Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-07-21

Wilbur Wright, who is perhaps the
man entitled to that badge of immor-
tallty, is most modest in his predic-
lions and says he believes the chief
use Of the aeroplane will be for military
observations. Glenn III. Curtiss takes
an opposite slant and thinks II will be
the means of ending war. Who knows
what It will be? The wonder Is that
II has been invented at all, but, having
been invented, who shall set limits
10 what improvements the future man
may give to It? Why may 1t not be
as radically and swiftly developed
and advanced as the ship, the rail
road train or the automobile? In the
days of Columbus and his toy sail
ing vessels the crossing of the Allan
tic was a perilous undertaking. To
day IT IS a weeks outing with hotel
accomplishments. The modern ocean
liner defies the waves by its very bulk.
Why may not a giant aeroplane find
equal stability amid the currents and
eddies of the air?
Beginnings of Mighty Things.
The inventor is not necessarily
prophet, nor is it essential that he
should be one. It is enough for him to
do the trick and let the future take care
Of itself. The idea is his, but the mo-
ment he gives utterance to that idea,
whether that expression be In the form
Of a word or of n machine, it belongs
to mankind, and If it be good mankind
will use it and improve it to the utter
most. The aeroplane now belongs to
the human race, and that the human
, race is about to do marvellous things
with it is attested by this very fever
of prize giving for cross country
flights. With all due respect, it is not
for Mr.. Wilbur Wright to deny the
future greatness Of his own invention.
Imagination is a necessary part of the
worlds mental equipment While it
may go beyond the mark, it as often
falls lamentably short of it. AS no
one In Franklin's day could even guess
the coming wonders Of electricity, so
no one now living perhaps has the
faintest conception Of what the inven-
ton OF the aeroplane means to the fu-
ture Of humanity. Leave us our imagi-
nations, for few things in this matter
of fact world have so appealed to them
as the feats of these man birds. We
have a right to feel that we are in the
beginnings Of mighty things.
America saw Franklin fly his kite,
Hudson navigate his first steamboat,
Morse send his first message and Edi-
son light his first electric bulb. Amer
lea likewise is to see these aeroplane
contests on courses that spread out
like a SPIDERS web from her metropo-
lis. They cannot be less than epoch
making The inventive genius Of the
country was never more alive than
now. Stimulated as these races must
stimulate 1t, the improvements 1t will
give to the aeroplane should be as re-
markable as the invention itself. The
first forms Of all machines are crude.
With the start that has been made
and with the whole countYy-and the
whole world as well-at work solving
the problem Of aerial travel, the revo-
luton should be accomplished in a
lifetime. Even if Wilbur Wright will
not dream day dreams, there is moth
ing to prevent the rest of us from
doing IL.
Three Big Races Assured.
August has been suggested for some
of these races, and all Of them that
materialize probably will take place
during the present summer or autumn.
The one now most talked of is that
from Chicago to New York, which the
Wright brothers have pronounced en-
tirely feasible and which they and
many other famous aviators, including
Curtiss and Hamilton, have promised
to enter either in person or with their
machines.
1t will be a memorable day when a
flock Of aeroplanes shall fly from New
York to Chicago or from New York to
st. Louis. 1t is possible that the
courses will be set in the opposite di-
rection, as Orville Wright has sug
n