234 IN MEMORIAM. 



Mr Croft, in telling the story, adds that the reason Hailes gave 

 for not defer ding himself was, that he was always afraid to 

 strike a boy smaller than himself lest he might injure him. 



Mr. Hailes' first entry upon a settled occupation seems to 

 have been made when he went to Collard's as a substitute for 

 this same Mr. Croft to complete his apprenticeship, Mr. Croft's 

 health having broken down and his finding a substitute being 

 the condition of his release. Here he acquired that skill in the 

 use of tools and that liking for mechanical work which not 

 only helped him immensely in the business he subsequently 

 followed, but was to him a never-ending source of pleasure and 

 profit at home. Many a time have I, too, profited by this 

 mechanical skill, both by receiving advice and instruction upon 

 work I have myself had in hand and by getting parts of it 

 which were beyond my skill done for me. Fond, however, as 

 he was of mechanical work, I don't think my friend was 

 altogether happy at Collard's. He, however, made the 

 acquaintance of a Mr. Basire, who gave him some lessons in 

 mechanical drawing, and Hailes and his friend Croft (who was 

 then in Collard's tuning department) diligently worked at this 

 subject together. When he had acquired a good deal of skill 

 in this way, Hailes, then about twenty-five years old, answered 

 an advertisement for a draughtsman in Messrs. Newton's office 

 in Chancery Lane. He obtained this appointment, gave up the 

 pianoforte making, and remained with Messrs. Newton down 

 to the time of his death. 



Mr. Hailes was one of the eleven men who attended the first 

 meeting of the Clab at Piccadilly on the 14th June, 1865. Of 

 these original members only three now remain upon the Club 

 list, namely, Mr. W. M. By water. Dr. M. C. Cooke, and Mr. 

 Edward Jacques. Some of the others are still living, but do 

 not retain their membership of the Club. During the twenty- 

 seven years of the Club's existence Mr. Hailes held some office 

 in the Club in every year except the first, on many occasions 

 fielding two offices at once. He has been Vice-President 

 (twice), Member of Committee, Member of Exchange of 

 Slides Committee, Curator, Honorary Secretary (with Mr. 

 Ingpen), Honorary Secretary for Foreign Correspondence, and 

 for the last nine years (while still filling the latter office) has 

 ably edited the Club's Journal. In the first year of the Club's 

 existence his name appears among the donors of slides, and he 



