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It has a top speed of 590 miles per hour.

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Mr. Ray and his wife, Marian, reside in Ukiah with their sons James, 18, and Richard, 15.

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"We should have [[text cut off]] job and working by the end of March . . . and we hope to see 

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presiding over the business sessions.

Tonight's program concludes at 9 with dancing at Santa Rosa Moose Hall, 2350 Santa Rosa ave.

Registration continues at 8 a.m. tomorrow at El Rancho. The second day of ritual competition also starts at 8 a.m. at the Santa Rosa Labor Center.

Reports of various committees and other activities continue as the association assembly continues at 9 a.m. The

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Home Scorched
By Staff Correspondent
HEALDSBURG-A hot water heater exploded starting a fire which caused about $200 damage to a summer home on Fitch Mountain, owned by Ned Reed, Oakland.

The Division of Forestry said the heater was damaged and walls scorched in the unoccupied home, located at 2320 S. Fitch Mountain rd.


WISEMAN FLIGHT-IV
History-Making Flight
Began 55 Years Ago Today
By BOB WELLS

The focal point of the Wiseman story is, of course, the famous air mail flight Feb. 17, 1911. As has been seen, the plane already had been through a number of flights and adventures, including the delayed Fourth of July flight the year before. 
The starting point was the old racetrack at Kenilworth Park, a park named after one of the county's most famous horses.
Petalumans had made considerable preparations. Wiseman was to carry several articles.
Letters included the following:
“To His Honor, Mayor James R. Edwards, Santa Rosa: 
“Petaluma sends greetings and best wishes to Santa Rosa by Aviator Fred J. Wiseman.
“G.P. McNear, Mayor.”
(This was a member of the still-prominent McNear family, who operated a feed and other businesses in Petaluma.)
Mr. McNear wrote another, too:
“Aviation Field, Santa Rosa, 
"Petaluma invites Santa Rosa and Petaluma Aero Navigation Company. Trip No. 1. 
“Mr. John P. Overton, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Petaluma invites Santa Rosa to her Industrial and Pure Food Exposition. Geo. P. McNear.”
(Mr. Overton was active in Chamber of Commerce work in Santa Rosa.)
There was still another letter, one figuring in the still-alive dispute over the “air mail” angle:
“Kenilworth Park, Petaluma, Calif.
“H.L. Tripp, Postmaster, Santa Rosa, Calif.
“Dear Sir and Friend: 
“Petaluma sends, via the air route, congratulations and felicitations upon the successful mastery of the air by a Sonoma County boy in an aeroplane conceived by Sonoma County brains and erected by Sonoma County workmen.
“Speed the day when the U.S. Mail between our sister cities, of which this letter is the pioneer, may all leave by the air route with speed and safety.”
“J.E. Olmsted, Postmaster.”
(Mr. Olmsted was a member of the family that published the Argus-Courier many years, selling out in 1965.)
Wiseman also carried a package of groceries from Hickey and Vonsen, Petaluma, to Kopf and Donovan, Santa Rosa, as a greeting between businesses in the same line.
Also he had several copies of the Press Democrat. 
Quite a few ctizens were present to see the plane off that day.
A newspaper account tells it like this:
The take-off was about 12:30 p.m. from Kenilworth Park, the machine having been moved to a hard surface. “The huge contrivance rising easily and shooting out over the fence and across the park like a bird, and heading direct for the county seat.”
Carl W. Petersen whose home on East Washington st. is only a stone's throw from the takeoff spot, was one of those on hand that day.
His reaction was a bit more anxious than that of the journalist who wrote of the “birdlike” departure.
“We were all very happy to see Mr. Wiseman get off and go between those trees,” Mr. Petersen recalls. “We followed him on bikes down what is McDowell rd. now.
The takeoff was “wobbly” as he remembers it. The trees he mentioned were eucalyptus, some of which still stand near the East Washington st. entrance to the fairgrounds.

P.D. Delivered By Air
Soon after starting, Wiseman saw a housewife run out of her 
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[[image - black and white photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Chris Henrichsen]]
[[photo credit]] -Staff Photo by Joe Price Jr. [[/photo credit]]
[[caption]] VOICE OF 'EARLY BIRD' PRESERVED ON TAPE
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Henrichsen Knew Aviator [[/caption]]

Stores Open Until 9 Tonight
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Transcription Notes:
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