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[[Stamp mark]] FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE

From there Parmalee flew at the Oakland, California West February 17th to 25th, with Beachey, Kearney, Fish, Cooke, Hoff, Gunn, and Blanche Scott. Here Parmalee had installed a V-8, 60 H.P. Hall-Scott engine which made a tremendous difference in speed and climbing ability. Mufflers were installed on the engine making it very quiet in flight. His flying with this machine was easily the sensation of the show. Parmelee and Turpin next flew at Agricultural Park, Sacramento, California March 2d and 3d. There Parmelee carried authorized mail from the field to a park near the Post Office where it was picked up by Postal employees. Following this event Parmelee and Turpin had a 7-week contract flying every weekend on the beach at Venice, California. There they made exhibition flights to attract the crowds and carried passengers. This engagement started March 25th and about April 1st professional parachute jumper Grant Norton made a successful jump from Parmelee's plane at about 1,000 feet. Holding a folded standard balloon chute in his arms, attached to his belt he threw it down and below the plane, then jumped. This was reportedly the first live parachute jump ever made from an aeroplane in flight.

While flying at Venice Parmelee and Turpin decided to form a partnership and go into the exhibition business in earnest. Evidently feeling they should have new, more modern and faster planes they bought two Gage tractor biplanes with Hall-Scott 60 H.P. engines. The engagement at Venice ended about April 15th and their first date using the new planes was at Hastings Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada May 24th to 26th. Here they had a dangerous assignment. The field was very small and completely surrounded by trees with an electric power line at one end. Due to high custom duties they took only one plane with them, but despite the hazards they put on a very successful show, both making several good flights. Grant Morton, the chutist, was scheduled to be a part of the show but was ill and could not perform, so a local balloonist, Charles Saunders, took his place and made a successful jump both days.

From Vancouver they went to Bellingham, Washington and then split up, Parmelee going to North Yakima, Washington and Turpin to Seattle. Flying from the