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Work
Delivering Meat with a 4-ton Straker-Squire Lorry.
We would not recommend any sufferer from nerves to attend the Smithfield Market at any time between the hours of
3 a.m. and 12; to an outsider the scene is chaotic. On a dull and depressing day we cannot imagine any place less likely to soothe the deranged nervous system of a jaded invalid. We threaded our way throngh a seething mass of horsed vans, hand-trucks, barrows, carcases of all descriptions, and strenuous men, in the early hours of Friday morning last. Our objective was one of the four-ton Straker wagons in the employment of R. Cornell, Ltd., a company which has practically a monopoly of goods haulage in the Smithfield Market. For two hours—whilst the machine was loading—we were at liberty in notice the methods employed in the purchasing and handling of meat in this great London distributing centre.
"The Moving Pictures."
Smithfield is, in this veal' of grace, one of the last strongholds of the horse in London. During the past 12 months, however, several well-known firms have placed motorvaris in commission. One dealer alone ordered four machines in less than five weeks. In something like two hours, the Straker had on board a good four tons of load. As neither the wagon nor the load were weighed, so far as we could gather, it is impossible to give the exact weight of the wagon and her crew of four as she started on her first delivery round. A curious incident happened just before we left the market. Our photographer, placing his camera in a position to secure a photograph of. the machine being loaded, was mobbed by a .couple of hundred Smithfield porters, who all desired to be in the "moving pictures." Ile escaped by making a sudden dive into an adjoining eatinghouse, where he ordered breakfast.. To an outsider the heavy loads which the porters carry, apparently without undue exertion, are amazing.
To the Western Suburbs.
The recorder showed 1470 miles at the start, and we made a straight non-stop run on top gear to the shop of Lewington and Iallop, Hill Rise, Richmond, where one calf's head—a special order—was delivered. We then crossed the narrow Richmond Bridge, over the abolition or widening of which so nauch ink has been spilled during reosnt years, and, following the St, _Margaret's Road, made cur second call at the shim of J. Mastro, hard hy St. Margaret's railway station. Here we left, according to the butcher's calculations, 15 stone of meat. In passing we may remark that, in this business, a stone is 8 lb. The delivery consisted of veal, beef, hind-quarters and lamb and having left these. supplies, we travelled on to Waldegrave Read, Twickenham, where a stop was made at the premises of Spurgeon. Tile load delivered here weighed 22 stone 3 lh. This was the only delivery on which the weight was given on the ticket. Amongst other things we left here two half-sides of beef, one loin of beef, two pairs of fore quarters, a log of veal, and one pair of hind quarters of lamb. Steptee, another Twickenham tradesman, was nest visited, and this gentleman toak from us something like 50 atone of meat.
A Lesson in Anatomy.
We had by now become somewhat accustomed to the chassis design of the various animals utilized in the butchering business, and we had begun to discourse glibly on the merits of fore and hind (patters, and had hazarded various passes as to the weights of the goods delivered. A surprise was sprung on us here, however, by the production of a somewhat disreputable sack, the contents of which we were at a loss to guess. We were informed by the driver's mate that. it held a supply of " heads and plucks," and we forbore to pursue the subject further.
Teddiugton was,our next-objective, and here, in Broad Street, we arrived at the shop of Woodward, delivering, amongst other things, sides, shoulders and quarters. We have suede mention before of the somewhat haphazard manner in which the meat is loaded on tothe lorry. To the layman one fore quarter is vastly like its fellow, and it can be imagined, then, that it was something in the nature of a surprise to us to see the driver's mate indicate a certain quantity of meat and say "` This is for so-and-so." Hew he distinguished the supplies without eithar an addressed tag or a label being attached to them was one of the mysteries we were unable to penetrate. We suggested to him that, owing to this rule-ofthumb method, it would not be an impossible thing for the van to arrive back at Smithfield Market with a sheep or an ox left over. We were assured that this calamity had never occurred, however. We Interview a Butcher.
Having deliyeeed the Woodward supplies, we crossed the road to leave one sheep, one lamb, one rune) of beef, one pair of hinds, two " cold '7 lambs, and a box of poultry. " Cold " is the trade term, we may remark, for frozen meet, " chilled " being meat. which is merely frozen to a certain depth. The difference is that a sharp blow on a cold lamb will snap it in two, whereas a blow on a chilled lamb will merely crack it. In this district we had four tradesmen to call ni ; all these shops were situated within a radius of 100 yds. At the third delivery, Davouport's—known to the driver and his companion as the " saveloy shop "—we left a bundle of " plucks atiii liver," together with an assortment of frozen rabbits, sides of beef, two pigs, and various too sides, flanks, etc. The eighth call of the day was to lye, a butcher carrying on a high-class trade in Teddington. Mere we left a bnx of kidneys, together with a quantity of Englien meat. We took occasion, while the delivery was being effected, to interview Me. E. G. lye.
" The advantages of delivery by motorvan." said this gentleman, "are surely obvious. Before Cornelis used these machines. I was never sure whether my supplies were being delivered to. me 'by 11 o'clock or by 1. Now, the van arrives here with the punctuality of an express train. The meat, owing to its being packed for a much shorter length of time in the van, is in a much better condition than was the case before. WI receive any special business, I have merely to mention the fact when in the market, and there is no question of delay in the sup plying of the order. customers like the cleaner way in which the meat is handled before it arrives here, and, on top of that, I can arrive at the market in the morning at a later hour than previously, and can buy more cheaply than is possible in the early rush, while, at the same time, my orders are delivered to me before 11 o'clock. The expense of a special van to bring me an urgent order before was exorbitant. I had to do it in order to oblige customers, but I can assure you 1 was out of pocket."
The Straker Machine.
Having now delivered our load to Tye, we made a short return run to the Teddington meat etores, in order to deliver certain supplies which had been loaded under the meat just delivered to lye. Here a further rather disreputable sack was dragged from the interior of the van, and on our inquiring as to its contents, we were snmewhat staggered to be informed that it. was a " bag of 'carts." In addition to the 'earts, we left 20 " cold " lambs arid also a box of kidneys, and the usual assortment of hind and fore quarters, shoulders and sides. The driver's mate also went across to the saveloy shop with another " bag o"earts."
It will not be out of place here to interpose a few remarks on the machine itself. The engine, of the four-cylinder type, has its cylinders cast in pairs; the engine is controlled by a pedal acting on the throttle. An ample-sized cone clutch transmits the drive to a silent chaindriven type of gearbox, which gives three speeds and reverse. The transmhseion from gearbox to back axle is by eardan shaft and worm and wheel gearing. Tee running during the day was excellent.
First Journey Equivalent to Day's Work of Two-horsed Vans.
A short call was then made, at the premises of Monk, in Kingston, where somc few hinds and quarters were left. In Norbiton the lorry stopped at the promises of Cole, and delivered quite a small order, which illustrated the general utility of the modern motor. A rather outlandish call was next made at. the shoo of Griffin, in Wyndham Road Kingston, where the load consisted of half bullocks. Whilst carrying one of these loads through the butcher's yard on his shoulder, the man was advised by the butcher's wife to beware of the dog, which drew forth the remark from the driver, " Surely the dawg won't bite 'is leg while Vs got all that meat on 'im."
The thirteenth call was made at the premises of West, High Street, Kingston, situated hard by the famous crowning stone of the early Saxon kings. Here a small boy, answering to the name of Ginger, assisted in the unloading opera tion. Running Tv the side of the river, we next visited the shop of Little and Son in Surbiton, and following this a short visit was made to the premises of Lawrence, in Houk, near Epsom. Dur ban, in Ewell Road, Surbiton, an entesprising grocer, next took from us a sack of bacon sides, equivalent in weight, we were informed, to about two pigs. The 17th and Iasi call of the first journey of the day was at the shop of Hammon, Berrvlands Road, Surbiton Hill, where the driver treated us to a very clever exhibition of manoeuvring. Turning round a very acute corner into a narrow road, the wagon was backed up a passage, the width of which gave a clearance of about 6 ins, on either side of the machine. This passage is about 30 yds. in length, and big holes are to be found in many places on the road surface. The driver took the machine up at the first time of asking on second speed. Having left the last of our load consisting of cold lamb, shoulders and sides, etc., we returned to Smithfield via Putney. It should be noted that two good pair-horse vans could not have performed this work in a 12hour day.
Mr. Cornell Talks for " C.M."
Pulling up before the Cornell office, the recorder showed 1509.2 miles, A start had hem made in the morning at 8.20, and the engine was stopped in Smithfield at 3.25. it was very close on five o'clock before the second load was put on board. This was a light one, as the day was well advanced. Li all it weighed roughly one ton, and it was to be delivered to three shops. Whilst waiting for the meat to be taken from the wholesalers in the market, we took the opportunity of interviewing Mr. C. Cornell, who informed us that his company employed 700 horses, many of which it. was hoped to replace in the near future by motorvans, more especially those employed on long-distance work.
" You can appreciate," said Mr. Cornell, " the amount of delivery work which my company does. We are required to pay a toll in Smithfield of (me farthing for every 28 lb. taken out of the market, and our weekly bill for this tax comes to over £230. leu can see there
fore that there is plenty of scope for motors here."
On leaving Smithfield for the eerond round of the day, 40 mins. were occupied in getting clear of • Blatkfriars Bridge, and over the read just beyond 4...which is badly in need of repair. The road surface is indeed so bad, that passengers in all conveyauces invariably stand up, as otherwise they would be jolted out of their seats. Motorcyclists and pedal. cyclists prefer to walk, rather than attempt to ride over this stretch. It had evidently proved too much for one prey animal, 'for, after pulling a heavy load to the foot of Blackfriars Bridge, it fell and maimed itself so badly that the services of the knacker had to be reqaisitioned—a most telling plea for the substii ution of horses by motorvans. The traffic conditions at this time of the day in the district of Iudeate Dill and slack. friarsBridge are rapidly approaching the impossible, and some drastic alteration is most urgently called for in the interests of London busies men generally.
Motorbus Training for the Driver.
Our read lay through Brixton to the Crystal Palace district, and in A demi° Road, Brixton, we called at the shop of Milford, where a bag of " caul," that is, fat, was left. We then approached the long, sinuous climb to the Crystal Palace, and here the wagon gave us an idea of the work she is capable of. It was only Oil the steepest stretch to the Palace that we had to change into a lower gear from top. We might here give a word of praise to the. driver, who handled the machins in splendid fashion. Certainly the Straker wagon is a cleverly-desIgned piece Of mechatiisin, but, n eddition to that, the driving of F. O. Davis, a man who has had seven years experience of driving motorbuses on the London streets, was excellent all day. Having climbed the hills in Norwood, our driver must needs stop to discuss matters with a friend who was in charge of a Tacker "Little Giant " machine. This is maintained by tho voluntary coil. tributions of various Norwood ladies, and it is employed for the phrpose of assisting horse-drawn vehicles up the steep hills in the district. We described it early in 1908.
A call was made on Covell, Westow Hill, Norwood, where the usual lambs, sides and shoulders were delivered, and our last call of the day was at the shop of Bowen, 31ilkwood Road, Herne Hill. A run of about 21 miles then took the wagon to the home garage, situated at Loughborough Junction, and after the day's run the records showed 1522 miles.
The Summing Up.
The humorous little incidents during the very strenuous day added a humaa interest to the work, and, though tired and somewhat greasy on our return, we felt thoroughly satisfied and more than ever convinced that the future of road haulage lies with the eommeceial motor. The exact running time during the day was 5 hrs. 40 mins.; the mileage was 52; the fuel consumption was 6 gallons 2 pints, giving a consumption of 8.4 miles to the gaton.