Evening star., 1909-06-10
DISTINGUISHED COMPANY
AT EXECUTIVE MANSION
Sister Is Appreciative Spectator of
Honors Paid Famous Ohioans.
TESTIMONIALS OF GOVERNORS
Letters Paying Tribute to Achieve
ments of Fellow-Countrymen as
Pioneers in Flying Through
the Air.

Orville and Wilbur Wright. premier
aviators of the world. this afternoon re-
ceived from the hand of President Taft.
in the east room of the White House. the
medals prepared for them by the Aero
Club of America in recognition of their
scientific and practical work in the per-
fection of mechanical fight.
1t was the elimination of day of cele-
bration for them. The brothers, whose
work had gone unnoticed by the general
public for ten years. and who had been
repulsed on their first attempts to get
their device into the hands of the Ameri-
can government. received the sentimental
reward of their labors at last from the
President of the United States.
Distinguished Company Present.
There were about 1000 people present
and would have been more had accommo-
dations permitted. Presidents of the
United States have given medals before,
both government and private; but this
was the first time such presentation
had been made at the White House itself
since the presentation of the congress
sional gold medal to David Francis in
ventor of the life car, by President Harri-
son in 1889.
1t was notable group that gathered
before the central door of the east room
at 2:3O o'clock. Orville Wright, the calm
and patient little man whose face is well
known in Washington since his feats at
Fort Myer. and his longer and very bald
brother, Wilbur Wright, were supported
by members of the local Aero Club and
the Aero Club of America. and by promi-
nent scientists and government officials.
There we're in the immediate group Allen
Hawley, c. j. Bell of this city. G. r. Put
nam, secretary of the Cosmos Club: Dr.
Albert Zahm, William A. De Caindry
Gen. Franklin Bell, Gen. James Allen.
Maj. George o. Squier, Lieut.. Frank
Lahm, first American winner of the inter
national balloon cup; Holland Forbes, act
ing president of the Aero Club of America,
and just returned from winning the In
dianapolis balloon race, and Secretary of
War Dickinson.
When the big central doors of the east
room opened the Wrights were presented
by Herbert Parsons of New York. Presi-
dent Taft stepped forward. Greeting the
brothers warmly, he congratulated them
on their triumphs both at home and
abroad.
They had led the way. he said, IN the
art of human flight. While they had been
honored abroad and had been the recip-
tents of greetings from foreign govern
ments with which they were thrown in
contact. there was no tribute more sincere,
he told them, than that embodied in the
medal presented them by their fellow
countrymen.
They accepted the medals with few
words of acknowledgment. Then all sem
blance of order was lost in the rush of
congratulations which every one present
seemed TO want to give them at once
Sister Appreciative Spectator.
There was on the forward edge of the
circle a little, quiet, dark-haired woman.
who evidently took more active satisfac-
ton in the performance than did the
brothers themselves. She was Katherine
Wright, the sister and always close con-
fidant Of the noted medalists.
She il was who knew of their plans and
their successes before the outside world
got an inkling of them. She came on to
Washington after the accident at Fort
Myer last summer and nursed her brother
Orville back to- the point where he could
return to Dayton and complete his con-
yalescence.
Afterward she had gone abroad with
him, and had the distinction of riding in
the aeroplane, and. what probably was
TO her the secondary distinction. of meet
ing three kings, who were pleased to
congratulate her on having such brothers
Now she has come back to her own
country. the same unaffected American
girl. and enjoying the honors paid by
America to the aylators
After the meeting at the White House
the Wrghts went back TO the Cosmos
Club. and will take an early afternoon
train for Ohio.
Arrival of Party.
The Wright party arrived early. The
train came in at the Union station a,
$40 O'Clock. A considerable crowd was
on hand in spite of the earliness of the
hour.
There were number of automobiles
including big car bearing the crossed
flags of the signal service. ON the plat
form awaiting the train We're Maj. George
O. Squier " illiam a. DE Caindry c. r
Putnam, c. j. Bell. DR.. Albert Zahm
g. Oakley Totten. ID. j. McComb, A. Hol-
land Forbes and Allen HawIey.
The greeting of the party at the Union
station was enthusiastic.
Orville Wright, quickly followed by his
hrother, was the first TO alight.
Miss Wright jumped down the steps
with a smile and shook hands all around
with the receiving party, most of whom
were old acquaintanCeS at Fort Myer
and New York She seemed to have a
splendid memory for faces and called by
name every one she had met on her pre-
vious trip here.
The party was bundled into automobiles
and driven at once to the New Willard
where rooms had been reserved for them
After resting they walked over to the
War Department, where they had talk
with Gen. Allen.
It has been tentatively settled that they
will return to Washington June "a, Il
complete the government trials.
1t had been expected that Miss Wrigh
would spend the morning at the countr,
home of Charles J. Bell. Instead sh'
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