Out and H OMR.— —By " The Extractor."
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Most people will have seen the picture on the front cover of one of the magazines which portrays a steely-eyed individual with a powerful face pointing a pistol at the reader. It looks so natural and so lifelike that you unconsciously move away out of range ; if you were obliged to stay you would instinctively gasp—" Don't shoot, here's the money !"
I renewed acquaintance with him at the Motor Show ; he hadn't any pistol but he had the same eyes and when he essayed to speak, which was a good deal of the time, he held you spellbound, although it was a simple gospel he was preaching—an improved burner for acetylene headlights. He was all right so long as you did not contradict him, or suggest that electric systems were coming rapidly into vogue. He went right on, I say, if left alone, and soon held you under his sway, but a gentleman happened along who owns more than one car and who has a large circle of visiting friends who come on motors, and he lightly remarked that most people had trouble with acetylene more or less : he didn't know whether it was acetylene, the burner, or what it was, but trouble there certainly was. This opened the floodgates. Aided by a convincing manner, and backed by a profound knowledge of burners, besides being exceeding sure of his subject, he N'ery nearly persuaded us that our whilom trouble with acetylene was a fanciful dream ; my friend succeeded in putting a question as to how long these burners had been in use and when we learned from him that they were only introduced two years ago the air cleared. Well ! two more cars are going to be fitted up forthwith with Bray-Rom burners, but my friend declares that if by any possible mischance his particular verdict happens to be unfavourable, he shall require a bodyguard before he will personally announce it to Bray's forceful representa tive.
Once more we are in the midst of the Overseas Special, our yearly Export number, and it is encouraging and interesting to find so many of our friends hastening to book up space in this hardy annual for their business announcements. We are not without practical hints from them too as to some features which should be extended, and as to countries to which special attention should be paid. It is natural that year by year, as we gather in knowledge,the Overseas Annual becomes still more comprehensive, and of greater value ; even the lessons of the British railway strike are being acted upon in our Colonies, and mechanical traction across the seas has received an undoubted fillip. I venture to urge manufacturers not to lose such an opportunity to place their wares before world's markets which we have every evidence before us have a marked preference for British goods.