The Aeronautic Society of New York  
  in the light of its disappointments upon expectation that ought never to have been formed,
and was not given the recognitino its serious work deserved. It is a curiously interesting
fact that the newspapers in England and on the continent of Europe readily printed details
and pictures of machines at Morris Park while in course of construction, and gave every
possible encouragement to builders. But the attitude of the papers at home was, "Wait
till they fly!"
     This witholding of encouragement was anything but a help, especially as it went on
side by side with the booming of men who were talking, but were not even trying to do
anything. But the men who had the grit to try to solve the problem of flight, and to try
to fly, had also the patience that enabled them to wait for recognition. They knew how
long it had taken the Press of America to get over its general attitude of disbelief in
human flight.
     It is certain that if any body of men had been working upon any other problem,
spending the same amont of time, energy, and money, upon it, and with no risk to life or
limb, their efforts would have been taken more seriously. Bu the Aeronautic Society had to
suffer the indifference that is always the lot of pioneers in a new field. It had, in addition, to
brave some ridicule, and even some little slander, such as is also usually the lot of pioneers.
The fact that a body of New York citizens had leased the great space of 327 acres of open
land, near the subway terminus, right on the border of the city, for the purpose of trying
to fly, was allowed to pass, in those early days, without attracting very widespread attention.
Yet, then, it waas the first time in the history of man that land had ever been taken with
such an object. The facts that make history are often unrecognized at the moment of their
happening!
 
 
 
 
Wilbur R. Kimball's Helicopter. View showing Propellers.
 
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