N.Z. RUNAWAY

Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1929, Page 6

N.Z. RUNAWAY

NOW A MILLIONAIRE. SAN FRANCISCO, March 4. The American Press has just unearthed in the lalmrinths of populous New York a stocky, spectacled New Zealander who has become famous. A newspaper man discovered him sitting in his office high above Broadway and modestly telling his story of how the 1 champion napkin-folder of a passengei ship became a successful and wealthy 1 inventor. Ernest*’ IL God ward, a middle-aged 1 man of kindly demeanour, was talking 1 about himself while he puffed at a cigarette. He had neither ‘ education nor money as tlie foundation of A career. He ran away from home, at the age of 12 to follow a roving hfe on the seven seas. Now lie is hailed as the inventor of a device which attached to ajp sintomobilfe, increases economy of fuel, operating and horsepower. Starting from London, GodwarU s adventures, undertaken as a madcap prank after he failed to pass a school examination, carried him to Japan New Zealand and eventual'y to the United States. . . . ■ Brass polisher, deck boy, slip steward and bicycle repair man ,he HU found time to go in strenuously / " athletics, run a business and to stddv gasolene engines. Godward reached the peak of nap-kin-folding proficiency while steward on a ship plying waters of the Antipodes. It did not appeal to him as a life work, “So I settled down in New Zealand,” he stated in New York to his interviewer..:: Bicycle, motor hike and automobile business, ‘ built up gradually, became successful and lie gathered enough money to continue studies of carburetion. And in his spare time he won some half-hundred medals as a boxer, swimmer, rower, bicycle-racer and runner. Through Godward’s story ran the moral of hard work. “I’ve torn down my models a hundred times or more and started all over again,” the inventor said “I. don’t think I’m perfect yet, and still am looking for improvements. RETURNED TO NEW ZEALAND Godward’s first trip to the United ' States, in 1914, was discouraging. The ' patent office refused the rights he ask- ; ed. He went back to New Zealand. ’ worked his process all over again, and ' returned. This time he was successful in having his patents awarded. Godward’s gas generator placed between the carburettor and the engine of an automobile evaporates tlie hydrocarbon and produces a prefect- gas which does not condense. It utilises more of the gasolene than under ordinary circumstances; hence the economy. Tests on omnibuses out of Phic ladelphia have shown a saving of from 10 to' 30 per cent, lie said. Under the caption “Keep Smiling” the Montreal “Daily Star” had tlie 1 sub-joined editoral anent tin} persevee ranee of Godward: “The New Zealand:l er who started life as a cabin boy and 0 is now a millionaire .inventor in New York adds one more to the list of men f wjhosc ambition and industry have more than made up for a poor stare. I .When he ran away ’ from England first - he was practically without- education. s Yet to-day he knows all! there -is to be known about the internal combustion II engine. He learnt it for himself. And fc this is what all must do in the battle 11 of life. It is a fine tiling to have a good education, but it is not what otb- •' ers teach us that is going to help us ■J in the long run ; it is what we learn 1 by ‘bitter experience.’ And if ive 6 have the courage to go out into the <l world, and take the buffets and conic u up smiling, sooner or later t-lie world will smile with us, and ‘luck’ as they e call it will come our way. For this is '• not such a bad world after all and J any body who tries his best is Tandy d sure of a square deal.”