Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-21
SEES BIG FUTURE
IN AERONAUTICS
MILLIONAIRE NEW YORKER
WRITES TO CLASSMATE
COMPANION OF HARMON ACROSS
ATLANTIC is sANeulNE
Declares That Man-Bird Chicks viii
Multiply and Fill the Sky
Before Very
Long

One of the college classmates Of Aug
ustus T. Post, the New York million
aire, Amherst graduate and booster of
the aviation game, not long ago re-
cieved a letter from the enthusiast that
is at least optimistic as to the possibili-
ties of the navigation of the air
Mr.. Post win be remembered by avi-
ators, aercnauts and the general read
ing public as the man who narrowly
escaped death year or two ago in
the balloon in which he and another
aeronaut were taking part in an inter-
national race. His letter follows:
"a flavor OF aeronautics is around
my pen, the paper has the scent, and
a hot one too, right from Rheims,
where we were this morning and will
be this afternoon, for that is the name
of the place where the flying here is
done as well as France. They have the
best wine cellars and wine in the world
here too, but that has nothing to do
with flying, 1 am sure.
Il came up here with Clifford B. Har-
mon from New York, with whom in
the balloon New York, as aide, 1 made
the second longest official trip in
a balloon and the third longest ever
made-4S hours and 26 minutes, when
we reached an altitude Of 24,2OO feet.
Old Los Angeles Mentioned
"From that performance. practically
living in the air-for we took food and
clothing and instruments and enough to
keep us all for week-we now come
to the areoplane, where a thirty-mlnule
flight by an amateur is considered good
and the worlds record is but little over
four hours. Here is the nest of the
bird-men, here is where they roost.
There are three good eggs ready to be
Matched out and plenty of old shells
lying around on the junk pile.
"Capt. Thomas S. Baldwin, the father
of aeronautics, also is here building
his new dirigible balloon, and Mr.. Cur
tiss planning how he can win the
Mfchelin cup which Mr.. Wright says
cannot be. won unless a fight is MADE
from dawn to dark. I have visited also
the instruction grounds at College park
Maryland, where Mr.. Wright has IN
structed the army officers, and as the
idea is passed beside machines aero
nauts are made, which is the very lat-
est step in the progress of the art, the
human one, and the very point Where II
becomes interesting to us all because II
comes nearer and nearer until 1t VIII
drag us into its net and we ourselves
will have a chance to fly.
Success Not Far Away
''The time is not far off, because it is
like population, it comes SLOW Wheh
there are only two parents like the
Wright brothers, and the curious thing
about this is that the parents of the
man birds are both men, but when
there are many, each with brood, the
chicks will multiply and fill the sky.
This is rather humorous view, but
7 am on the spot, 1 have the point of
view, and this is the landscape or sky
scape as it looks from here. I would
like to send you all some of the flavor
of the wine. AS Lincoln said when they
told him Gen. Grant drank whisky,
Find out what brand. I want to give
it to some of my other generals This
is the Curtiss brand, and it is good. I
heartily recommend and indorse this
kind of mental food. 1t has made a
great many think. hope it will make
you. I am lecturing this winter and
writing on this subject too.'