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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2230, 24 October 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

“Crazy George,” so his friends called him when Mr. George Westinghouse, who is the holder of 300 patents of his own-, conceived the idea of the air-brake on which his immense fortune is based. J3ut, buoyed up with'the knowledge that he had a “good thing,” he sought Commodore Vanderbilt, the greatest railway magnate of his day, and explained the invention to him.' “Do you mean to t e n me you can stop a tram by wind?’’ asked the old gentleman. Westinghouse modestly declared that that was his intention. “Go away,’ B aid the old Commodore, “I’ve got no time to waste on. fools!” So he jvent away; >and long before his critic had passed out of railway management trains were being;, stopped by wind. : “Things look rather run down around here,” remarked the nfan just returned after many years t 0 hie native village. , , , - ‘ ‘.Run down -I should say so, re.plied the friend of his youth. There s a motor-car -comes through here about every three minutes,”