Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/392

384 finding that the land in the English Settlement was rapidly increasing in value, and that the plot of ground at the north-west corner of Park Lane (now the Nanking Road) and Barrier Road (now Honan Road), known as the Old Park, and used as a racecourse and for other purposes of recreation, was likely to be crowded out, purchased a plot of land at the back of the Settlement, near the Defence Creek, and laid it out as a riding course. This course, the second constructed since the opening of the port, was called the Shanghai Riding Course, and was used as a riding and racecourse. Hupeh Road, Chekiang Road, and Thibet Road formed part of it.

In 1862, owing to the influx of Chinese seeking refuge from the Taeping rebels, land in the English Settlement increased so much in value that the trustees of the Shanghai Riding Course decided to construct a road, 40 feet wide, through the centre of the course, and sell the 20 feet remaining on each side of the road so formed as frontage to the owners of land in the interior of and surrounding the course. By this means the handsome sum of Tls. 100,036 was realised. From this money Tls. 10,000 were voted for the purpose of tilling in and reclaiming the Consulate foreshore, so that it might be used as a public garden or recreation ground. This scheme was carried into execution by the Municipal Council, and the management of the garden was in 1868 handed over to a committee of local gentlemen. A new driving course was formed in 1862, and toll-gates were erected at various points. and persons making use of the course had to pay tolls in accordance with the tariffs fixed by the committee of management. In October of the following year the trustees handed over the lines of road formed by them to the Municipal Council.

In 1866, as it was found impossible to defray the cost of keeping the new driving course, now known as the Bubbling Well Road, in proper repair, the road was handed over to the Municipal Council. The real parent, however, of the many organisations which exist at the present day for the recreation and amusement of the foreign residents of Shanghai was the Recreation Fund, which owed its origin to the public-spirited action of Messrs. R. C. Antrobus, James Whittall, Alfred Heard, and Henry Dent. These four gentlemen issued a circular on November 15, 1860, announcing that they had purchased 34 mow, 5 li of ground in the centre of the Racecourse (where the Town Hall now stands) opposite Mr. Gubbay's stable, for the sum of $2,245·75. They explained that they had acquired this property in view of the rapidly growing state of the Settlement, which made it expedient to procure without further loss of time some suitable plot of land which should always be preserved, "more especially for a cricket ground, but also for other games and purposes of general recreation." The cost of rendering the ground fit for use was estimated at from $2,000 to $3,000, thus bringing the total outlay up to $5,000, and, in order to meet this, subscriptions for shares of $50 each were invited. In pursuance of the terms of this circular a meeting of subscribers of the "Recreation Fund" was held at Messrs. Lindsay & Co.'s hong, on April 1, 1861, at which it was decided to purchase the property from Messrs. Antrobus, Whittall, Heard, and Dent, for purposes of general recreation and amusement, the proviso being inserted that the site should "never be diverted from such purpose except by the unanimous consent of the shareholders." Subscriptions amounting to $6,900 (Tls. 5,365·50) were collected, and the ground was taken over and laid out at a cost, including the purchase money, of Tls. 4,421·34, leaving in the hands of the hon. treasurer. Mr. J. P. Tait, an unexpended balance of Tls. 944·16, on June 6, 1862.

In March of the following year the value of land in Shanghai had appreciated so considerably that it was deemed advisable to sell the Recreation Ground and to purchase with the proceeds a larger and more suitable site situated in the interior of the new racecourse. The original shareholders unanimously endorsed this policy, and a sum of Tls. 49,425 was obtained for the property. It was this sum which constituted the original Recreation Fund. Acting on behalf of the committee of the Recrention Fund Mr. Henry Dent, in 1863, purchased through Mr. James Hogg 430 mow of land in the interior of the Racecourse from the Racecourse shareholders for Tls. 12,500. Mr. Dent also advanced as a loan to the committee of the Shanghai Club the sum of Tls. 33,900, to the Shanghai Rowing Club Tls. 1,400, and