COUSINS AND COUSINS' COACH BUILDING ESTABLISHMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3164, 4 October 1892, Page 2

COUSINS AND COUSINS' COACH BUILDING ESTABLISHMENT.

<>ni |-.!|'ti ,J -2llt:Uivi', whri has bIVU illsiir-ct-inur .-•■ mi ', of (he l.u-po ir.auuf icturiuu' es'ablishmenU in Auckland, -t.jnrj.s us (be followins ii;»-ticul:u-s nf Alrssrs C-m-iiis and Cmi-ins' coaehin? establishment in Lornesf.nrf, Auckland : — 11.0 iriiii? that Al'ss,-s Cousins and Con-ins had been making extensive, alterations and additions to tli-ir premises, I recently pijd a vi.-:t t>> !h»jr J establishment.. As few nf ynnr readers have any idea nf ttie size and importance. rf the business carried on by Me.-srs Onn-Mns and (..'.nisins, a tl.-?scri|iti'in nf what I saw sliniilij prove interesting. Kuteriiif,' bv the door of what was once the L,rn»street, M .11. I fnnnd All- J. V. Cousins. the ymimiei- ni"in!ii'r of the lir.-n, Imsilv en";u, r e,d in tin? ..Ilico. IntroduchiL' n-.js'df I was c■ mr'asou-dy rec>-i ml, and my wish to in-sp-ct tlip iir.Miii-pn was C"i-dially com»lied with. " r will show you through the otiice and design room," said Alt- Cou-ins, "and then we will commence and go from tin- beginning." The otlice is at the l-iL'lit side of the entrance, and is lar"e, li-ht and well ventilafd, and is fitterl with every convenience. Illustration* of famnua ca-riafje-i anil c irririt,'e-niakers adorn the wall", and there is a beautiful display of samples (if cat rinse lamps in various styles, manufactured in the Old Country t> the firm's order. A small room opening out of t,ho cilice is devoted i.-. the u-n of the. telephone. On the opposite side, of tin; entrance is the design ninni. Hern are di-|.la>-d (leM/im of :t ll sorts and uonditi.ms i',f American, Australian and Inc.ii—and one would think tint no leatt T what sort of vhiele is re-fl'iii-er', a de.-isn of it conld be. found her.i. Lijivhii' t'l' , desisn room A!r Cousins I;iu;tliincly r-mark-fd : "Xnw I will show y,m S'nne.'hiiiß that "ill ast 'liisii you," and oi.-ni.u' .1 door he took me down st-iir-=. 1 w-is inueh a«t,nni\h"d to fiivi two floo,x Iv l..\v the crmwi Hoof, well licrhted, ;1! ,,j with ;im p'lfii'ice fnnn Ty)rne-~tiei.t, .-o that, jilttinnKli the appears lo have lvit. .win s|-'i|-y, it i-eiily h:-= three. On this floor it, stored Hie timber "f kinds u-ipd in the business. Tlic.ro are !.,r/e Pliclcs of pohutukawa, ti-tmc. iron-bark, bine L'Uir, re,! L'nni. m:in>;:iis, kauri. rk\ ; -oine of which ha. been stmd.ri:: three years, s imp. hvs, and 1 n.-tije.d a iinmber of locf of t.his season's cnttinj;. K"l' ihe ciii-li biii'diM" lmsiiv's- it ise-xentia! tint the timber should he (h0r0.,-lily dry, and some of i> fake-i a v--rv lons tiim?. Ihi the basompntiii-P, ste.reri old wlipi-Is and other odds -uid end-, 11-tin-nins! to the L'n-.und fl-.nr wevpiit into the body-inakinpr iI-mmi-I, inent. 1 lei'P wo found a very busy scene--bnceifs, t-, ra\-carts. fee., bi'int; put t-'trether by .1 skilful staff nf workmen, under the petsnn.il siipcrvisioii nf Mr W. .T. Cousins, the. senior mombnr r.f the (inn. Some few years since, this r'Pntleman [laid a lengthy visit, to the Alother C"mitiy, working fit the bench in some of the 1.-irpe-t ciich-buiMiiia pstablislnnent and oliaiuinsr thn- a kuowledne to be K .lh"i-ed in no oilier w,-iv. A'.'e.lle.-s to sav, thi-i knowledk" , has stiryprl the firm well, and has been the suc-r-'t of the rnpid imi'io since the e=t ihlishmout of the business. AoHir.tst other vohich-s in cour -,o of couslruction 1 noticed ;t lar(;o 'bus. which is hfiincr built 11 run in the city, ft is a Kiilenrlid sp.'cimen of the coach-liuilders' ski!!, the worknrmship splendid, and is beinu' lil ted with several imprnveiiieuts to the other in use. At the end of the body shop is the store room, where are k"pt lh« lamps, springs, axles and liUiiiL , --, siwiilh' impoi-vd .-..nil adipted for th,(inn's work. out of the bodv is the wheel sli.-p. where the \vhe..|. for their numerous manufactures are limd". The wheels are ;.U m.ule by hand, and are much snnerior to the machine - made article. ]')verv piece of tim'ier is carefully selected, and there is no chnnce of a faulty piece boinpr nut in, ar is v-'i-y oftan the ca--e with a machiiie-iinde article. Wo lwxt proceeded to the smHbin? tlppii-tiii'Tif—a model smilh's shop, ]nw, welldislitei! :m<] vontd:it»(l, and fitt"d with the latest ideas in niachines. etc. I noticed various s"i's of iron-work in different stnsjPK "f c nnp'i'tion. and one and all showed a hiali state of e-ce'lenco. As in every department the sty'e. nnd finish is splendid, and T can rpiite understand Con-ins and Cousins beiiir* proud lo show customers their work in any ftt-iEff. Wβ next, visited the. trimminsr fltipni-fiiiPiir, where all tho cushions, trinimincs. etc.. a'O manufactured. It is a nice, briffht room in the new buildincr, and i* fi't d no u-ifh cupboards and s!i:- ! v..-, v.hei-i the cloth l-afii..;-,:, etc., are stowei 'I'he. next ilepirtmeut to claim our att->ntio!i was the mint shon—a lartje and well-v.Mitil".t"d s'iop with v.-uni-'li room :it one end .-tiifi a i-.»n» for tri-indinjj and storing tho ni iteri'ils. AlthoMirh it is a spacious shop, it was filled with various sfvl.'s of trails treit'iif , their finisliinrr toncliGs. lvnt"rin? the show-room, Air Cuisins renvirked, " All our workshops arc L'oid and will com]>are fnour-iblv with any here, but our sli'iwrrom outrivals anv in New Zerihmd " It was built by tlni Oddfellow.-,' for ;i Iwll, by niakiiM extreme alterations A[ess rs Ciiusins and Cousins have, converted it, into I a mji'.'inlieietit caniac'e showroom, lar"e well lisht-d and ventilated and beautifully decorated. It is tilled with a =nlendid as- | sortment of all sorts iif carriacres, carts, wa7!jous, etc. and ther* is ro.itn for on" t • walk round and rhor uiLhlv in-si-ppt them. And r.ow said inv L'enial guide I think wp li:iv.' seen evervthinc, so vnu enn let vnur \V dkato frinnds know what there is to -ee and that w> shall be pl-,se-l to show th"tn r.'.lMi-I. IWore. \c-.vnm i inqi-ired <-f Air Oou--ios if M,,- similarity of Hi" nain" of his firm and the KHintt-street, firm ilid not. lead tnc-mpHcntioiis. "Vos"said Mr Cousins, "it does rather, but it cuts Ivth ways and we cannot, Iwlp it, I will just te'l vou the facts of Ihe case and vnu en judcfe f,, r vo-,,-e.!f. Alv fnt.lier. who was Mie fVii--;,,* 'f t'i" ..|.) linn, died s.iirie eleven \p:,v< "itip.-. and t'e i>re-"nt i.n.prir t-u- bo-ichf rut 'i-.r ii.f res' in ii;n business. \V!ien (e-.rb-isi-n-i'e." d-1- i 1 fi-niiv: th.s> it would R,d t. . f-ninli v'io.is, Lowvo'-. t'e'y I:-- 1 u--e anv name hut ~..;■ .uvn. and i'f mistakear- n:l -.ve -;,„> !,,.];> ir. i b.ve vou lid- r X: l.inarion as <vvy few people n::d">--f inl our r-lations wiih cvh ct'if-r " T!nnl:ii,i- Mr f'-r.in- f r hi- con-1 s V and well vl.'as.M to tind li-.M.i«i --~ !l,.uri.-hiii" 1 I ok my i-ive, with .tv.tvc .n!i-1.-Mo- thin ev.o- ,„ o-ir fu-oui-ed Xew /-llehd. We r.otiee that ,\[. 5,,-, C ~-,-iiw -~• ] '■' '•■ bis 1.v,-, ~-.,, |,-; ,1 \r,- l>, I. ,(,.,.,.,,,,_ f !-:.:!o. r.ud ! e w'i!l he ~'. . I ; , '-. ,'.', ]■.-';,: iv ] .-in !:•"!-.r- i. • r.yiV r-. I |] \V, ! '-,- .!■■■ . ; I-:.-- W.;::.:■ ,I >! ',■,■> j .■m::- : i::m.'. I-.' ■In „'.,:'/ ■ .' ■ ■> i ..,.'.'! -~' ! Cpu.-ra: h■ >-■ 1 [:i ,flh . !Ui,;; ,!, -.'< ■■■':.