with) his only prisoner, The gaoler usually did dine with the prisoners, because the latter's meals were sent] over from the Savoy Hotel "as per daily menu," whereas the gaoler had' to attend to his own commis-The prisoner remarked that] he was getting fed up, hanging around a gloomy gad all day, so) the Kind-hearted gade: told him that he need not, and he could go} only a comparati ago, an inspecting Gene the 8.V.C. were all right as thing required of soldiers, but it would be more to Shanghai's credit if-more men joined the Corps. From that arose A" suggestion for addi tional units, one of which was an American mounted troop. This was put up to the then O.C., Os his name is bound to crop every few sentences of anything About the American "Company—but said it only could be formed at the expense of the. existing unit, because every American in Shang hai who could serve, already ws under his command. That may not Be the case to-day, but it is a fact that the American' Company, still is, one of the strongest and keenest units in the Corps, whilst out of it has grown two additional units—the Philippine Company, the American. Reservists Company' (composed of ex-service men), and the American Machine Gun Company—apart from the American Troop, which did come into being after all, so that BARE of Uncle Sam which' texts thanghaieertainly can not be accused of going to slee The Battle of Muddy Flat Loca} histories tell us the the first 8.V.C. was formed the Americans held a meeting at which opinion was about, equally
pausing of a resolution a Siviea an all that resulted yas 2 Tommittee of three persons shall be Appointed to devise measures for combined action incase of danger to the community." A Committee
appointed. There was danger Cooperation was subsequently enough the next year and American Volunteers came forward to link up, under their Consul, Mr. RoC. Murphy, with "U.S, naval con tingent landed by Capt. Kelly from the sloop Plymouth. They formed the left wing at the Battle of Muddy Flat and fought splendidly, suffering heavier casualties than the other wing and acting og rearguard after the action.
We find spasmodic springing to ayins after this on all' the many Sceasions when the Chinese broke out, right up to 1000, but never a permanent Company." Tt was after the Boxer rising that the American community began. to consider ser-masly the formation of a umt det mitely attached to the S.V.C., but another five years passed by' and iti quaint to have to recall the fact that that delightful institution, the American Gaol, birthplace of rimerable jokes, had a great deal to do with the eventual. establishment of the fine Company we know Tonday and it raised another jough ju the process.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.