Viewing page 88 of 105

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

185
[[strikethrough]]  They were [[/strikethrough]] Leroy Armstrong and Lionel Armstrong, both of Pasadena, and very fine young men who were of great assistance to me during the experimental period. The trial flight was anything but successful. However, by the addition of new vertical and horizontal rudders, I was able to control the ship perfectly.

Then commenced a long period of operation, carrying passengers. Among other people who were carried was James J. Jeffries. He sat right behind me and poked me in the back several times and said, "This is great!"

Mr. D. M. Linnard, the owner of Maryland Hotel, had promised me if I came to Pasadena that he would assure me of a patronage amounting to ten thousand dollars. He procured the lot on which the hangar was erected and got permission to build the hangar and use the city water free. He was right there on the spot when the first successful flight was made but no amount of persuasion could get him into the car. He was willing to look at it, but he was not willing to ride. I found to my sorrow that a great many people were of the same mind!

There was an amusing incident one afternoon. A committee of five ladies called on me, very indignant. They wanted the proprietor. I was in overalls, had been tinkering with the motor and was pretty dirty. I introduced myself and said, "What can I do for you?"

The lady who was supposed to be the spokesman hesitated about telling me her troubles, so one of the other ladies spoke up. She said, "We want you to take your airship and peacefully leave the locality."

I said, "What have I done to incur this?"
"You have risked the lives of our husbands."
"Have I?" We'd only been operating about two weeks when this occured. I said, "Madam, suppose we look at the ship's register