The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-05-27
Mr. pETERKIN.
Hade up His Mind Time was Ripe for
Inaugurating Great AeroplaHe n.
dustry and Then Got Men Of Money
Interested in His Project.

when you see expensive offices
opened on Fifth avenue with mahog-
any furniture, fine rugs and all that
sort of thing, when you see such men
as Vanderbilt, Gould, Belmont and
dollar aeroplane company, it's pref
~ good sign to me that this flying
machine business is no Joke"
This was the soliloquy of a veteran
broker In Wall street last Wednesday
morning when he read the announce
ment of big syndicate to manufae-
ture the Wright brothers aeroplane.
One year ago the prediction that
Americas leading capitalists might
soon be financing o great flying ma
chine syndicate would have been con-
sidered ludicrous-just as absurd,
perhaps, as was the statement of one
of these capitalists the other day that
within year he expected to be MAX
Ing aeroplane trips between New York
and Philadelphia.
It all shows the magical progress
human flight has made recently, and,
What Is doubtless OF greater interest,
It shows that the clear header cap
tains of finance are convinced that air
navigation Is practical, and that they
are willing to back their convictions
with hard cash, and plenty of It.
The genius of the Wright brothers.
of course, shines out through the
whole story. They we're the discoY-
erers. 1t was their skill, courage and
perseverance that made mechanical
flight possible. But the other day.
when group of Americas wealthieet
men came together down In the finan-
cial district to give existence to the
big syndicate, 1t transpired that an
other genius had entered the field and
gave promise of playing very promi-
nent part in the future history OF the
flying machine.
He stood over in the corner of De
Iancy Nicoll's law Office when the
drst story was given out and oe-
easionally put in word. He
seemed to know great deal about the
big enterprise. Some of those present
took him for bright young reporter.
Others thought he was one of Mr..
Nieolls clerks. Then somebody ask.
ed Mr.. Nieoll who the young man was.
His name is Clinton R. PeterkIn.p
said Mr.. Nicoll. II believe he organ
lied the syndicate"
Then Mr.. Peterlin was asked to tell
something about himself, but he
modestly declined. He said there
wasn't anything Of interest to tell
that occurred to him at the moment
# he thought anything later he would
be glad to oblige.
Pressed further TO tell the story Of
this rather extraordinary enterprise.
he said
Il don't want to seem mysterious
about thing that has no mystery in
It. | made up my mind four years
ago, after reading an article about the
Wright brothers, that they had made
a great discovery and that flying ma
chimes would one day become practi-
cal Then / forgot all about IL until q
few weeks ago, when concluded that
the time had come when the world was
ready for these machines. | got
It Into my head that ! would like to
manufacture them. ! didn't have the
money to do 1t on a big scale, and 30
I asked the men who have a plenty Of
II to take hold OF the thing. They did
That's all there is to It."
Mr.. Peterkin's reticence about him
self even extends TO the Withholding
Of his own age. In appearance he Is
about twenty-five, but he declares that
he Is much older. He says he has
operated mines In Mexico. ranches IN
Dakota, orange fields In Florida.
Il have been pretty busy for the last
twelve or fifteen years." he said. but
I have never been interested In any
thing so much as I am in the develop
ment of this great invention