WORKING AS A “WRECKER”

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 August 1932, Page 8

WORKING AS A “WRECKER”

INSENSIBLE TO ELECTRICITY. A remarkable man who earns his living as a wrecker is Mr. Jabez Bancroft, of Keighley, Yorkshire. He is 77, but he still enjoys the demolishing of old property, factory chimneys, and the like.

Mr, Bancroft lifted the tram lines between Keighley and Otley. Not twelve months ago he removed a two-ton safe from the Town‘Hall at Keighley, and less than two years ago, when he was 75, he took down a water tank from the summit of an 80ft. tower. More surprising than that, however, Mr. Bancroft is peculiarly insensitive to electric shocks. A “non-conductor,” his son called him. He can put his hands on the plugs of big motor lorries and stop the engines. “Yes,” he smiled, “and I’ll tell you what else I can do. I can fill my pipe, stick a nail iff the tobacco, hold the pipe with one hand, with the index finger, say, a quarter of an inch from the nail top, take hold of an electric main cable with the Other hand, and light my pipe with the sparks that flow from the finger.” “How did you discover your insensibility to shocks?” Mr. Bancroft was recently asked.

“Years ago,” the veteran said, “when those electric shock machines with a couple of brass knobs were popular. They had no effect upon me, and I became so well known that the showmen used to say: *Oh, thee get away, tha’s no use.’ ”

In my father’s younger days,” said ins son, “he had tremendous strength;” Ba . ucroft has still a reputation in tne district, and wherever there is any rough heavy work to be done, he is the man they send for round Shipley, Si fn d Bradford. He started voik at 11 years of age as a wood turner, but has been in business on ° Wn accouu t as a wrecker for 50 years*

Phis wonderful old man never wears tbrnnS, an<i . thougk he may get wet with uLmT hl ? jOb hp Will gGt On Clothei A e 1S tlOing and let had rhenm “ And 1 have «&ver naaiheamat ism/: he added. Mrs. Bancroft is also 77. She wwdoes'all her ov° Ut i aid ° f glasses ’ the > cooktos. " hou3ew ° rk and also