Out and Home. —By " The Extractor."
Page 13
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The question of the Foden patents is not yet done with. The Foden family arc so thoroughly convinced of their rights that they are disinclined to accept the recent decision in the Law Courts, and they have therefore determined to carry the case to the House of Lords. learnt this from their lips while at Sandbach, during this last week, "fhe wagon illustrated above this was just being dispatched during my visit, and
gathered that the mystifying name " Brooklyn Cake Walk," which is inscribed on the sides of the wagon, indicated that it is for the conveyance, From one fairground to another, of one of those maddening and bewildering " contraptions " which, I think, first saw the light in the Irish Village at the Franco-British Exhibition.
" There's nowt so queer as fowk l" This old Yorkshire adage conies naturally into my Yorkshire mind, as I reflect upon the fact that the subject of our caricature this week was born in time county of broad acres, and yet elects to consider himself an Irishman because he descends immediately from Irish stock. One thing, you find in Mr. W. J. McCormack an astonishing blend of the shrewd genial qualities of his birth county and the warm-hearted impulsiveness peculiar to the sons of Erin. McCormack migrated south, pretty early in life, and received his education at the Torquay Public College. He comes of an old engineering family, and his first business start was to act as private secretary to the wealthy Mr. Paris E. Singer (a descendent of Isaac M. Singer of sewing-machine fame) in his earlier engineering ventures. After some years of this, McCormack resolved as he puts it " to go in for rubber," and he joined the Wallington-Weston R libber Company, the well-known makers of Frome tires, and has for some eleven years past held a highly responsible position in that firm. Like his brother Mr. Arthur McCormack (the technical nilinag,er of the Wolseley Motor Company), he was a very useful long-distance man in the sport of cycling, arid he retains his ION'e for cut ting across country, although he doe most of it now by motor, or, like som more of us, by the steel-shod coaches c the railway companies, and 1 daresay like others of us, his eye gladdens a sight of the legend " Restaurant car a this train." It is a mild boast, bu there it is, his bag is ready in one hour whether the journey be for Glasgow the Continent, or for the U.S.A., fo the business connections of the Wal lington-Weston Rubber Company ar comprehensive and far reaching.
McCormack found a charming help mate, long before leaving Torquay and out of business his chief delight are found in curio hunting and collec tion. Ile delights to gather round hi home circle others like himself am family, who find a never-ending joy it music. It may he deduced from the desultory notes that our Yorkshire Irish subject is a forceful person who ii business has to be reckoned with, ant who is personally a home lover and man who makes and retains hosts o Friends.
John Morris and Sons, Limited, o Manchester, is a company that ha: made enormous strides in motor lire engineering. I was conducted round the factory, a few days ago, by Mr John Morris, and I saw on the stocks almost ready for delivery, motor fire. engines for Sheffield and Bristol whilst others were rapidly being coin pleted for Kimberley, Johannesburg. and Melbourne. It was noticeable that only Shrewsbury and Challiner tire were used, and high-class " fitments' seemed to be the rule; all the latter art made on the premises—oven hose. piping. I was quite interested to set both power and hand looms at world weaving this piping : they are the only hand Ic)oms in the country, I believe, on this class of work. Altogether, Morris's show a wonderful development in appliances and motor vehicles fot dealing with the fire fiend.