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dispose of them and even though I regretted the loss of the property, I made a bonfire and burned them. For the reason of 1906 I constructed four new balloons, I decided to fully equip all four machines. I visited Glenn Curtiss at his Factory in Hammondsport N.Y. and purchased two motors similar to the one shipped to Baldwin at Chutes Park, Los Angeles during the winter of 1905 and 1905.
I was interested to find Hammondsport located off the usual highways, nesting among the hills and bordering on the south shore of Lake Keuka, a very beautiful setting. The Curtiss Company at that time was manufacturing motor cycles, with an occasional sale of an aeronautical motor as a side line. Curtiss received double the price of the motor cycle for his aeronautical motor and was very glad to receive these orders. The visit was pleasant and profitable as I met some very nice people, good old home folks, as well as prominent persons looking into the aeronautical possibilities.
Our business was booked for the season of 1906, and on apportioning the dates for the two machines, Strobel kept what he considered was best for himself. At that time I would have been glad if he had been able to get someone else to fly in my place as, by this time I was tired of flying and would rather had the job of securing the business or doing anything else except flying. I had two very near serious accidents and decided it would be good business on my part to design a new type where it would be possible to remain seated and not have to walk about on the frame. I shipped what I needed and entrained for Los Angeles where they climatic conditions were greatly in favor of experimenting.