Convairiety, Volume 3, Number 21, October 11, 1950 Page: 4 of 8
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Page- --C-N-A- RIETY -October - - -9-0
-~4 t5
Half Century Man
SD's Fred Harger Passes 50th
Year as a Skilled ToolmakerA MIDGET MIDGET-Classed as "three-quarters" of a midget racer is this tiny speedster built
by Convair SD men. C. W. (Bud) Dale (Dept. 27) is driving and behind him, left to right, are Bob
Bowzer (formerly of SD), R. C. Dale (Dept. 633) and R. F. (Bob) Holbert (Dept. 47). Bowzer is father-
in-law to both Dale boys, as they married sisters. Bud races every Sunday at El Cajon Speedway.FW Artist Designs
Plaque for Family
of Slain Soldier
Convair FW's Fred Mohr is a
sentimentalist at heart.
Like millions of other Ameri-
cans, he was touched by a recent
Associated Press story which told
of a soldier's last letter to his
two tiny daughters, written
shortly before his death on the
Korean battlefront.
The letter, written by Pfc. John
J. McCormick to daughters Jo-
annie and Rose Marie, may goFred Mohr
down as one of the most famous
messages of the Korean war. Be-
cause he has four children and
six grandchildren of his own,
Mohr couldn't forget the soldier's
last letter.
A commercial artist in Dept.
6-5, Mohr designed a plaque on
which the letter was imprinted.
The edges are painted with tiny
gold and pastel flowers. He'll
send a plaque to Joannie and
Rose Marie, and one to Mrs. Mc-
Cormick, of Collingsdale, Pa.
"It will be a small contribution
to a brave soldier's memory,"
said Mohr.Pint-Sized Speedster
SD Inspector and Homemade Car
Rank High on Coast Race Ovals
Minutes after C.W. (Bud) Dale, SD lead inspector, took
the wheel of his new "three-quarter" midget racer, he
almost got a speeding ticket."Completed the day after
Christmas, I was busting to
drive but couldn't find a proper
place," Bud explained this
week. "So we stationed neigh-
borhood kids around the block
as sentinels to warn me about
traffic and cops and I took
off."
The machine, completed in a
backyard workshop in four
months, ran perfectly but Bud
returned to the garage only just
in time. A police prowl car al-
most got him!
Since then the car has done
considerable speeding, butdall
within the law. Currently it
ranks third among this class of
racer in California and Bud ranks
fourth as a driver.
Called TQ's because they are
literally three-quarters as big as
a midget race car, they belong
to a national racing association
and although the drivers speed
for money it is mostly for fun.
They'll tow the cars in trailers
150 miles just for an exhibition!
The cars are considerably less ex-
pensive than the usual midget.
They are limited to 650 pounds,
40-inch wheel base, 40-inch tire
tread and are powered by two-
cylinder motorcycle engines of
various kinds.
"We get almost as much speed;
as the midgets, but at a cost for
the car that a working man can
afford," Bud explained.
In this case the car cost about
$650. The registered owner, BobWHA HOPPEN?-Camera stopped this action just before real
grief set in. Bud Dale of Convair SD (foreground) is spun around
as another car collides during hotly contested race with "three
quarter midgets" in Los Angeles. Bud was leading with single lap
to go when put out of contention. He was unhurt, but on a pre-
vious occasion went through crash wall, lost three teeth.Bowzer, expert machinist and
long time Convair man, shared
the work of construction with
Bud and his brother, Dick Dale,
Dept. 633 SD foreman.
"We gathered parts from
everywhere, many from our
Convair Salvage Yard," Bud
continued. "About a half dozen
different automobiles are rep-
resented in our car, in one part
or another."
Their car, No. 34, is powered
by a Harley-Davidson racing
motorcycle engine. Wheels are
motor scooter type.
Bud started driving about a
year ago after some time as a
pit man for midgets. Although
without previous experience, ex-
cept some motorcycle riding as a
kid, he caught on quickly.
"My first race at Lincoln Park,
Los Angeles, taught me a lesson,"
he recalls. "These TQ's are so
fast and sensitive that your ac-
tions must be twice as fast as in
normal fast driving. A driver
ahead of me slowed up slightly
and before I even knew it one of
my front wheels had passed com-
pletely over one of his back
tires!"
The cars average 55 toa65 mph
on a one-fifth mile oval. Bud
can remember races when condi-
tions were right during which he
seldom took his foot off the
throttle!
Bud's race crew is almost a
strict family affair, including his
father-in-law and his brother,
though more recently R. F. Hol-
bert (Dept. 47 SD) has joined
the circle and Bud is grooming
him as a driver because . . .
"You know how it is, my wife
isn't too happy when I'm driv-
ing. . . ."
Driver Flees Flood
of Traffic Tickets
B. G. Laguna (Dept. 632 SD)
is a hard luck guy.
For three successive days re-
cently he parked his car on Kett-
ner Boulevard, above the SD
plant. Each day, returning in
late afternoon, he found his car
pushed out of its parking place
and double-parked in the street.
Also, each day he found a new
parking ticket.
"'The firstecost me $2.50 and
the next two $5 each," he re-
ported. "I couldn't afford to keep
that up so I'm parking elsewhere
now. Whoever did it-I hope he
can't find me. . ...".HOT CAKE-With 60 candles burning, birthday cake for Bill
Crossley (Dept. 31 SD) got extra baking and photographer got this
shot just in time. This group, most of whom have been together
for years (they average eight years with Convair!), bought cake as
surprise for "a darned nice guy"! Surrounding Crossley are D. R.
Conklin, R. E. Bowman, A. A. Martin, M. L. Salefski, S. G. Hughes,
John Korchick, E. A. Meckstroth, W. A. Therion, L. B. Cazort, E. L.
Brown, L. H. McClannahan, J. K. McKinley, L. E. Starkey, J. H,
Johnson, J. V. Parker, R. S. Lindstrom.Page 4
CONVAIRIETY
October 11, 1950
One day this summer Fred and came west with the move to
Harger reported at his bench in San Diego in 1935. During career
Dept. 403 at SD, donned white he has been inspector, lead man,
cap and coat that have distin- foreman.
guished him for years, and went Though 66, Harger is spry and
about the day's work, active and maintains a roving in-
It was a day much like any terest in life about him. "Keep
other to everyone except Fred enthusiastic a n d interested.
Harger; but to him it meant the That's the secret of youth," he
passing of a half century as a advises.
toolmaker. Few, if any, Convair An active mason (Scottish
men can look back on so many Rite) and an Oddfellow, Harger
years in a single trade. has enjoyed a long list of hobbies
"It was in 1900 and I was to add variety to his days.
16," Harger remembers. "My Among them have been auto-
pay as an apprentice with graph collecting (w h i c h has
Crawford & McCrimmon, manu- drawn him into many contacts
facturers of mining equipment, with the famous; once he chatted
was $3 a week. We worked 10 most of the night with Blackstone
hours a day and our machinery the Magician in a dressing room
was hand driven or moved by of a darkened theater), and coin
belts attached to steam engines collecting (he is largely respon-
... steaks were 15 cents and a sible for the fine numismatic col-
shave and a haircut 25 cents lection at the Buffalo science mu-
and there was nickel beer.... " seum and is a charter member
Harger spent his four-year ap- and curator for the San Diego
prenticeship in Brazil,yd., and Numismatic Society).
then took to the road, as it was
customary in those days for new
journeymen to drift around and
gain experience. During the next
20 years he worked for several
different Indiana concerns, build-
ing tools for such varied prod-
ucts as steam engines, heating
equipment, racing cars, and sub-
marine chasers. He usually had
a good deal to do with designing
the tools, too.
"In those days draftsmen made
free-hand drawings and that's all
we had to work from-just
sketches. Consequently, tool mak-
ers frequently used their own
ideas," he added.
Depression days of late 1930
found Harger in Buffalo, work-
ing for Whistler & Sons, tool
manufacturers. One day he was
borrowed by Consolidated Air-
craft for a brief period and his AN ERA-Since Fred Harger
skills left such an impression (Dept. 403 SD) was an appren-
that he soon was called back for tice 50 years ago, he has seen
a permanent connection. It was -and had a part in-American
a happy development. Fred has industry's rise to a marvel of the
been with the company ever since world.
'Lone Wolf' of Dept. 31 SD Former
Homesteader in Wyoming Wilds
Convair SD's self-styled "lone "When I was a boy back in
wolf of Special Projects" was far Grand Island, Neb., my father
from alone late last month when ran a saddle and harness shop
more than a dozen associates con- and it wasnatural for myself
spired to celebrate his sixtieth and my brothers to learn the
birthday. trade," Crossley explains. (His
Bill Crossley, who has been brothers include A. H. Crossley
with Convair since 1942, calls of Dept. 250 SD and the late
himself a lone wolf because he Arthur L. Crossley, former night
is Dept. 31's specialist in uphol- superintendent at the FW divi-
stery and fabric jobs. S. G. sion.)
Hughes, assistant foreman, says Prior to coming to San Diego,
he has yet to see a fabric or the Crossley family spent a num-
leather job that stumps Crossley. ber of years in the near wilder-
He comes by his skill both by
aptitude and inheritance. (Continued on page 5)
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General Dynamics Corporation. Convair Division. Convairiety, Volume 3, Number 21, October 11, 1950, periodical, October 11, 1950; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1023909/m1/4/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth.