The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-19
CUPID FINDS
 NOTHING DOING Buzzing Round the Wright
 Brothers Ears INDIFFERENCE BIG CARD Refusal to Participate in the Exhihi- tions Has Lost Thousands for
 Them--Are Scientists,
 Not Show People.

Dayton. Ohio-Are the brothers Wright, worlds famous aeroplanists and inven- tors, eccentric? Or are they merely sem sible bachelors whose hearts have not yet been touched by the f1clSle God of Love? Are they sentimentaiists or prac- tical men?
 These questions may be properly pro- pounded, in view Of the many stories afioat relative to their oddities"
 When orville Wright met with slight mishap on the Ft. Myer aerodrome in Virginia recently and he found upon ex- animation of the Dayton Flyer that half yard of cloth was needed to repair 8 break, he promptly took the train for his home city and secured the cloth.
 He could have obtained 1t some other place, probably in Washington, a few miles from Ft. Myer. and consequently when Wilbur mysteriously disappeared the following day and members of the ar- my corps were searching every nook and corner for him. 1t developed that he, too. had gone away on strange mission" At once the report was corculated that he had gone to New York for a box of tacksl
 Thus orville went to Dayton for half metropolis for tacks.
 Whatever may have been the circum- stances of the respective visits of the brother-inventors, they did not take the trouble to inform a curious public; the newspaper men were kept guessing" as they had been for many months,-but the Wrights knew what they were doing. and within comparatively short time had captured the s25ooO army contract, together with a $500 bonus.
 Just Their Way.
 It was their way of doing things that attracted as much attention as their re- markable flights, and they cared not Q whit what any one thought of their ec- centricities
 For instance, one blisteringly hot after noon President Taft, the members of the Cabinet, Ambassadors, diplomats and statesmen of all degrees were on the ground to witness the flight of the aero- plane.
 All conditions seemed perfect and the spectators were expectant.
 Surely, with the President of the United States, members of Congress, upon whose
  ation for aeronautioal experiments. and other influential and representative men present, the Wright could not afford to postpone their flight.
 But Orville Wright discovered some de- feet Qmaginary some of the unkind critics said) and he failed to make the attempt.
 To the trained eye conditions were not ripe" and Orville did not propose to try his hand at luck-he preferred the scien- q ira q rap for the Knocks which came his way.
 This one incident Is said to have done much to influence Congress not to take up the big appropriation which Chief Signal Officer Allen and other members of the army corps had confidently hoped would be reached during the special ses- sion of Congress. But those on the in- side, while admitting the keen disappoint- ments suffered by the diplomats who as- sembled daily at Ft. Myer to "see the show" are now willing to admit that the great desire of President Taft for re- trenchment proved the undoing of the prospective half million experimental ap- propriation.
 sdestepped Dan Cupid.
 Right here it may be well to say that the Wrghts care not for disploy or hero worship. Many a time have the idle
 
 paid no attention to the sentimental girls who loved to watch their aerial man. euvers. Dan Cupid always kept his dis tance because his reception was "cool" and 1t now seems safe to predict that the only girl who Is "safe" in their hearts is Miss Katherine. their lovable and faith ful sister, who nursed Orville through his injuries, and who cheered Wilbur on for eign shores when dismal failure seemed to stare him in the face
 The fact that the Wrights abhor dis play, and that they are even willing to lose scores of thousands of dollars to avoid show or exhibition" is evil denced by their refusal this summer to take part in the Ohio State Fair festivI- . ties, an offer of s10oo0 having been made for a single flight.
 Likewise did they decline an invitation to appear on the Seattle Exposition grounds against Bleriot or Latham the prize being s25,00o. Other aviators jumped at the chance. The Wrights politely re- fused to consider the matter They are not in the show business and intend to confne themselves strictly to the science of aviation, mastering its ev- cry detail. and placing aerial navigation on safe and sane basis, as far as weather and wind conditions will permit.
 Invited to Russia. l tation from Odessa, Russia. to give an ex- hibition there in October. and, despite the fact that this performance would give him an advantage in the Czar's domain which he expects to invade as soon as Orvile concludes his experiments for the Ger mans he has failed to accept the profger Russian officials will witness the tests on German territory and will probably make overtures to the American inventor for official flights in Russia. but it is prac- tically a foregone conclusion that they will not partake distinctively of the show feature" They may be spectacular. as nearly all flights have been, vet shorn of anything that smacks of exhibitions. which the Wrights detest thoroughly-so much so that they have passed up a couple of hundred thousand dollars. per- chance, by their marked aversion to the | scheme.
 | Aside form their natural antipathy to giving exhibitions. the Wrights believe they are taking the proper course in out | lining their work. One reason they ad- vance in that under no circumstances !, could they agree to fly on any set oc- | casion for any stipulated sum, be | 1t one thousand or one million dol- lars for the simple reason that wind and weather conditions might be adverse. Rather than disappoint waiting crowd and deplete the treasury of the manage ment, the average aviator would make the trial--and possibly lose his life. This is one safeguard the wrights have built up by experience, and they will never make q flight except at their own pleas ure They are independent to a decided | degree, and to rob them of their indepen- dence would deprive them of their ambi- | fions