“SMOKER” STORY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 6 December 1927, Page 8

“SMOKER” STORY

CHUBCHILL BEAVERBOOK AND ’ CO. When Lord Beaverbrook was plain Max Aiken doing newspaper work around Toronto he liked hue cigars. He couldn’t always afford the best in those days, but his cigar was almost as often seen as Premier Baldwin's famous briar. Evidently the tastes of the publisher of the "Daily Express” have not changed for this story comes from England. Lord Beaverbrook and Winston Churchill, Chancellor of the Exchequer, arrived at a small station in Essex almost at the same moment, both hurrying for London. Their train was just pulling out. They had no time to select a couch, but just jumped into the lirst one in front of an indignant guard. It happened to be a third-class carriage and contained one other passenger—a lean lad from Lancashire. Beaverbrook produced cigars and as he and the man who pulls Britain ’a financial strings were putting, the third passenger sniffed contentedly. ‘‘Pretty good cigar tha’s smoking, lud," said the man from the north. “Aye. lad, them’s good tins." Amused at this tno publisher ans wered. “Will you have one!” The lad from the cotton mills didn’t mind if he did and a good time was had by all. A few stations further on with the cigars still ablaze Beaverbrook de cided to leave the train. Ho left Churchill to carry on with their new found companion. After he left ths train the Lancashire lad said “Let's open window, lad. ’Tis warm in here," and then, “Nice gent, that, fine gent was that one. ’ ’ “Yes,” said Churchill. “Do you know who that was?” “Oof 'lm with the cigars? No!” “Lord Beaverbrook,” was the reply. “You don’t say. Just fancy him being so nice to a couple of blokes like us.”