No one can say that Mr. Percy Cox has not earned the right to retirement and, it is oped, to many years of happy leisure, Yet his departure from China comes with a great sense of ess to all who have been privileged to know him during his long career in the shipping industry. As guide, philosopher and friend to hosts of passengers to and fro these shores, as sportsman, as generous host, and a5 9 valuable member of the foreign community wherever his tale has taken him, Mr. Cox can look back on many years of useful service to his great Company and to his fellow-men. Bearing his age with supremely cheerful disregard of the actual tale of months, Mr. Cox has contributed greatly to the social and sporting activities of the life around him. A notable athlete in his day—he played jlo up to a time wren many other men would have been content with lawn bowls—he managed to combine pursuit of the gospel of physical fitness with assiduous attention to the important duties which fell ta his lot fas representative of the Canadian Pacific Railway Steamstip Company in China, It is certain that, in retire~ ment, he will not be allowed to forgot the firm friendships made here. - It equally certain that he himself will not permit that oblivion to overcome him." Therefore the usual salute as hho proceeds to turn himself into a really Old China Hand will be quali-fled by the promise of many invasions of his time' in future, The coming of Feodor Chaliapin to Shanghai this month will be one of the musical events of the year. 'The great singer is to appear at the Grand 'Theatre for two recitals on February and 27. The point is taken because, apparently, a curious misapprehension has' arisen over the arrangement which the management made to enable certain parts of the house to be booked at special prices. Tt was assumed that the rush for those seats had exhausted the plat a whole. This Is quite incorre and those who intend to take advantage of the opportunity offered by the singer's visit are advised to make their way to the box office without fear of disappointment for the Grand is a spacious theatre, although probably not large enough to hold all Chalial in's Shanghat admirers. The career of the artist Is a romance in itself Before he was taken by the" Archbishop of Kazan for training In the choir, he had been apprentice to a shoemaker, railway clerk, out-porter and stevedore ea the Volra steamboats. At the age of 17 he joined a travelling company as singer and danced. In 1892—he was then 19—he received his firs: serious singing lessons from Oussator Tiflis, his debut being made in the opera "A Life for the Tsar." He was engaged by the Imperial Opera of 'Moscow in' 1899 from which time his fame took root and grew. Outside Russia, his frst appearance was appropriately in the famous La Scala Theatre at Milan—he played Mephistapholes in Bolto's opera—and thence forward, with Milan's seal on his art, became known to the world's capitals. The gramophone has brought his voice to many households, It remains for Shanghai next week to, hear him in person—a privilege. of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.