The Wrights' Telegram to Father--Fact or Fiction?
, The great detective,Sherlock Holmes-- portrayed by Basil Rathbone The Wright brothers--Orville and Wilbur The telegram to Father, Bishop M. Wright An Introductio n It is frustrating when traditionalist Wright historians use their positions as scholars of aviation to smother legitimate questions about the Wright brothers' claims. The following contribution is different. It is not, as such, about the history of aviation, but about U.S. cable telegraphy of the early 20th Century. The opinion of aviation historians of whatever status or caliber upon its content and conclusions is brought down to the same level--a level playing field, in fact. No position in aviation "historianship," or lifetime number of aviation books and articles written, bestows the authority to dismiss evidence on the subject of the telegraph. Its contents are long and detailed because of the need to lay down an absolutely watertight defense against pontifical pronouncements from those