We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
The position of the gas-engine in the kitchen reminds me that an aunt — Aunt Bella, a third sister of my mother's — took pity on our primitive ways and came to keep house for us for a while. She was a kind creature and though she admitted she didn't like the gas-engine going while we were at lunch she agreed that it enabled us to keep our eyes upon it and let us get the battery charged with less interruption to our ordinary work. Where on earth she slept, or indeed where any of us slept, is a complete mystery to me, for I have no recollection at all of ever sleeping anywhere.
It will probably have been apprehended that we practised a degree of economy in those days somewhat in excess of that which is to be encountered in most modern studios, but even so, we could hardly have survived if kindly fate had not interposed a finger in our pie. I am quite unable to fix a date for this occurrence or even to find its proper place in our catalogue. All I can say is that it occurred and had its due and considerable influence on my affairs. I can, however, say it was before my marriage and after the eclipse of the sun which, indirectly, led up to it. That puts it in 1 90 1 or the latter part of 1900.
An old gentleman — we thought he was old — came to see us at Walton for some reason which is now buried in the mists of forgotten things. He looked around at everything we could show him, asked a good many questions and at last asked me if I would sell half the business as it stood and take his son, H. V. Lawley, as my partner. We discussed terms, settled upon a price and made some suitable arrangement for Monty Wicks and that was that. The new money was a very great help, for we were down to our last fiver. It is some little consolation to realise now that that condition is not entirely unknown in modern studio practice.
Partner Lawley soon picked up our peculiar ways and, being no snob, settled down at once without demur to our primitive household habits. It did not take him long to acquire enough knowledge of cinematography to make him a useful operator. Soon after he arrived I took on another very useful man named Percy Stow who developed a great aptitude for ingenious trickwork in films, and as both of them were well able and willing to take their turns at the developing and printing machine, turn and turn about with me whenever necessary, we all got on famously together.
I have only been really drunk once in my life. I daresay you
53