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Out and Home.—BY

31st July 1913, Page 14
31st July 1913
Page 14
Page 14, 31st July 1913 — Out and Home.—BY
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

" The Extractor."

It will be seen on an accompanying page that our artist has been busy with thumb-nail sketches during the Show week. it will be realized that it is impossible to give on the only page available in this issue anything like an adequate representation of the "all the men one would." Many have been ptlloried in the little booklet entitled, "Half-hours with a Cartoonist.," which we issued during Show week ; the excellent opportunity of Show time has been seized by us to secure ninny additional sketches ; these will appear from time to time on this page as opportunity arises. Whilst on this subject I cannot refrain from giving the substance of an interesting letter which I have just received. Its words of praise are especially valuable, seeing that they come from such an artistic source.

" Dear Mr. Extractor,' " Thanks very much for the booklet of sketches. Will you convey to the artist my appreciation of the extreme cleverness of all of them. They are excellent ; he has got just the right essentials. In each case not a wasted or unmeaning line. Very good indeed.

" Yours very sincerely,

ARTHUR DRumMOND."

The result of many conversations at Olympia leaves the impression that the Show has been entirely successful. I have, of course, found exhibitors who, when asked about actual business results, have ..t.eplied In effect that there has been nothing to boast about, and almost invariably these exhibitors have been Located in the gallery. It seems a pity—the view was often expressed to me during the Show—that the annexe was not used in preference to the gallery. It will be remembered that, at the last pleasure-car Show, the tire people were allocated to the " icy regions of the annexe" with, I well remember, very satisfactory results. One after another of the vehicle makers told me, however, that they were well satisfied. The right people had come, I understood ; perhaps not so many as had been looked for, but real representative buyers from railway companies, municipalities, manufacturers, and large users generally. It was a purely business attendance, the

feminine element being almost entirely lacking. *

A question which was much discussed at the Show was the desired naming of commercial vehicles. A view, which seemed to me to be very far-sighted-1 felt envious that I had not voiced it myself—was to the effect that, in the ease of pleasure-ear concerns with an already established high-class reputation, each should adopt a specially-chosen name, apartfrom their own, to describe their commercial lorries and vans. The Siddeley-Deasy people have already done this, their business vehicles being popularized under. the name of the Stoneleigh. It was suggested that owners of, say, Daimler, Wolseley, Austin, and Napier cars, just to mention the first few that come to my mind, will not feel too edified to find their various tradespeople miming business vehicles bearing the same names. l commend this idea to those who have not already given it thought. It will be of importance naturally that purchasers will know, say, that the Adderley is the product of the Wolseley Co., and that the -Northfield, say, emanates from the Austin works ; but the man in the street will not mis associate the names. I opine that the subject is worthy of most serious consideration.

It says much for the temperament of Mr. Arthur Drummond, that he gaily passed the cartoon shown opposite these lines ; in fact, lent a hand to make the caricature even more complete. Arthur Drummond, the head and forefront of Drummond Bros., Ltd., lathe manufacturers, earned undying fame as the painter of the famous picture " His Majesty the Baby." He came out of a nest of artists, his father being John Drummond, the famous marine painter_ I understand he could draw before he could write, and, judging by the samples of his handwriting I have seen, that accomplishment has remained to this day in a raw and undeveloped state. He exhibited in the Royal Academy at the age of 14, and was apprenticed to Edwin Long, R.A. ; afterwards he joined AlmaTaderna as a pupil, and then migrated to Paris; but he was always dabbling in engineering, and he found a more enduring interest in pottering about engineering shops than in painting. Anyhow, he was represented in the Academy for many years. The mechanical side of his nature, however, would not be absorbed or subdued, and later on his interest veered completely into tool-making, and unquestionably he has now found his proper trOier.

Mr. Drummond lives on the Thames at Afolesey, having renovated a charming old house called Mole Abbey ; he used to be very fond of fishing, but his spare time now goes with a motor launch, for which he designed and constructed the engine himself.

To become acquainted with Arthur Drummond is to become tremendously interested in him and to cornpreheed imi progress ; to note bow nis machine tools have already found their way into the best engineers' shops in the land is a revelation. Those who are intimate with Arthur Drummond, and meet him in his hours of ease, find a blithesome companion. One thing is certain : he is a man full of fresh ideas, unconventional, and, one observes, perhaps with a little envy, that he possesses an inordinate appetite for work.

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Organisations: Royal Academy
Locations: Austin, Napier, Paris

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