The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-09-21

| Farman are ShOWering praises or
| the Wright brothers for what they
have accomplished, to have a slim
slip of girl stick her chin up and
say: "Oh, we knew they were go.
| ing to succeed right along!"
But this is Kate Wright, Sister
Kate" the only woman who has
shared their lives-who has been
the sunshine of the Wright home, a
loyal and devoted 'comrade" to her
two famous brothers since their
mother died, nearly 20 years ago.
The family consists of four sons
and one daughter. Reuchlin Wright,
the eldest son, is bookkeeper
turned farmer and lives with his
wife and three children a few miles
out of Kansas City. The next son,
Lorin Wright, is a bookkeeper,
married, has four children and lives
just three squares from the old
Wright home in Dayton.
Wilbur Wright, the real pioneer
of the Wright aeroplane idea,
comes next. He is about Al years
of age, and Orville Wright, young
est of the Wright boys, is now
about 50, and Sister Kate" is the
baby of the family.
Bishop Wright was for many
years an active worker in the
church With his family of five he
moved from place to place. Thus
Wilbur Wright was educated in
many schools, finishing with the
Richmond. Ind, high school and
year or two in college at Cedar
Rapids, La.
Orville Wright started in high
school, but never graduated.
Neither received any technical
training of any kind.
Their father sums up their main
characteristics thus:
Wilbur is a natural inventor
he sees things and forms theories
Orville is a patient and untiring
worker, with great talent along the
line of mechanics. Both are born
workmen, they love work for its
own sake and not for the money it
will bring"
The rise of the two Wright boys
from the modest proprietors of
bicycle repair shop to world famous
aviators is a chronicle of hard work
and perseverance.
The little shop at 1877 West
Third, Dayton, stands silent and de-
serted. Dust lies reavy on work
benches and floor, and the torn
blinds sag on the fast locked win.
dows.
Upstairs in that deserted shop,
sandwiched between plumbing
shop and grocery, Wilbur and
Orville Wright built aeroplanes,
| shipped them to the country at
night, and tried them out next day
without any of their neighbors be-
ing the wiser
The beginning of their airship
idea hinged on toy. Wilbur
Wright was about II, and Orville
between and 6 when their father
brought home one day a toy called
bat The technical name is
''helicoptice."
1t was constructed of cork and
bamboo covered with paper. Two
screws were driven in opposite di-
rections by twisted rubber bands.
Father Wright wound up the
novel toy, released it and it flew
right across the room up to the
ceiling, where it whirled around a
few times and dropped to the floor.
Here was a marvel for two rest
less, curious boys. a bit of paper
covered bamboo that would fly!
They studied the new top and
made others like it. using news
paper and bits of pine. The ones
they made flew, but they wanted a
big one, so they kept enlarging the
model, and then the bat" fell down
flat and refused to fly at all.
Still engrossed with the idea of
making something that would fly
the Wright boys took to flying
kites-and they made them, too.
Their kites were not the molly
coddle things with a tail and a bit
of string. Not at all. they made
monsters of the air, shaped like
birds with immense outstretched
wings, and became experts on send
ing these aeriel nightmares up, up
up into the blue
But all the time they were going
to school and growing up, and
thinking more about aerial flying.
Then came the big problem-tc
make thing that would sail in the
air, and that you could sail in ant
control.
Being studious, clear headed
boys. they knew others must have
tried that, and d. they turned tc
books on aeron1htics. Orville fel
i'll with typhoid fever. During his
long, slow convalesence Wilbur
read to him and always about theil
dream of flying in the air like 8
bird
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