The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1909-07-09
SUCCESS OF WRIGHT BROTHERS.
Due 20 Their Sister. Who Believed
That Man Could Fly.

without meaning 20 detract in any 7
way from the greatness OF Wilbur
and Oryilie Wright. the airship men
Il can be- claimed that but for a wo-
man they would today probably be
repairing bicycles or automobiles Tor
a living. unknown and unsung. mat
woman is their sister. Miss Catharlne
Wright. who has recently returned
home with them after enjoying Inc
favor OF Kings. Presidents and Princes
on the continent.
There Is no prettier story than the
devotion Of the members OF the wright
family each 20 the other. There were
five children-fOur BOYS and girl
One Of the boys left home early and
now resides In Kansas Another be-
came a bOOkkeeper. married and had
a family OF his own 10 look after.
! The sister fitted herself for teaching
and secured a place in the public
schools OF DAYTON. Ohio. Wilbur and
Orville remained AZ home with their
I pareuts and this sister. About the
/ time the two brothers got through
school the bicycle craze was at us
/ height and they engaged IN bicycle re-
pairing as a business
II was while conducting this busi-
ness that they began working upon
a machine which developed into the
flying machine. Their original idea
was 10 make a toy. a sort Of aerial
toboggan upon which a fellow could
have fun. They constructed a plane
OF that kind and found that so long
as il moved forward IL would support
them. Then the idea Of attaching
motor 10 il and driving it forward en-
tered their minds.
II was al this critical period in their
careers that the aid Of the sister was
sought. She had taken an interest
In the gliding machine. but when they
began talking about flying machines
she grew enthusiastic Right away
Wilbur and Orville Wright, with the
aid Of their sister. took up the serious
study OF aeronautics. They read ev-
erything printed upon the subject. the
sister ordering the books for them as
they learned OF the volumes that had
appeared. But they did not believe
! everything they read In the books, and
} that was their salvation
Miss Wright made the calculations
= and her brothers made the experi
. ments The three worked together
Before any demonstration was made
before her brothers had tested III
machine they were building. Mis-
/ Wright knew that II was possible 70
: man TO fly. She was the first womai
+ in the world 70 know II positively
+ She knew il because she herself ha'
made the calculations. She was viii
5 ing 10 stake what little money sh
5 had saved from her salary as schoo
a teacher. along with the smalle
p amount her brothers had saved, upo
2 the outcome OF the device 10 be mad
{ according 10 her calculations Sh
@ staked IL. and she won.
4 When the machine was complete
K and was found 10 be & success. an
n became desirable 70 get in touc
e with the nations of the world. IL wa
N Catharine Wright who brought IN
aeroplane 10 the attention OF the me
10 who would have 10 be dealt with II
a. letters which the representatives
u foreign governments received wei
IL written by this woman in the nam
IS OF her brothers.
Ie All this time Miss Wright was e
ing daily TO the school room Eve
al their neighbors did not know she too
81 any interest in the flying machin
ID They knew that II was characterize
Of the Wrights 10 be devoted TO on
H. another. But they did not know thu
this pafient school eacher had ma
Of tered the intricacies OF the air an
n. that she had been in correspondent
n. with governments. carrying on n
ir promotion end OF the flying machine
Even after the Wright aeroplar
,e had become famous aud her brothe
re- were demonstrating IL to the worl
Miss Wright continued her occupauc
le OF teaching. II was not until Orvil
AZ Wrieh, met with the accident at +
~ Never. which came nea~ costing hi
N his life. that she gave up her posius
as and FASTENED 10 him. She remain'
ar until he was able 10 travel. took hi