Out and Home.__By " The Extractor."
Page 54
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Jessop's, at Sheffield, is as busy as it can be with motor work.
One show exhibitor, the responsible manager for a large concern, said somewhat sadly, in answer to my enquiry about business prospects, that the people who seemed to take the least interest in his vehicles were his own principals. • Wednesday was a soaking wet day. It never ceased, and I was the only passenger, inside or out, on the green bus which comes from King's Cross down Southampton -Row, and it was, as the conductor said, " theatre time." He went on to say bitterly and disconsolately, " We don't git no charnce, sir, a day like this; even the motorbuses only gits a few insides ; when it's wet, everybody goes darn the 'ole," and then 1 realised that he referred in this blistering sentence to the Finsbury Park and Hammersmith Tube. These horse-busmen will speak disrespectfully of the Equator next.
Mr. Arthur Druimnond, of Drummond Bros., tells me they sold four lathes on the opening day. Last time I saw him down at Guildford, I commented on the somewhat startling line with which he heads his advertisements in some of the motor papers, viz., " Kill the Car Butcher." I gathered from him that he desired to convey in a subtle manner that, if motor repairers wOuld only possess themselves of his lathes, the opposition repairers without such resources of civilisation would, for their shortsightedness, speedily come to a richly-deserved and timely decease. Mr. Drummond now tells me that he has received a remarkable letter which he is impelled to think has been written in all seriousness. It runs as follows :• " I see you are advertising for a car butcher and none of my friends can tell me what you mean, but, if you are wantinga man to destroy cars, I beg to apply for the post, because I am a powerful man and can kill anything. Do yoUintend to pay by the job or by the day ? If by the day how many cars should I be expected to destroy in the day?" Drummond's naturally took no notice of this, and a second letter reached them in which this would-be executioner says, " How silly of you to go on advertising. J am what you want. I am a powerful man and can kill anything." I understand that the whole staff of lady typists have given urgent notice to leave as they are expecting this cannibal to call in person..
The Licensing Bill, in addition to causing an upheaval at Peckham, has already caused some havoc in the steam wagon business. Some brewers have taken fright, and Mann's, of Leeds, has had orders for four wagons cancelled. Happily, the company is still kept on the busy side with other orders in hand.
Dennis Brothers tell me they disposed of the 24-seated char-h-bancs shown on their stand on the opening day. Quite an unexpected side, I believe, and the purchaser is Mrs. Steadman, of Doncaster. Further, they have just received a repeat order from Edward Ripley and Sons, Ltd., Bowling, a member of the Bradford Dyers' Association.
During last week, I saw photographs and drawings of a combination pneumatic and solid tire which hailed from the borders of Lancashire. Further details concerning this I am not at liberty to give, but it struck me as likely to he a possible tire for motorcabs. We shall perhaps be able to say something definite about it shortly.
Virile, young, with a frank expression, and of a sunny nature, is Mr. Raymond Dennis, who is a managing director of Dennis Bros., Ltd., of Guildford, not unnaturally finds a place amongst the Trade Headlights on this page. My first recollection of Raymond Dennis was on a Whit Monday about eight years ago at some Chichester sports. I was touring by push bicycle with the Stanley Cycling Club, and several of us were attracted to these sports because of some races on motor-tricycles which we regarded at that time with much awe and vast interest. We gathered from the local sportsmen around us that Ray. Dennis was a hot favourite, because he had been winning firsts all over the surrounding country—Guildford, Portsmouth, Brighton, and elsewhere, and, when the race came off, it was thrilling to see them, especially when they steered the " trikes " full speed round the ends of this somewhat imperfectlyformed track. Dennis was regarded rightly as a dare-devil rider and he took the corner in great style with hardly any slackening of speed. I remember he had a good lead and the race almost won, but he failed to clear at one of the bends and went slick into a thick bush on his right-hand side and it took five minutes to extricate hitn and his machine. I reminded him of this incident and he recalled it well. That season, he tells 'me, •he won ii first prizes. Thus, it will 1..!e seen, he was early connected with motoring, and his firm, he tells me, was the first to build motors in this country. Now, although they make some pleasure vehicles, their chief interest and the most of their great resources are devoted to commercial vehicles. He is rightly proud of the fact that they have supplied 50 vans to five London firms. They hold the R.A.C. medal for the last September trials, and the result of a recent business trip he made to Russia was decidedly encouraging and completely successful. Raymond and John Dennis come of an old North Devon family Who were associated with hunting and shooting. Business claims him,' so much now that he gets little time for anything beyond motoring, but he keeps himself fit by playing tennis and, as his friends can very mournfully testify, he plays about the average game at billiards. Raymond Dennis is a member of the -Council of the S.M.M.T. He is on the Commercial Vehicle Committee and also on the Show Committee. His company is financially successful and is building up gradually a great business. Mr. " Ray," he is affectionately called.