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Waco 109

During our visit Buddie convinced John Junkin, just out of college, that Santa had left the swell new electric train for him, Buddie! and Sam had convinced his Dad that Dad was the man to build the motors for the next years Wacos, which Wacos should be of all metal. They drew plan after plan, and Dad forgot that Sam had not gone to college, and that he, himself didn't believe in airplanes. I found Mother Junkin no exaggeration but really the ideal of the kind of a Mother one would like to have. 

We left for Troy, on one of those wonderful western trains made up entirely of staterooms. We changed trains in Chgo, memories, memories, Saw Matty and his new factory, then to Dayton and home. 

Henry Ford had ordered several kinds of airplanes, including 5 Waco Nines. He discarded all the other commercial makes and ordered five Waco Nines. Bill Stout was now Ford's airplane engineer, and at the Air Shows, he never failed, to make a speech, citing George's part played in the founding of the company, and the significance of the name Waco. There were now, Stinsons'(Eddie's ships); Laird's; and Stearman's, for Lloyd had started his own company in Wichita, Kansas, and if the sale of Waco Nines kept up, for the future years, Waco airplanes would truly fly all over the world. All these airplanes started by boys with only High School education, guts, and faith in themselves and aviation. Dreams come true, from a group of kids. There were others of course, but this was the group I knew so well, and all were close friends. As I recall, there were between five and six hundred Wacos sold in the business year of 1926, for $25000000. It was not only a marvel of engineering, but of managing in limited floor space, motors being stored on one side of town, ships set up in another, Sam sweating blood to meet Saturday's payroll. All attested to the efficiency of a few skilled workers, and good management and good will. The whole countrywas Waco Nine conscious.