SAFE REMOVER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 162, 12 July 1939, Page 7

SAFE REMOVER.

ONE-TIME SLUM BOY. MASTER AT HIS TRADE. ONE OF ENGLAND'S EXPERTS. (Special.—By Air Mail.) LONDON, June 2.5. London's master safe remover, "Ernie" firiinsdel], one time destitute East End slum child, was in charge of the removal of all the safes from Imperial Airways' old terminus at Victoria to their new building, Airways House, Buckingham Palace Road. ihe job took "Ernie" and the five men working under him from Thursday tnorning to Friday niglit. But lie did not consider this a big job, as he had to remove only five safes, the heaviest of which weighs 1J tons. "Ernie's" rise to fame started 40 years ago, when, at the age of 12, he ran awav from home. At this time both his father and mother were dead and his brother and sister had no means of supporting him. For some time his home was the Embankment, and his first job of work was that of holding the heads of horses of the local gentry when they went into their favourite tavern for a drink. If he worked every day very hard he managed to earn 7/0 a week. Then came his big chance. A friend of his late father, hearing of his destitution, offered him a job in his East End business, which was that of manufacturing, repairing and moving safes. His wages were 9/ a week. Known throughout the trade he lias closely followed for 40 years. Ernie, lock and safe engineer, of Dalston. is proud : 'f the fact tiiat he is one of the halfdozen really skilled men in England to-day who can undertake this type of work. The biggest job he ever did wss the removal of 110 safes from Electra House when they moved from their premises in Moorgate to the Embankment.

"Ernie" is thorough at his work and ill ways insists upon inspecting his own -'lain tackle of steel locks and falls. He ! never (ies any knots, always twisting the tackle. "•Inst like knitting," he said, 'you pick up two, drop two, pick up two. \et lie has never knitted in his life! Born and 1 'red apiongst the cockneys : >f the hast End of London, lie lias an* inimitable sense of humour and philosophical outlook. Many are the times lie has been called upon to open the -afes of people who have lost their keys, for Ernie' has nimble fingers and ■swears there is not a safe in the world ivhioh he cannot crack. "'lhe women are the worst," lie said, 'for losing keys. They have two cut md put the second one'inside their safe >o that it shall not be lost. Sillv 1 it.'' He recalls one incident when lie was called in to open a safe in a hospital in London which had not been touched] for many years. As lie opened the doorj the body of a man in a straitjack fell right into his arms. "Was that the biggest fright you ever B°t > n your life?" he was asked. No," lie said. "\ou sec it was onlv a dummy. The biggest fright I ever got was the day when I got married." El nic has his own little flat near liis work with a little garden, and wouldn't change his job for any other in the world. He loves his safes and the heavier the better, but ask him to remove a refrigerator or even an ordinary table or chair, and he will flatlv refuse.