The History: In response to Octave Chanute's urgent request for the Wrights to describe their first successful flights at the American Association for the Advancement of Science winter meeting in St. Louis, Wilbur sent a telegram. "We are giving no pictures nor descriptions of machine or methods at present."

Wilbur followed this telegram with a detailed letter in which he described the performance of the Flyer to Chanute. He reviewed what had transpired since Chanute had left the camp on November 12th:

• the propeller shafts failed a second time;
• Orville returned to Dayton to oversee the reconstruction of the propeller's axles;
• their desire to return home by Christmas and to test even if conditions were not ideal;
• their partially successful flight of December 14th and subsequent damage and repair made to the Flyer;
• the four successful flights of December 17th .

Wilbur thanked Chanute for the Christmas presents and wished him a Happy New Year.

Perhaps due to Chanute's extended travel this year or the rift beginning to grow between Chanute and the Wrights (see April 2, 1903 and July 27, 1903), Wilbur had not corresponded as much with Chanute this past year. Consequently, Chanute may have felt "in the dark" regarding the Wrights' recent progress and success.

In particular, Wilbur was bothered by Chanute's comment in his telegram to Katharine regarding their first flight. "I earnestly hope that they will do still better." Wilbur replied to Chanute, "Those who understand the real significance of the conditions under which we worked will be surprised rather at the length than the shortness of the flights made with an unfamiliar machine after less than one minute's practice. The machine possesses greater capacity of being controlled than any of our former machines."

Quotations from the book The Papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright, Volume 1 by M. McFarland.