The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-06-24
GOVERNMENT GIVES
THEM GOLD MEDALS
Wright Brothers Officially Hon
ored by Federal, State and
City Authorities,

Dayton, Ohio, June 21.-The national
government, h state and the city In
which they live today paid tribute to
Wilbur and Orville Wright, the avia-
tors. #A
Standing on a platform not far from
their unp~retentious little aeroplane fac
tory, and almost within sight of a field
where they first struggled with the
problem of aerial navigation, General
Allen, chief of the signal service OF
the army, assigned by Secretary of
War Dickinson, presented the Wright
brothers the gold medals authorized by
congress.
At the same time were given them
a diamond studded medal bearing the
official seal of the state of Ohio, and
another from the city Of Dayton. The
state medal was presented by Governor
Judson Harmon, Of Ohio, the local
medal by Edward E. Burkhart, mayor
of Dayton. ....
Foreign ENJOYS Present. .
Baron Kogoro Takahira, h Japanese
ambassador, and Carlos G.. Velez, the
Cuban minister, were among those at
the ceremony.
Received Deep Homage.
In the city. in which a few years ago
they began in ~obseurity their first ex-
periments with flying machines, Or
Vile and Wilbur Wright yesterday re-
ceived the homage Of their townspeo-
pie. Escorted by brass bands, led be-
meath triumphant arches, through
streets decorated with models Of their
a~eroplanes and praised in public
speeches, the Wright brothers appeared
the least conscious that anything n
usual vas going on.
When that part of the program
was reached which read, Re ~
sponses by the Wrights," Wilbur
and Orville each arose and said:
THANK you, gentlemen"
When the fireworks were over last
night Wilbur turned to Orville and
said: Let's hurry home; you know
we have to get up early" -
Left Nothing Undone. '.
Fluttering in banners and gay dec
o~rations Dayton left nothing undone
to honor the aviators. Business was
suspended a " for he sale OF toy
airships and post cards Illustrative OF
the Wrights' home, the modest 2-story
frame dwelling in Hawthorne street
and Huffman prairie, eight miles east
of Dayton, where in 1905, the Wrights
made their first long aeroplane fight.
tLemans, France, the scene of many OF
the European flights of the Wrights'
machine, was remembered in a banner
which bore these words: The three
great cities, Dayton, Washington and
Lemans, france" After the salute OK
cannon, ringing Of bells and blowing
of whistles, with which the day began.
the opening ceremony was held in a
park beneath the trees.
Dayton IN ethinks."
Jonathan Dayton" representing the
founder of the city and dressed In
colonial costume and a wig, with a cast
of characters, presented a pageant. The
crowds were sc great That people
viewed the spectacle from fences, trees
and housetops. Casting his yes sky
ward, Jonathan Dayton said: Me
thinks l see two great objects like gil
gantic birds coming from the eastward
as If riding on the wings Of the morn
ing. What n Of birds can these
be-"
They" interspersed another charac-
ter, are none other than two of Day.
tons illustrious son coming home aft
err foreign trips with the greatest in
vention of the age. Let us welcome
them" -. w.
1t was after they had received this
welcome that Wilbur and Orville
Wright, sitting as spectators on the
platform. arose and said: THANK YOU,
gentlemen"
A few minutes after the ceremony
the Wrights were back in their work.
shop, where the windows were covered
with canvas to keep u the gaze OF
the cIriOuS.