[1]

In 1878, the Post Master General’s Postal Guide contained a notification: “Box holders may mark stamps. Box holders (but box holders only) are at liberty to mark their postage stamps on the back or face, or by perforation, so as to prevent their being stolen. If a mark be on the face it must be such as not to interfere with the clean appearance of the stamp. Stamps so marked will not be purchased.”

[2]

No details but posssibly a Liverpool firm1900-1905 Listed in Chronicle & Directory for 1905

Peter

[3]

The Apcars were a prominent Armenian family in India. For more than a century, the name of Apcar was prominent in commerce and industry. Arathoon Apcar came to India in 1795 from Iran. He was a brilliant businessman and founded schools, donated financial assistance to Armenian Churches in India. His firm, Apcar & Co, was prominent in commerce and handle enormous business until the World War I. At that time Apcar & Co. owned several steamships known as the Apcar Line. They were later sold to the British India Steamship Navigation Company and renamed the B.I. Line.

Frank

Arratoon V. Apcar & Co. [1897-1925]
By Michel Houde

[All the examples of the security markings pictured in this article are by the kind permission of Rod Sell. There may be more types than shown. See these and others security marking of Hong Kong on http://rodsell.com. If you have examples of this firm’s security markings or those of other firms, please send scans and details to Rod Sell.]

Security Markings: The firm seems to have used only the one type of security marking pictured above.
Firms bearing the Apcar name established themselves in business in Singapore, China, Japan and elsewhere in Asia. Thus, we philatelists must be cautious in attributing a firm chop to its proper owner.
Arratoon Vertannes Apcar came to Hong Kong at age 16 in 1887. Initially, he was engaged in the opium business. Then, in 1891, he set himself up in business as A.V. Apcar. On 3 July 1897, the Hong Kong Daily Press reported that the business would from then onwards be carried on as Arratoon V. Apcar and Co. as merchants and commission agents located on Wyndham Street.

By 1907, they were known locally as “Mon-kee” and were located to 14 Des Voeux Road Central. A.V. Apcar was the owner and T.M. Gregory signed for the business. The firm was the agency for the Macao Banco Nacional Ultramarino. This bank, founded in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1864, started its operations in Macao in 1902. It merged with a government-owned savings bank in 2001. As the bank’s agent, Arratoon V. Apcar & Co. converted Macao bank notes to Hong Kong currency before shipping the collected notes back to Macao.
Mr. Apcar moved to London, in 1925, after residing in Hong Kong for 38 years.

By 1930, the firm had transferred to the Prince’s Building on Des Voeux Road Central. A.V. Apcar was managing director in London and M.J. Patell, N. Nemazee and D.H. Cooper were directors. The firm was the agent for the Yorkshire Insurance Co., Ltd.
After the death of Mr. Apcar, in 1931, Mr. D. H. Cooper took over the business and changed the name to Cooper & Co.

Mr. Arratoon Vertannes Apcar was born in Persia in 1871. He married Asken Basil in 1913. They had one child, a son, George Armen Arratoon Apcar, born on 4 June 1915, at Ava House, 1 May Road. A.V. Apcar died in London on 6 April 1931, leaving an estate valued at $773,100. Besides his business ventures, he was a large property owner in the colony including Ava House, Ava Mansions, Armend Buildings and Observatory Villas, Kowloon. Interestingly, he was a keen philatelist.

Mr. Dossabhoy Hormusjee Cooper was a Parsee born in Bombay in 1871. He arrived in Hong Kong as a young man and worked for the firm of S. N. Talati & Co. He worked for a time in Shanghai but later returned to Hong Kong as the manager of the firm. Afterwards, he was an exchange and bullion broker with the firm of Chinoy Brothers. Lastly, he worked for Arratoon V. Apcar & Co. as their Hong Kong agent. He was one of the oldest Parsee residents of the colony when he died on January 16, 1938. He never married.

Other Apcars in business in Hong Kong contemporaneous to Arratoon V. Apcar & Co.:

Apcar Brothers were share brokers and commission agents. In 1889, they were in business at 68 Queen's Road Central. The next year they opened an auction room at the same address.
Apcar Gabriel Apcar was a share broker. In 1887, he was in the firm of A. Apcar & Co. In 1890, he was a broker for Apcar Bros. Born at Isfahan, Persia on 30 December 1863. In 1890, he was in financial difficulties and committed suicide on September 16th.

Apcar Michael Apcar was born in 1855 and died 4 Dec. 1906. He established himself at Hong Kong about 1886. In 1891, he moved to Yokohama and opened A.M. Apcar & Co. as general merchants and commission agents. In 1896, he transferred his business to Kobe.

Apcar & Co. was founded in Bombay in 1809 as commission agents and insurance brokers. The founder, Arratoon Apcar, arrived in Bombay in 1795 moving to Calcutta in 1830. His four sons were involved in the family business in India. The firm owned the Apcar Line of Opium Steamers. They ran a fleet of five vessels from Calcutta carrying Chinese labourers and cargo, largely to and from Rangoon, Singapore, Hong Kong and Amoy, with connections to Japan. In 1873, their Hong Kong agents were David Sassoon Sons & Co. The line had the same Hong Kong agents in the 1910 Directory where they are referred to as Apcar & Co. Calcutta – Hongkong Line. On 27 February 1912, their ships, workshops and mines, were sold to the British India Steam Navigation Company. Sailings from Calcutta to Japan were still advertised as being conducted by the Apcar Line into the 1950s. In the 1930 Directory Mackinnon, Mackenzie & Co. were shown as agents for this line as well as for the P.&O., B.I. and Eastern & Australian Lines.

References:
Apcar Family. 25 January 2009 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apcar_Family >
Bard, Solomon: Traders of Hong Kong : Some Foreign Merchant Houses, 1841-1899. Hong Kong : Urban Council, 1993.
Chater, Liz. Email message with Apcar genealogical information, 24 February 2009.
Editor, China Mail. “Estate of Mr. A.V. Apcar.” China Mail [Hong Kong] 21 August 1931
Editor, Daily Press. Various. Daily Press [Hong Kong] 18 Jan. 1888, 29 Oct. 1889, 7 April 1890, 4 June 1890 and 19 Sept 1890
Editor, Hong Kong Telegraph. “Mr. A.V. Apcar Dies in London.” Hong Kong Telegraph 8 April 1931
Editor, Hong Kong Telegraph. “Mr. D.H. Cooper Passes Here.” Hong Kong Telegraph 17 January 1938
Ellis Island/Port of New York Records. The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. <http://www.ellisislandrecords.org>
Government Records Service, Hong Kong. Email message with data cards from the Carl T. Smith Collection.
Hong Kong Study Markings Group. 24 January 2009 < http://rodsell.com/hksmsic/hksmsic.html > [Contributed by Adam Williamson and Frank Drake with thanks.]
Hongkong Daily Press: The Directory and Chronicle For China, Japan, Corea, Indo-China Straits Settlements, Malay States, Siam, Netherlands India, Borneo, The Philippines, etc. For the Year 1910. Hong Kong: The Hongkong Daily Press Office, 1910 & 1930
Seth, Mesrovb J. History of the Armenians in India. Piscataway. NJ: Gorgias Press, 2004
Wright, Arnold, Editor-In-Chief and H. A. Cartwright, Assistant Editor: Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and Other Treaty Ports of China: Their History. People, Commerce, Industries, and Resources. London: Lloyd's Greater Britain Publishing Company, Ltd., 1908.

[4]

This maybe:

L. M. ALVARES & CO. who were established in 1896. They exported preserved ginger from the Hing Loong ginger factory in Canton. Another important part of their business was the export of feathers from China after being cleaned in their factory in Kowloon.

Michel

[5]

The firm, Arnhold, Karberg & Co., started in Canton in 1866, opening a branch in Hong Kong in 1867, in Shanghai in 1881, and followed later with offices at Tientsin, Hankow, Chungking, Mukden, and other Chinese cities.The principles were Jacob Arnhold, a German national, and Peter Karberg, who was Danish. Their business started with general trading involving every import and export commodity current at the time. They were also involved with shipping, fire and life insurance, and were the agent for nine insurance companies. An advertisement in 1913 described them as “ merchants, manufacturers’ representatives, engineers and contractors” holding large stocks of machinery, electrical goods and building materials. Initially the firm was half German, and by the 20th century had developed into a cosmopolitan concern, with large British and American connections. With the approach of the 1914-1918 First World War, the company made plans to trade as a British firm in order to avoid the total suspension of trade in Hong Kong and the Far East. It changed its name to Arnold & Co., and became British. The firm is still trading today under the name of Arnold & Co. Ltd.

Frank

[6]

The Bank of China & Japan. This took some time to find and the only reference I have found is by Frank H.H. King in his book Eastern Banking
(Essays in the history of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation).
Apparently it was one of Jardine's ventures - he writes:-Jardine's parallel experiment (to Russell's) began as the Bank of China, Japan & the Straits, Limited, then the Trust & Loan Company ...... and then the Bank of China and Japan, Limited; this last mentioned was established in 1894 in conjunction with Sassoon, Siemsen and Melchers interests and was wound up in 1902.

Peter

"One of the Rothschild marriages was Aline, daughter of Baron Gustave Rothschild, to opium dealer and banker, Sir Albert Sassoon in 1887. The British Crown knighted him in 1872; the family was known as "the Rothschilds of the Far East." The Sassoons were originally from Mesopotamia but migrated to India where they became leaders of the opium trade and among the founders of Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank - and Silver Users Association members! The Sassoons were also powers in the Bank of China; Bank of China & Japan; Sassoon Banking Company of China & London; Imperial Bank of Persia; and British Burma Petroleum."

Frank

[7]

1- We have not been able to identify a commercial company named Barfleur in HK or elsewhere.
2- A British Warship was named Barfleur.
3- This British warship was operating with HMS Centurion in South China
4- HMS Centurion was in HK waters in 1898 as evidenced by one of my covers.
5- Therefore HMS Barfleur was in HK water in 1898.
6- Harmon's cover is dated 1898.

Therefore there is a strong possibility that BARFLEUR was the security marking of HMS Barfleur.

Philippe

HMS Barfleur was a 14-gun twin-propeller British Royal Navy battleship, launched at Chatham Dockyard in August 1892 and commissioned on June 22, 1894. She displaced 10,500 tons and could reach a top speed of 18.5 knots (34 km/h). Her length, beam, and draught were 360 ft (110 m), 70 ft (21 m), and 25.5 ft (7.8 m). HMS Barfleur was named for the decisive Anglo-Dutch victory over the French off Cape Barfleur in May 1692. She was the fourth British naval ship to carry the name Barfleur.

HMS Barfleur, along with two sister ships, HMS Centurion and HMS Renown, was part of the Centurion class of battleships. They were designed for long-range patrolling on the China Station. Their draughts were designed to be shallow enough to allow passage through the Suez Canal and the navigation of rivers in China. Barfleur carried up to 1,440 tons of coal, giving her a range of 6,000 nautical miles [11,000 km] at 10 knots. She had a compliment of 620.

On 6 February 1898, she left Malta for China. While at Hong Kong, on 1 October 1898, she became the Flagship of rear Admiral James Andrew Bruce on the China Station and took an active part in the allied operations in the third China War [Boxer Rebellion] in 1900. Twenty-one men from the Barfleur were killed during these actions in China in 1900.

The HMS Barfleur departed Hong Kong for England on November 11, 1900. She never returned to the Far East. On July 12, 1910, she was

The Mrs. Cromie, to whom the cover is addressed, was Mary Cromie the mother of F.N.A. Cromie a 16 year old midshipman onboard the HMS Barfleur at Hong Kong in 1898.

Michel Houde

[8]

As a successful business man, Dodwell was invited to be serve on the board of directors of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation from 1895 to 1898. He left the Far East for London in 1899. In January 1899, the firm became a limited company and changed its name to Dodwell & Co., Ltd. The head office was in London with branches in Hong Kong, Canton, Shanghai, Foochow, Hankow, Kobe, Yokohama, Colombo, San Francisco, Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria (Canada) and New York. The principal share holders were: G.B. Dodwell, A.J.H. Carlill, Frederick D’Iffanger, Fred Dodwell, G.H. Melhuish, E.A. Whealler, G.S. Thomson, Lim Pong Poo (comprador at Hong Kong) and Ton Chung Lane (comprador at Shanghai). In 1910, A.J.H. Carlill was the directory in Shanghai and G. H. Medhurst in Hong Kong.

The company was extremely successful mainly due to the business acumen of G.B. Dodwell and his ability to seek out and take advantage of new business opportunities. The firm handled a large traffic in Japanese contract workers to Hawaii. In the Sino-Japanese War (1890), they were the purchasing agent for 43 steamers for the Nippon Yusen Kaisha Line. During the Alaska gold rush, which began in 1897, they handled shipping of both prospectors and their stores to the goldfields. In 1898, the Spanish-American War erupted and Dodwell supplied troop steamers to the US Navy. During the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), they were the exclusive agents for chartering ships by the Japanese government. They opened their Seattle office after the 1923 Yokohama earthquake created a great demand for timber. They had interests in several steamers. In Foochow, they were the agents for the Blue Funnel Line.
In 1912, the firm had branches in China; Japan; Ceylon (for tea and coconuts); Vancouver (salmon canneries); Tacoma and Seattle (flour-milling) and New York. By 1919, Dodwell & Co. Ltd. were the largest shipping company on the Pacific Coast.
George Benjamin Dodwell died unexpectedly of angina in 1925 in his 73 year. He left an estate valued at £77,860. Despite his passing, his company continued to prosper. At his passing, Dodwell & Co., Ltd. were general importers but specialized in machinery and flour. They exported general produce from their Far Eastern locations. The firm had an extensive agency business. They ran their own line of steamers, the Dodwell Line. The company also were agents for many steamship companies including: the Nanyo Yusen Kaisha, the Barber’s Line, the Mogul Line, the Warrack Line, the American and Oriental Line and the Natal Line, the Boston Steamship Company and the North China Line.
In 1972, most of Dodwell & Co. Ltd. was acquired by Inchcape plc, a leading international automotive retailer. The company name Dodwell can still be found in the Far East today.

Michel Houde

[9]

Errington & Martin is a stamp company that was established in England in 1880 and which used the back of stamps to advertise its company.

(Ref. American Philatelist March 2006 page 220)

Philippe

[10]

The firm of Hanyang Iron and Steel Works was situated in the former provincial capital of Hanyang. The ancient town of Hanyang has now been incorporated into the inland river port commercial metropolis, now called Wuhan. (formerly known as Hankow). Its commanding geographic position, situated at the confluence of the Yangtze and Han Rivers, and 586 miles above Shanghai, constituted a center of communications for almost three-fourths of the territory of China proper, relaying goods, persons and information from the regions to the empire’s administrative headquarters in the northeast and its key commercial area in the Yangtze delta. Ocean-going vessels could navigate the river to the then Hankow from the sea and for about 200 miles inland from its mouth, the river is virtually at sea level. The port is sometimes called a 'triple city', being made up of three ancient towns (Wuchang, Hanyang, and Hankow) that confronted each other at the confluence of the Yangtze and Han Rivers. Of the three, Wuchang was the provincial capital and the oldest settlement; it occupied the east (right-hand) bank of the Yangtze. Facing it on the west bank stood Hanyang, the prefecture capital. The smallest settlement then, was Hankow, a fishing village on the north bank of the Han. Hankow was opened as a Treaty Port in 1860, when the Western Powers established concessions in Hankow, opened consulates there, and began to develop trade across the interior of China.

Frank Drake

[11]

In the study article " The German Speaking Community in Hong Kong, 1846 - 1914" by Carl Smith, "Heuermann, Herbst & Co." was mentioned as a German firm, and their business was in ship chandlery and sailmaking.

Frank

[12]

History: The HongKong & Kowloon Wharf & Godown Co. was founded in November 1886. It was a new enterprise at the time, which completely revolutionized the shipping business of the port. The firm was mainly engaged in loading and unlioading freight ships and the storage of goods.The main offices of the company was on the seashore of Tsim Sha Tsui.

Frank

[13]

"Foreign merchants who established themselves in the treaty ports after 1842 were obliged, in the absence of a Chinese financial and commercial system of a modern type, to provide many of the auxiliary services which in the great trading centers they undertook various kinds of banking and foreign exchange business; they entered the shipping trade and promoted insurance companies. Modern insurance started as early as the beginning of the nineteenth century, with the first companies being managed under the affiliation of trading firms. Insurance and banking were the two most important ancillary services that large Western conglomerate had always performed for smaller business firms. It was Western merchants who first saw the commercial possibilities of insurance business and introduced them into the Chinese market.

During the late nineteenth century, a few Chinese insurance companies were established in Hong Kong. The history of Hong Kong Chinese insurance companies really begins from the establishment of five companies, whose names all contained the character ‘an’, or ‘on’ in Cantonese, meaning safety. (One such company was Ip On Marine & Fire Insurance Co., Ltd, 1899.) Chinese compradors and merchants engaged in foreign trade quickly saw the potential value of investing in insurance business."

It is likely that 'IP ON Co.' was in the insurance business. Because it is a Chinese business, we might stand a better chance to find covers with this marking on Chinese related correspondence. It might be worth our while to examine some of the red band covers for such a marking.

Frank

[14]

Relationship with Hanyang Iron and Steel Works and Joseph Adamson – I cannot find a direct connection in the literature search. I suspect that Joseph Adamson was the name of a person, perhaps a prominent foreign manager or plant administrator, employed at the Hanyang Iron and Steel Works. Hanyang was not prominent until after the Opium War, when China took up the Westernatization or the Self-Strengthening Movement in the Chinese history, to learn foreign technologies in an attempt to catch up with the Western world. The Chinese Government was amazed by the advanced technologies of foreign gunboats and cannons. China’s leaders at the time perceived that it was important to buy and learn to build arsenals from foreign countries. The underlying principal was to adopt the superior technologies of the westerners to curb the Westerners. There industries adopted foreign technological skills but employed local workers. Governor-general Chang Chih-tung established China’s second modern ordinance plant at the Hanyang Arsenal where guns were first produced in the summer of 1895. To deal with one of the arsenal’s major financial problems, dependence on imported materials, China’s first steel refinery was established to eliminate the need for costly imported steel for ordinance and ammunition products. Hanyang Iron and Steel Works, established in 1890, was the largest enterprise of this kind at that time. Its manufacturing skills relied almost entirely on foreign source. All 24 chief technicians were recruited from overseas, these foreigners were highly paid so that foreign technological skills could be learned and the quality of goods could be improved to compete with foreign imports. I suspect that Joseph Adamson may have been a plant manager or one of its senior technicians or someone who branched out to run his own business.

Frak Drake

[15]

In the "Foreign Traders in Hong Kong" book, the authors mention page 89 an Indian firm named F.B. METTAH & Co. Same pronunciation, almost same spelling. I think that the authors misspelled the name that should have been F.B. MEHTA & Co.

Philippe

[16]

The Mollers were originally Swedish. Nils Moller started a business in Hong Kong in 1860. The business grew and expanded into eight cities in China, and although the Mollers left Shanghai in 1950, their companies continued operating in Hong Kong into the 1990s. There were 8 or so companies based in China, from 1860 up until the mid 1950s (and on into the 1990s in Hong Kong). The shipping and shipbuilding industry was the mainstay of the Moller enterprise, including various shipping lines, insurance, real estate, and investment business in Shanghai. There was also a UK business based in London and offices in Liverpool and Blyth. In 1913, Eric Moller took over the family business, and prospered. He had a steamboat that ran between Shanghai and Zhenjiang in Jiangsu Province. In the mid-1920s he built a prominent building in Shanghai's known as The Moller Villa on Shaanxi Road, one of Shanghai's architectural marvels. This project was completed in 1936. The building is now the office of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League.

Frank

[17]

I spent some time yesterday afternoon at the Hong Kong Central Library browsing through their Hong Kong Study reference section and came upon a book on the history of the audit firm, Lowe & Bingham, Accountants and Auditors. The early days of this audit firm had on their client list: "Publicity-listed gentlemen’s clothiers, William Powell Ltd." whose business interests were listed as “Drapers, Miliners, Gentlemen's Outfitters, House, Office and Ship Furnishers."

Now, we know the reason for the inclusion of the term "Drapers" in their firm chop.

Frank

[18]

listed in the Chronicle & Directory for 1905

Peter

[19]

Alfred Herbert Rennie, a Canadian businessman from Ontario, built the then state-of-the-art Hong Kong Milling Company (aka Rennie’s Mill) circa the early 1900's. The mill was self-contained, complete with processing plant, storages, warehouses and a jetty. A long aquaduct lead fresh water from the hill. Workers' quarter was located nearby.

The location was quite isolated at that time, on the Eastern shoreline of the Kowloon peninsula, by Junk Bay, and accessible mainly by water or a long walk from Kowloon City. The site was as an old Imperial Maritime Customs Post built probably in the latter half of the 19th century.

Rennie came to Hong Kong on 1890. He obtained a post of clerk with the Government Public Works Department but resigned in 1895. It was then that he conceived a plan to start a flour mill. It was a bold and innovative idea, as Hong Kong, apart from shipbuilding, had few local industries at the time. After obtaining financial backing from two prominent businessmen, C.P. Charter and H. N. Mody, the Hong Kong Milling Company at Junk Bay was launched, probably around 1903 and 1904. The land was bought at Jung Bay and the mill was built between 1905 and 1906. Rennie threw himself heart and soul into the new enterprise. He was the promoter, manager, director and chief organizer of the mill. All went well at first and the mill began to produce flour in 1907. but difficulties appeared very early. Previously, Hong Kong obtained flour supplies directly from the United States, and bakers were reluctant to switch their suppliers. Rennie’s Mill failed a mere year after starting. Rennie disillusioned and defeated, committed suicide in April 1908, drowning himself in Junk Bay in full view of his failed dream project.

The mill was demolished after the business shut down.

Frank Drake

[20]

Solomon Bard in his book Traders of Hong Kong refers to a G. Reiss as operating a factory in Canton in 1846, also a Hugo Reiss managed the company in Shangai. It appears the company was liquidated in 1923 and taken over by Holyoak, Massey & Co. Ltd.

Rod

[21]

The F. J. Ribeiro / Telegraph Co / Hong Kong, represents another piece of the jig saw puzzle that we are trying to put together. Riberio is a Portuguese sounding name, so there might be a Macau/Canton connection. Also, the "Telegraph Co" should offer some clues since the host QV adhesives present on the registered cover would indicate some connection of this firm with the introduction of the telegraphic service to the Colony. In 1871, the first submarine telegraph cable were laid and in 1873, the forerunner company of Cable & Wireless (Hong Kong) formed to operate the international service. An area to explore would be how companies like F.J. Ribeiro, and other firms, had interfaced with the service provider company. It could be that F.J. Ribeiro was functioning as a mail box for the receiving and forwarding of mail and telegraphic messages to their client traders who need to spend a lot of time travelling in the region.

Frank

[22]

VAUCHER FRÈRES (Vaucher & Brothers) incorporated in Shanghai in 1843

Alfred-Louis (1817-1880), Édouard-Auguste, (1819-1847), James-Henri (1824-1871), Frédéric-Henri alias Fritz (1827-1913) and Albert-Émile (1833-1888), were the five sons of Georges-Alfred VAUCHER watchmaker under the name of VAUCHER NEVEU.

Originating from France but established in UK and in Fleurier Switzerland, they started a business in China under VAUCHER FRÉRES where they got involved in watchmaking, musical boxes, olive oil, tea and Chinese artwork between 1843 and 1866, at which time they declared bankruptcy.

At 28, Édouard VAUCHER was assassinated by pirates, while on his way to Hong Kong with 40,000 francs in Swiss watches.

Before the bankruptcy Albert had started his own business in Hong Kong in 1863, where he eventually passed away.

Philippe

[23]

Sander, Wieler and Company
Started off as Elmenhorsv and Sander in the shipment of Chinese labour overseas. They chartered ships for the Chinese emigration to California during the 1850s as well as shipping coolie labour to South America. Elmenhorsv and Sander closed in 1866, Fritz Sander continued with the brokerage business under his own name. Incorporated Wieler & Co. in 1898 to become Sander, Wieler & Co.

Wieler and Company
Wieler & Co. started trading in Hong Kong in 1873 under the management of Oscar Wilhelm Wieler. Mr. Wieler returned to Germany in 1887 where he died in 1895. After his departure, the Hong Kong office was managed by his brother Gustav Adoph. Both the brothers had been assistants in the firm of Bourjou, Hubener & Co. In 1898, it merged with Sander & Co, another German firm in Hong Kong. Together they formed Sander, Wieler & Co., which also proved profitable as an import and export company, with many agencies, including the Austrain Lloyd Steam Navigation Company and the International Lloyd Insurance Company of Berlin. Today the firm remains active at Hamburg, but has no longer a connection with Hong Kong

Frank

[24]

"Volapük is a constructed language, created in 1879–1880 by Johann Martin Schleyer, a Roman Catholic priest in Baden, Germany. In 1889, there were an estimated 283 clubs, 25 periodicals in or about Volapük, and 316 textbooks in 25 languages. Today there are an estimated 20–30 Volapük speakers in the world. Volapük was largely displaced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by simpler and more easily-learned languages, such as Esperanto, Ido and Latino Sine Flexione
Michel Houde